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Guardian Grandparents

teen and grandparents I know how special grandchildren are. I have two young granddaughters, and my heart jumps a beat every time I get to see them. The relationship between a grandparent and grandchild is very special.

Grandparents can also have a strong positive influence on their grandchildren. One rather well known example is President Barack Obama, who lived with his grandparents for several years. More and more I am hearing from grandparents who are raising their grandchildren in their home. When birth-parents are no longer able to care for a child, grandparents must sometimes fill the void and do double-duty as guardians, instead of letting their grandchild child enter foster care. Continue reading “Guardian Grandparents”

Teens Can Learn By Your Mistakes

parent and teen Do you understand what your teenager is thinking? Probably not. Maybe you wonder if your teenager is thinking at all! Though the evidence may suggest otherwise, your teenager is probably thinking too much about the world around them and wondering too much about how they will fit in.

A teenager’s culture can dramatically affect how they think and act. And today’s culture is far different from when you and I were teenagers. What’s similar is their need to fit in and to be liked by their peers, which can trump all other needs in their life. But can you appreciate the unusual pressures they face today, like their wondering if the economy will ever recover and whether or not they’ll get a job, go to college, or have what you had in life? Continue reading “Teens Can Learn By Your Mistakes”

Dealing With Teen Anger

Angry teen Anger in your teenager can take on many faces. It can be a seething anger kept quietly below the surface, or a tidal wave unleashed on everyone around them. Anger can manifest itself in a covert refusal to comply with your household rules or wishes, or it can lead your teenager to outwardly undermine their own future or even strike out in violence.

Anger in teenagers usually comes from some unmet need or heart-longing. Such “wants” can be immature and selfish; like wanting more material things. Or the more complicated want for control and independence. But these can also be a smokescreen for deeper wants, like the want for love, acceptance, or even clearly defined rules to live by. Or, it can be a want for life to be the way it was before a major event took place, like the breakup of your family, the loss of innocence, or a betrayal. Anger can also come from the want to not be ridiculed or bullied or the want to be “normal” as defined by today’s teen culture. Continue reading “Dealing With Teen Anger”