Until the middle of the last century, there was not a separate category for teens. Children were treated as adults by age 14 or 15. They were apprenticing or taking on other major responsibilities.
But now in a modern, relatively affluent society where automation has reduced the amount of labor required to keep things running, and where universal education is considered a necessity for productive participation, the teenager was invented.
So we see the teen’s sense of life being postponed, angst, boredom, depression, rebelliousness, lost self-esteem, and even dangerous experimentation.
As parents we are faced with the task of choosing daily, or even hourly, between offering a safe haven, helping to launch, and letting go with grace and love. We spend less time in our teen’s presence than before, but often more of our time away from them figuring out how we can help, or in fear and worry.
Here faith and trust and respect become ever more critical components of our parental love. Our patience, communication skills, emotional intelligence, and even imagination can be tested. In fact, we may be growing and maturing along with our teen.
But we all grow, and that includes our teen. Remember how eager they are to just get going!
We have been teaching this stuff for many years and hope you will take advantage of the our blog, books, videos, interviews, and more. The more we can take a prepared, responsive, holistic approach to our teen, the more the joy and celebration can outweigh any turmoil.
