The Teenage Child

The teenage child is somebody between the ages of thirteen to nineteen years old.

A teenage child is neither a child nor an adult but somebody in-between.

This age has a lot of challenges and struggles which could be attributed to their changing hormones and the struggle to reconcile their former childish ways with the revolving adult sensitivity.

The family background contributes much to the balance or non-balance of the teenage child. If it is a kind of family with so much quarrels and criticisms from the adults in the family like a family where the parents are always correcting, always blaming their children, always trying to undermine their efforts, the teenager would end up being defensive and trying to talk back. A home where anybody was abused , whether the children, the mothers, even in some cases the fathers has the tendency of turning out teenagers with a lot of psychological imbalance.

Some teenagers are just tolerating their homes waiting for the time that they will leave and have their peace and freedom.

It does not have to be so. Parents can make the home to be homely for everybody; parents can openly appreciate their teenagers and also give them their time. Teenagers are filled up with so many questions; all these questions can be answered by their parents. When you give your time to your teenagers, they would not be stolen by the bad people in the society. Encourage your teenagers to stand on their right views, teach them never to be ashamed of their right standing in the society, especially now when the good is now bad and the bad is now good. Teach them to stand by their right values, no matter the consequences.

We have found ourselves in a society where the elders behave like children; they do not have any advice to give to the younger generation because they themselves are bereft of sound values.

Sometimes you will see an elder being instructed by a child, the traditional norms and values that keep homes and society together is now being lost, that’s why we have a lot of broken homes, sick society and confused teenagers.

Sometimes when everything is assessed, it would be very clear that the future is in danger.

So what happens to teenagers that are already needing help but badly exposed to a sick and confused society; they will go into crimes, drugs, etc.

A good home can still protect teenagers from a sick society.

It takes a sound mother and father to stand against the turmoil of the present age.

Parents need patience, soundness of values, and their own good and matured attitude in order to bring up better teenagers that will end up being better parents to their own children in the future.

Parents need to research to be abreast with current happenings in the society in order to be of help to their own children. They can help their teenagers in exercising the inner gift of sound judgement in every issue arising, living above peer pressure and societal dominance. Teenagers should feel secured in their own home with their own family.

Some children grew into teenage-hood without much problem because their parents were deliberate in making sure that they gave stable homes that will help their children to transcend into teenage-hood and young adulthood without any major problem.

Again, parents must be ready to be of help to their children so that they will not be a problem for them the parents, themselves the teenagers, and the society as a whole.

In addition, parents should show trust to their teenage children by giving them responsibilities and trusting them to deliver.

Finally, introduce your teenage children to their maker and encourage them to grow in him, if as parents you do not know God for yourselves, look for a genuine believer that will introduce Jesus Christ to every member of your home including you and grow in Him. Parenting is a serious and noble assignment, and we must be deliberate in making it a great success.