"Thank goodness I have a teenager who knows it all so I don't have to use my
knowledge, shaped by life experience, to make decisions.
Whew! They've got it covered."
- source Facebook status shuffle
Why do teens think they know it all? The answer may lay in the fact that they are being influenced by many other groups of people as they grow up. People who do not think like we do, who shed a different light on things, who think contrary to the information our kids have grown up with. It can be quite an 'awakening' for them, but somewhat disturbing to us.
What are they thinking? Do our teens begin to view us as 'stick in the mud, fuddy duddies'? Do they consider us behind the times? Is societal pressure taking over our carefully crafted and instilled family principles? Are we losing our kids to a more influential world?
HOW CAN WE CONTINUE TO HAVE A POSITIVE INFLUENCE ON OUR TEENS?
1. We need to have constant involvement in our kids' lives. That means we show active interest
in what they do and who their friends are. We spend one-on-one time with them. We encourage
them to talk through their differences in thinking and discuss the issues calmly without either side
becoming argumentative.
2. Our kids need to know the reasons why we adhere to particular principles within the family.
We should expect that they will eventually question our thinking. It is all part of learning to stand
on their own feet, to mature and take responsibility for their own actions. When our values make
sense they will usually want to continue to follow them even if they do initially question them.
3. We need to accept that some of our experiences in life have not resulted in our dealing effectively
with similar circumstances and our kids can teach us a better way. Sometimes we are wrong.
Sometimes our kids do know more than us. We should all remain in a state of constant learning.
Written by Sally Burgess, Forefront Families LLC
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