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the borne (Eph. 6:1-3, 5:22-23).
Children who learn to respect their
parents can relate to respect for God
and human government in general.
Many parents, influenced by
faulty modero psychology, have
made the mistake of trying to be
their children's friends instead of
their parents. This method does not
work. Children derive a sense of
security- strong support-from
knowing there is a trusted, reliable
authority in cbarge. Children need
someone to look up to- models
from whom they can learn to devel–
op strength of character, right con–
fidence and emotional balance.
Strengthening family ties re–
quires spending time-quality
time-together. Eating together,
constantly conversing, being enter–
tained in a happy and fun-filled
atmosphere at home rather than
outside the home all the time-all
these elements are important.
Communication
Families should talk. T eenagers
especially need to communicate
with parents during this challeng–
ing and potentially traumatic peri–
od in their lives.
Many parents do not
take the time to talk with
their teenagers. Even
Help your
teenager make
right career
choices by
encouraging
him or her to
seek full
information on
occupations
available.
May 1985
fewer take time to listen. They have
their own interests and pleasures–
business to take care of, friends to
spend time with, television
s~ows
to
watch. They reason:
"My teens don' t want me there.
They want to be by themselves."
"We just don't have the same
interests."
"I have more important things to
do.
1
can' t bother with these little
matters on the kids' minds."
How tragic! Have you as a parent
forgotten what it was like to be a
teen•ager? The matters you now
think are little were certainly not lit–
tle wben you were your teen's age.
How many parents set aside a
certain amount of time each day to
talk with their children? When
parents don't know what is going
on in their children's lives, serious
problems result.
You've known of cases in which
everybody-brothers and sisters,
other relatives, friends, neigh–
bors- everybody but the parents
knew a young person was smoking
or running around with the wrong
crowd or involved in sorne wrong
activity. Why were the parents in
the dark-the last to find out?
Because they never asked! Their
children probably carne to feel that
they didn't care.
How many times has your teen–
ager come borne with a serious
problem on his mind, actually wish–
ing he could talk it over with you,
and you gave him no chance?
How many times after a date has
your daughter come borne wishing
to talk with her mother about certain
thirtgs, yet was afraid or ashamed to
because you have made it clear that
you don ' t want to listen?
Do you ask your children about
their activities? Their dates? What
they did? Whom they were with ?
Not in a prying grill session, with
suspicion in your voice, but with
open, friendly, warm, loving inter–
est.
Do you ask them what happens at
scbool each day? Where they have
been? Do you try to find out how
they feel about certain things-what
their viewpoint is on life and its
problems?
You must! Proverbs 29:15 points
out that "a child left to himself
brings shame to his mother" (Re–
vised Authorized Version through–
out). Many parents, to their chagrín,
o:
learn only too late what
was going on in their teen–
agers ' lives.
Show loving, compas–
sionate , sincere, warm
interest in your teenager ,
and he will open up to you.
You
can
help him before
it 's too late.
And be honest in your
communication. Uncer–
tain answers make young
people uneasy. They need
a solid foundation to stand
on-rules to play by.
This means being gen–
erous witb praise.
If
you
compliment your teen–
agers they will be more
able to accept construc–
tive criticism. They want
you to tell it like it is.
General Education
~
God intended for humans
~
to receive instruction
~
through the fami ly-from
<
father to son and mother to
"'
daughter, down through
the generations (Prov. 1:8-9, 2:1-
5). Many of the problems in teen-
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