Tag Archives: teenagers

Teen Challenges: Lying

This blog is a kickoff to a little series I will be doing on teen challenges.  While some of the issues we face in parenting teenagers are different for each family, there are many common ones that we deal with. So let’s start off with a big one—the juicy lies that sometimes come out of our teen’s mouths.  Oh, this is one that I have the most difficulty in dealing with.  Because I have taught my children from early on that the consequences will be much more severe if caught lying. By now my teens should have figured out that … Continue reading →

Beware of Catfishing

Are you familiar with catfishing?  If you are a parent, then you need to be.  And no, this isn’t a lesson on fishing for catfish, nor is it a recap of what I recently saw on “Duck Dynasty.” Catfishing is when someone takes on a false identity online and ropes some unsuspecting person into a relationship.  Probably the most familiar story of recent is the linebacker from the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Manti Te’o. It’s been all over the news.  How he apparently was in a relationship with a young woman online and she died from cancer.  Turns out she … Continue reading →

When Technology Becomes Unhealthy

Living in this world of technology, one thing I have noticed is a change in relationships.  Face-to-face interactions happen less often.  It’s easier to shoot out an email or text.  It may feel safer to have a discussion through instant messaging. Instead of talking about our feelings, we are voicing them on Facebook or Twitter.  And rather than enjoying quality time together with our friends, we sit a few feet from each other, tapping away on our devices. This can be not only unhealthy but dangerous.  I’ve seen one of my daughter’s friends fall for a guy she met online.  … Continue reading →

Parenting in a Social Media World

Parenting in today’s world has completely changed due to social media.  It has presented new challenges, twists and turns that parents of yesteryear couldn’t have even imagined. Think about the difficulties of getting a teen to communicate, to share what is going on in their life.  It can be like trying to pull teeth.  But spend some time on their Facebook page and you can learn all sorts of things. That can be good in many ways.  You might learn about some struggles your teen is having.  But it can also be bad in that you discover some things maybe … Continue reading →

Defining Success

How do you define success as a parent?  Is it dependent on your child’s abilities and talents?  This is a common issue for many families. I have to be honest, I am never impressed when I hear someone rattle off all the activities that little Johnny is involved in.  I’m not moved by the fact a teenager is taking on a heavy load of AP courses, working and involved in sports. As a matter of fact, I actually start to feel sorry for the kid.  The only way I might not is if I have full assurance the extra-curricular activities … Continue reading →

Bedtime for Devices

I was always one of those parents who had a bag full of “nevers.”  You know what I mean.  “I will never allow my child to…”  Fill in the blank. It’s so easy before you have children to say what you will never do.  And it’s just as easy when they are young to say what you will never do when they get older. Sure, some of my “nevers” I have stuck to.  But there have been a few I tossed to the side.  And in all honesty, at times it was a matter of not wanting to battle. One … Continue reading →

Taylor Swift the Prude

What does it say about our society when a celebrity is getting bashed for apparently not “putting out” often enough?  Teen heartthrob Harry Styles from One Direction has had enough of Taylor Swift’s prudish ways and is moving on. Yet a current events television show was making fun of her.  Personally, I would like to applaud her.  But I would go even further and give her a standing ovation if she could say that she was saving herself for marriage. I know…that is so old-fashioned, right?  Virginity is outdated, right? Actually, the concept of virginity seems to only be okay … Continue reading →

Separated But Not Really

Sometimes it takes the insights of someone else to come to the realization about an issue in your life.  That was the case when fellow blogger Michele Cheplic recently posted, “No Chance to Miss Your Kid.”  The timing couldn’t have been more perfect. My 18-year-old son is two weeks away from graduating technical school (Security Forces) at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas.  His first duty station is going to be Turkey, which we anticipated to not happen until March. Yesterday I received word from him that his orders to go will likely be earlier, possibly the beginning of February.  … Continue reading →

Shot through the Heart

Here’s a reality if you are the parent of a teen.  Sometimes it is going to hurt your heart. In fact, this past week I found myself humming the tune of an old 80’s favorite, “Shot through the Heart” by Bon Jovi.  Why?  Because that is exactly how an incident made me feel. Teen attitudes can get in the way of joy.  Adding to this, teens can be pretty unimpressed by our efforts to make life enjoyable or fun.  And oftentimes they tend to see the glass as half-empty instead of half-full. So here I thought I had discovered a … Continue reading →

Signs of an Unhealthy Dating Relationship

One of the more challenging issues that parents have to deal with in raising teenagers is dating.  Ideally this is something your family discusses long before the time arrives. There are a couple of reasons this is important.  The first is that expectations are known ahead of time and can be clearly explained.  The second reason is that you can begin planting this information into your teen’s mind, before they start dating.  This avoids surprises. At the same time, be ready to make adjustments along the way.  I really thought I had it set in stone what the “rules” were … Continue reading →