I was talking with several friends in the church a few weeks ago and they told me the challenges that the teenagers have to face right now.
I was horrified. My jaw dropped. Tears came down.
I was absolutely afraid to raise my kids in the world right now. My oldest just turned 12 and my middle child is almost to tween age soon.
What should I do? Am I ready to raise teenagers?
As I continued the conversation with my friends, they gave me some encouragement to raise my kids and I would love to share with you.
1) Do not let the world teach your kids.
We, as parents, are the primary providers and nurturers of our children. We take full responsibilities to control what things can be allowed in our home. From social media, music, to materials that the kids read, we can teach our kids what types of materials and values can provide a healthy and positive life.
2) Spend Quality time with our kids.
We are busy and we also want to make time for our kids, but we end up feeling overwhelmed and guilty when we don't spend enough time with them. Instead of measuring the hour we spend with our kids, create the moments that they will say "let's do it again", instead of "I want another hour with mom." Simple activities like teaching them to make a fried egg or jumping on the trampoline, those are the moments that they will feel satisfied and loved. The bonding time will create trust.
3) We do not need to do it alone.
Our spouse, our family members, and our friends can be our great supporters. Some of them even have experiences and advices that they can share and help us. We can even talk to our kids about our concerns and their future challenges, so that our kids will make right decisions when they have a hard time.
I hope these are helpful and I know we can raise great kids with no fear.
Talk to you soon!
xoxo Grace