What Every Parent Needs to Know:

For the past month our Retreat has been reaching out to teens and we have uncovered something every parent needs to hear.

Teens have been sharing the big pressures they feel. The list includes pressure to excel in school, having friends, concerns about dating/sex, image, body image drugs… the list goes on. We have also been asking the teens to pinpoint what helps them get through the pressure. They have shared things like having self esteem, hanging out with friends that make good decisions, finding fun activities to fill their time, but the biggest solution we have seen written over and over is

“it would help if I could talk to my parents about this stuff”

Sometimes parents don’t know how to start the conversations, or worry that your kids aren’t paying attention anyway. Talk to your kids. They are listening! They are craving your leadership and counsel.

1 comment:

Jana said...

Thanks for that, I agree and feel it is very important, even to start young!! I feel often times when my kids have something to say I shoe them away, then when I stop to think about it I realize that is not good cause one day it will be something very critical and they will not come for fear that I won't take the time to listen!!! We need to start NOW!!! They need to have a voice and know it is being heard by the ones that care the most about them!! You are changing lives Karen, keep it up and thanks for sharing!!! :)