RAISING ADOLESCENTS The Role of Wisdom

"We try hard to guide our son and daughter, but it seems that we're forever reprimanding them for something.  We sometimes wonder whether we're  building their self-confidence or destroying it.  Finding a balance  is a real challenge." -George and Lauren, Australia.

RAISING an adolescent is no easy task. Besides dealing with the new set of challenges their child presents, parents may have to confront  their own misgivings about the fact that their son or daughter is growing up.  "Just realizing that our children will be gone one day is a sad thought," admits a father in Australia named Frank.  "It is not easy to accept that you are no longer in control of their lives."

Lia, quoted earlier in this series, would agree. "It's difficult to treat my son as a young adult, because I still view him as my little boy," she says.  "It seems like only yesterday that he was off to his first day of school!' 

Hard as it may be to accept, adolescents are no longer little children.  They  are 'adults in training,' and parents are their teachers and their cheerleaders.  However, as George and Lauren noted above, parents have the power to both build  and destroy a child's self-confidence. How can parents find the right balance?  The Bible contains helpful advice. (Isaiah 48:17, 18) Let us consider some examples.  

Next time:  RAISING ADOLESCENTS The Role of Wisdom/ Good Communication Is Vital

From the Awake! magazine