The Tumultuous Teen Years

From FOCUS ON THE FAMILY, Today, 30-Apr-2008 edition

 

The Tumultuous Teen Years

By Dr James Dobson

 

The most helpful advice for parents of teenagers may be

remarkably simple to implement. To parents whose sons

and daughters are going through the period of rebellion

and experimentation, the most constructive recommendation

is: Just get them through it. This advice may not be profound,

but there’s good common sense behind it.

 

During those days of adolescent turmoil along the river of life,

parents often fear that the canoe in which their son or daughter

is riding will capsize. Indeed, if the rapids don’t get them, they’ll

surely drown when they plunge over the falls downstream.

 

Fortunately, however, the river doesn’t usually descend into the falls.

In time, it typically becomes smooth again, as the teen years give way

to the early twenties. There are exceptions, of course, but for most

adolescents, the anger that seemed to consume them often goes away

and a blessed normality takes its place.

 

Indeed, millions of parents who couldn’t stand their teenagers

later bust their buttons with pride at their accomplishments

and good judgment.

 

So, rather than trying to fix everything that seems out of whack

during adolescence, it might be a better strategy to just get them

through it and wait for the river to smooth out once more.