Teenagers Archives - The Mom Initiative

A little taller, a little older, a little stronger…

The front door opened and closed with a bang. “Hi, Mom,” my ten-year-old called. He was home early because it was a minimum day. I went into the entry hall and gave him a hug. “How was school?” “Good.” He peeled away from me and grabbed his soccer bag from the closet. He pulled his cleats out and started putting them on. “What are you doing?” “I decided I’m reaching my juggling goal today,” he said, matter-of-fact. At the beginning of the soccer season, he set three goals for himself. Juggling the ball twenty times in a row with his feet only (no …

How to Set Curfews for Teenagers

There’s no greater DoAhead on the planet than raising good kids. It can feel like a daunting task when they are little but sometimes it can feel impossible when they become teens. One such example has to do with weekend recreation. You know the drill. It’s a Friday night and your beyond exhausted waiting for your teen to get home. Oh, it’s not that you have a bad kid. It’s just part of parenting teens. Years ago a mother who mentored me told me that there are two seasons in which a parent becomes sleep deprived. The first season is when the …

Downplaying Your Teen’s “Drama”

I’ll never forget the day my then 14-year old (now 16) daughter argued, “Well, I’m not you, Mom. I haven’t been abused like you were, but my pain still hurts. And I hate admitting that to you.” I’m not gonna lie, I learned something that day. But even now with a 19-year old son and 16- & 14-year old daughters, I’m still tempted to revert back to showing them how much better they have it than I did (or many others do). And you know what? Dismissing, downplaying, diminishing…dissing my teen’s troubles, though understandable at times, is the wrong approach …

Let It Go!

Oh how that song from Frozen both inspires and challenges me. You know the song, chances are your kids sing it just about every day, as a matter of fact, some of you are probably singing to it right now in your heads. I actually adore the song, but truth be told it also strikes a very tender nerve for me when I first heard it. You see, my One Word 365 for 2014 (you can find out more here) is “Release”. I prayed over this word and knew that only God would pick this word for me because …

Why Your Teen Needs Peer Pressure

Dr. David Stoop is a Christian psychologist and family counselor and ordained minister. His doctorate is from the University of Southern California and he is a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California (also my Alma Mater). Dr. Stoop is an adjunct professor at Fuller where he teaches courses associated with family therapy. I was privileged to have Dr. Stoop as one of my professors at Fuller and have always admired his work. Dr. Stoop has authored over 30 book, and was the co-editor of the Life Recovery Bible. You can learn more about Dr. Stoop at his website. I follow Dr. …

Preparing Your Kids To Be Mission Minded

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19 NLT Missions trips will change your life. They will wreck you. You will never be able to look at poverty the same again. You will be compelled to do something about it. Your days of sitting by thinking there’s nothing that I can do to help will quickly be erased from your thought process…you will be determined to make a difference. One day. One child. One step at a time. That’s what has happened …

The Making of a Man Starts with a Samurai Sword

It was a stare down between me and my 13 year old son. I was right and he knew it, but he wanted to be right so badly he was willing to stand eye to eye with me(because he is as tall as I am), giving me his “I think I am smarter than you” glare. Have you been there? I am no stranger to this. I have been there 3 times before with his older brothers. The early teen years for a boy can be brutal on parents and for the boy. So much is going on in the …

Mean Girls Come From Mean Mamas

Standing in line for the concert gave my family plenty of people-watching time. As girls and guys made their way to the back of the line, I pointed out all the immodest clothing. “Why would she wear those in public?” “Oh my! I can’t believe she feels comfortable dressed like that!” I commented as one-by-one they passed us. I must have shared quite a few of these statements because my oldest teenaged daughter finally said, “Mom, you are being mean!” I felt so small. I hadn’t thought I was being mean. I was simply pointing out to my girls how not …

I Just Want You! – 5 Tips for Parenting Teens

Being a teen is tough. It’s that limbo place between being a child and being a young adult, and it’s hard to figure out where you belong. You want to be treated as if you’re all grown up, yet you still need a parent’s wisdom. Hormones are changing as quickly as your life and you struggle with finding your way. Being a parent of a teen might just be harder than being a teen. It’s hard for a mom to really know what to do during those pivotal years when they seem so independent but they don’t process life like …

I Want My Mommy… Still!

I remember it like it was yesterday. My mom had bought a television… FOR MY ROOM! That was a really big deal in 1976 and I was one excited teenage girl! But Mom had become a busy working woman whose priorities had changed. Not long after that gracious gift assumed its rightful place in the corner of my room, my mom and I had a big blow out. In the midst of the mayhem my sweet mom looked me in the eye and cried out, “Good grief, Stephanie! We bought you a television for your room! What more do you …