Are You Worried About Your Christian Teen? 3 Things You Can Do Today

Parenting doesn't get any easier as our kids become teenagers. As Christian parents, we want our teens to follow the Lord and make good choices. How do we do that when we have less and less control over their lives? The truth is, our teens need us more than they know, and they want us more than we know. 

I have three things you can do today as a parent of a teen. 

[1:15] Love Your Teen

Loving your teen does not mean giving them everything they want, but giving them what they need. Honestly, sometimes that means saying “No.”  

Your teen will not like hearing “no.” But at this age, they don’t understand what you do. You can certainly explain to them why you are saying “no,” but in the end, no is no. 

[2:48] Lead Your Teen

Do you feel like you have to be a perfect example of Christianity to your teen? You should embrace the idea of being an imperfect role model. No one is perfect and trying to be perfect is not good for you or your teen. 

Teens are bombarded with images and depictions of “perfection” and might even feel pressure to try to emulate that perfection. Show them what being a genuine Christian looks like. It looks like making mistakes and learning from them. 

It’s okay to be imperfect in front of your teen. You want them to see a role model who is real and that means being honest about your imperfections as a Christian. This can create great opportunities to grow closer together as you share your experiences following Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1)

[5:03] Launch Your Teen

This is about wanting your teen to be a productive member of society and making choices that honor God. Of course, no one can control what another person will choose to do with their life. However, there are some things you can incorporate into your life now that will be beneficial to your family and to your teen.

Stay engaged with your teen. Your teen may start to act like they don’t want you anymore, but stay engaged. Don’t disconnect. Here is a quote for you, “They need us more than they know, and they want us more than we know.” Your teen needs you.

Read the Bible together. Again, this is not about being perfect. You can simply pull out the Bible and start reading a book together one chapter at a time.

You can start with the Bible reading plan on our app

If you are using the app, tap on "Bible" below.

Eat meals together. Whenever it’s possible have meals sitting together at the table. This is a casual, no-pressure way to connect with your teen and enjoy them. 

Have tough conversations. No one wants to have tough conversations, but they are necessary. Most teens want to hear tough conversations from their parents. Whether it’s the sex talk or about current events, be someone your teen feels they can go to for the questions they have. This may mean that you have to broach the topics first to get the conversation started. 

Dig deeper with these Bible verses:

1 Corinthians 11:1