Right turns on the road to better parenting

Let’s take a look at the steps we can take to get started on the road to better parenting.

1. Teach Christian values. As parents we need to identify, live, and communicate our values. If we value truth and honesty, we must be honest and adhere to biblical standards. We need to believe and teach our teens that the only truth in the world that matters is in the Scriptures. You are deceived, because you don’t know the Scriptures or the power of God (Matt. 22:29).

2. Express love and acceptance of our children. Even when their behavior disappoints us, we must continue to let them know that we love them. Genuine love for our children will grow out of our awareness that we are genuinely loved by God. It’s not always easy, but unconditional love is necessary. We also need to teach our children about God’s love. God’s love is solid and secure. He adopted us into His family, and He knows our needs and will provide them. Your teens need to know and accept these truths.

3. Be consistent with discipline. Our goal is that our children will ultimately become self-disciplined and self-controlled. If discipline does not eventually become internal, no amount of outside pressure to conform will make a teenager a spiritually healthy person.

4. Pray continually for and about our children. God is more concerned for them than we possibly can be, so He welcomes our conversations with Him about them. With every prayer and request, pray at all times in the Spirit, and stay alert in this, with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints (Eph. 6:18).

5. Worship together as a family. Participating in regular worship, both corporately and personally, will move us all toward spiritual health. Again, I cannot hope that my child will grow to be a faithful worshiper of the Lord if I refuse to do so myself. Let worship become a lifestyle for you, and your teens will likely catch it from you. Also, remember that personal and family worship are important as well.

6. Be active participants in the work of the church. Remember to balance your time with your family and in your church activities; but, again, if you want your youth to participate in church activities, you must do the same. Dropping them off at youth activities will not teach them to be faithful church members.

7. Participate in ministries that are designed for you as a parent. Not every church does this, but when a seminar or class is offered to help parents be better at their jobs, be sure to go. It will communicate volumes to your teen when they see that you are trying to improve in your parenting skills.

by Chuck Gartman

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99 Thoughts on Parenting Teenagers

At Ridgecrest Summer Camps, we know that being a parent isn’t always straight forward. As you do your best to raise your campers, we want to supply you with a wide variety of resources. With that in mind, check out this book… The Truth on Raising Teenagers From Parents Who Have Been There by Walt Mueller

If you’re the parent of a teenager, you need all the help you can get. How do you help your children make wise choices? How do you give your teenagers freedom to make their own choices while still providing a guiding hand? How do you invest your time and energy in ways that make an eternal difference in your children’s lives?

Walt Mueller delivers the goods in 99 Thoughts for Parents of Teenagers, a no-holds-barred look at the good, bad, and ugly aspects of parenting teenagers. Drawing on his experience as a parent of four children who have passed through their teenage years, Walt shares wisdom, thoughts, insights, and suggestions for making the teenage years count.

If you’re a parent, you’ll want to read, devour, and absorb the dynamic truths in this book. And if you’re a youth worker, you’ll want to get this book into the hands of parents in your ministry to guide them, encourage them, and give them insights on fulfilling God’s great call to raise children who pursue a Jesus-centered life.

Click here to download an excerpt.

…Center for Parent Youth Understanding.

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Parenting with Trust and Faith

A little girl disappears without a trace. A 3 year-old drowns when he wanders off from a family reunion. Hardly a day passes without hearing tragic stories like these that make you shiver as the unthinkable flashes through your mind.

Becoming a parent is not as simple as entering other stages in your life. Parenting is more like being engulfed by a violent tornado and flung into the land of Oz. Everything is foreign and frightening. Once you are a parent, the world, along with its possibilities, offers unlimited dangers.

Parents want to protect their children from danger. God wires parents to be protective of their children.

Last year as my daughters and I were emptying one of our compost bins, I inadvertently hit a mouse’s bed with my shovel. As five pink baby mice fell to the ground, their screeching mother bravely darted in and out of the bin to rescue each one. She need not have bothered; I was far too queasy to harm either her or her squirming offspring. But it was a vivid example of how mothers will sacrifice themselves for their children. As you become a parent, you instinctively wrap your arms around your children and hold on tightly.

Read More…

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Parenting Anxieties

Will Jack and William make good enough grades for us to sport those “My Child Is An Honor Student at …” stickers on the back of our cars? When they start reading, will they read four or five grade levels ahead of all of the other children?

In soccer, will they be the best players and score more goals than all of the other children? If one of the boys decides to play in the high school band, will he sit in first chair? If he runs track, will he be the fastest and will he jump the highest and the longest? On the baseball diamond, will he be the best fielder? Will he hit the ball better than the others? Will he always be selected in the first round of neighborhood pickup game draft choices?

Will William Brady always be at the top of the list when friends send out invitations to birthday parties?

If Jack’s class at school is divided into sections, will he be put into the group with the brighter, more advanced students?

Read More…

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The Next 4 Questions About Parenting Teens

Welcome back Ridgecrest Summer Camps parents! This is the second part of the interview in a special two-part series.

Dr. Richard Ross, professor of student ministry at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX, has always had parent ministry at his heart. He has had numerous contributions to books and resources on student ministry and parent ministry. In a recent issue, Leading Adults sat down with Dr. Ross to discuss his impressions of families with teenagers.

Here are 4 questions that Dr. Ross addresses:

1) How is the teenager-parent relationship different today from in the past?

2) You have a new book out, coauthored with Ken Hemphill, Parenting with Kingdom Purpose. Just what does it mean to “parent with kingdom purpose?”

3) What can adults of older children do to prepare for parenting teenagers?

4) What are three timeless tips you can give to encourage parents of teenagers?

Read Dr. Ross’ answers here…

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3 Questions About Parenting a Teenager

As a Camp Ridgecrest or Camp Crestridge parent, you are either a parent of a teen, or you will be soon.

Richard Ross, Ph.D., is professor of student ministry at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX. Richard serves as spokesperson for the True Love Waits campaign and is the author or compiler of more than 20 books on student ministry or parenting. For more information about Parenting with Kingdom Purpose, see www.kingdomparent.com .

Dr. Ross addresses some key questions that many of us are asking…

1) By the time parents have teenagers, they have years of experience being a parent. So why is parenting a teenager so hard?

2) If the needs of teenagers differ from the needs of children, how can parents know what their teenagers need and when those needs shift?

3) If the relationship between parents and teenagers has been difficult, what can parents do to make the relationship better?

Read his answers here…

Posted in Just For Parents | Tagged Camp Crestridge, Camp Ridgecrest, parent resourses, Parenting Teenagers, Ridgecrest Summer Camps | Leave a reply