Tween queen for a day

Today's birthday at my house isn't making me feel any younger either.  Emma, my "baby", turned 11 and is firmly entrenched in all that is tween.  That means Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, and a host of other Disney and Nickelodeon stars are pretty big at our house.  That also means the teen years are not far off.  I think I can FEEL the gray hairs creeping in already!    

Emma has been struggling with a severe asthma flare-up for the past week, so she hasn't felt well on her special day.  I'm sure she'd appreciate prayers for quick healing!    

22 years young

"Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth."  Psalm 127:4

It's one of those days that will forever be burned in my memory.  Every detail remains clear, right down to what I was wearing.  It was a day that changed my life forever; it was the day I became a parent.  

I was just one week shy of 22 years old when that whopping ten pound, redhead baby boy made his first appearance in the world.  Today, the now six-foot lanky young man turns 22 himself.  I have a new perspective about how young I really was when Jeremy was born.  No wonder I felt so clueless as a new parent!  

Through the years, he has been the child who could always make me laugh and was always humble enough to be able to laugh at himself, a quality I admire and aspire to.  Jeremy's smile is contagious, and I know it's the reason why God gave him those dimples.

Of course, I shed a few tears over my son as well, mostly during his teen years.  And I must say, he was probably the reason for most of the gray hairs I now have.  Still, I'm thankful for the lessons learned (for both of us).  

He is the arrow, I am the warrior, and I've had to release him to the world, knowing full well that God is sovereign over where he will land.  

Happy birthday, Jeremy!

    

Happy Mother's Day!

May madness has begun at our house.  It begins tomorrow with Mother's Day, followed by four birthdays in 11 days at our house!  We also have about a dozen family members celebrating birthdays and anniversaries in May, not to mention graduations, end-of-the-school year concerts and recitals.  By the time May is over, I'm as ready for summer vacation as the kids are!  

Just another reason to marvel at my own mother and how she managed to keep our household running without a hitch.  I'm not sure I inherited her energy or organizational ability!  

Tonight I am lifting up a prayer for all the moms out there, especially mothers of teenagers.  I pray that God will give you a day of appreciation for your cherubs, no matter how un-precious they may be right now.  :)

Happy Mother's Day!

Great expectations?

This article raises some interesting questions; such as, are we more interested in our teens' morality or in their relationship with Jesus?  Or are the expectations we place on our teenagers unrealistic and burdensome?  I'd love to hear what all of you think.  

High School Students Feel the Weight

Discrimination against teens

My 17-year-old daughter has mentioned many times that she feels discriminated against when she goes shopping.  "Just because I'm a teenager, the clerks automatically think I'm a shoplifter too," she'll say.  She's probably right, but I remind her that they are just doing their job.  

This article came to my attention today.  I didn't realize until I got to the end that is was written by a teen (who happens to be a very eloquent writer!).  He makes some valid claims about discrimination, but more so, he gives adults a fresh perspective on how they view teenagers.  

'Teenism' gives young adults an undeserved rep

Aggressive girls

On a recent Wednesday night at youth group, I was sauntering down the halls of the church, minding my own business.  I looked ahead to see the mother of one of our students making a beeline for me.  Any experienced youth worker will tell you, when a parent approaches you, it's rarely to give a compliment.  Something is usually wrong.  I breathed a quick prayer and braced myself for whatever criticism was coming.  But this woman caught me completely off guard.  

With an urgency in her voice, she said, "Can you help me with something?  My son is being harassed by some girls here at church.  They keep approaching him and asking him to go out.  They play with his hair and hug him without his permission.  Now they are starting to call our house at all hours of the night.  It's making him uncomfortable, and we don't know what to do!"

I was even more stunned to discover the identity of the girls who were involved.  They were girls in the small group I was leading.  These were Christian girls growing up in good homes with caring parents.  How could this be?

I promised the mother I would speak with the girls.  When I asked them about their relationship with the boy, they saw nothing wrong with their behavior.  They viewed it as innocent flirting and nothing more.  We had a very long talk that night about appropriate conduct towards young men and how their actions affect others.  

Apparently, this is a growing problem.  Check out the article below by Dennis Rainey of Family Life for tips on protecting your sons and training your daughters.  

Protecting Your Son From Aggressive Girls 

Thanks to my big brother Larry for bringing this to my attention!  

Welcome to PARENtEEN!

Hey everybody!  Welcome to the new PARENtEEN blog.  If you are new here, you are entering a community of parents, youth workers and teens who want to better their relationships.  We are all in this together, so feel free to post comments and helpful links to resources.  I look forward to our new adventure, and as always, I am praying for you and your children!