10 ways to relate to your teenage kids and strengthen their Christian faith
If your family has adolescent kids, you must know how to relate to your teenage kids. These are tender years during which a teenager begins to form strong social bonds and discover many things, including their sexuality.
Without proper parental guidance, a teenager can easily be swayed by peer pressure and do un-Christian things. Your teenage kids need you now more than ever.
Fortunately, there are ways to navigate this delicate period, so your kids won’t go astray but have their Christianity strengthened. Here are 10 ways how to relate to your teenage kids and fortify their Christian beliefs:
1. Establish regular family activities
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Regularity breeds familiarity. Remember that your teenage kids require your attention even if they are not young anymore. Doing things regularly together as a family will make your kids realize that you are always there for them.
It can be as simple as having a weekend barbecue or enjoying a family movie. You may also have regular out-of-town trips each time the semester ends, with destinations of their choice.
2. Spend one-on-one bonding sessions
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You must establish and maintain a close bond with your kids in many ways. One simple way how you can relate to your teenage kids is to do one-on-one bonding activities as frequently as your schedules allow.
You may discuss their studies, ask how they are getting along with schoolmates and friends, or inquire if they wish to share problems with you. You may also do fun activities or just some lazy stuff like listening together to their Spotify playlist (or yours).
3. Be with them in their school activities
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Often, many parents mistakenly ignore their teenage kids’ requests for their parents to be physically present with them in school activities, such as plays or parent-teacher meetings. No matter how busy you are, you should always find time for your teenage kids when they ask for your presence at school-related events. It would mean so much to them.
4. Try to learn about their interests and share them
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Many kids secretly wish their parents are as cool as their peers’ parents, who show genuine interest in knowing why they like what they like. This should not be hard on your end.
Just think of your feelings and experiences as a teen, how you wanted your parents to listen to your favorite artists or go to your usual hangout spot. Your kids probably surely have the same desires, even if they hardly communicate them with you.
Ask them what they like and try your best to share their interests. You’d be amazed at how your teenage kids would appreciate your gesture.
5. Make even their small wins a cause for celebration
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Teenage kids want their parents to be proud of them and their achievements, no matter how small they seem to others. Whether it’s a slight increase in their grades or a win at a school contest, make sure to celebrate your kids’ feats.
It can be as simple as eating out at their favorite restaurant or just greeting them and giving them a warm hug. What matters most is letting your teenage kids feel you appreciate their hard work at school or anywhere else.
6. Don’t stop talking to them even if they rebuke you
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There is no family without misunderstandings and fights, even the “most Christian” families. Your teenage kids could sometimes stop talking to you or listening to your commands, especially after a fight over the smallest things.
While the predictable response is to offer cold shoulders or ground/punish the kids, the best thing to do is to continue reaching out to them no matter how they try to push you away. Doing the latter would show your kids that you love them even if they don’t seem to love you back.
7. Be friends with their friends
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One way how to relate to your teenage kids is by establishing genuine friendships with their circle of friends. Not all parents even attempt to greet their teenage kids’ friends when they come over for a group study or when they fetch them to go somewhere. Don’t be that type of snobby parent most teenagers hate.
Instead, show your kids that a good Christian parent knows how to treat their kids’ friends well, regardless of their race, religion, or social status.
8. Walk the Christian path with them
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Kids, especially teens, look up to their parents and learn from them in many ways. Be sure to set the right example by living according to the Gospel and taking your teenage kids along the Christian path.
This means attending church together, reading the Bible regularly, and refraining from worldly, un-Christian acts. It’s tricky to accomplish but completely necessary to help your teenage kids strengthen their Christianity.
9. Surround them with godly men
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It’s important to ensure that your teenage kids are in the company of godly men who share a common love for the Christian faith. This would mean introducing your teenage kids to the church elderly or the adolescent kids of fellow church members.
By surrounding your teenage kids with godly company, you’ll help guarantee their safety and assist their journey toward strengthening their Christian beliefs and values.
10. Let them know you hear and see them
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Many teenage kids become rebellious when they feel their parents are ignoring them. Don’t let your kids even think of you as someone without regard for their feelings or opinions.
When your kids have something to say, even if you disagree with what they have to say, let them speak. Only by allowing your kids to speak their minds and hear them out without passing judgment can you make them realize that you value them and their views.
With these 10 tips on how to relate to your teenage kids, you should have an easier time enriching your relationship with them and helping them strengthen their Christianity.
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