Parenting Today’s Teens

(Click title to listen)PODCAST SCRIPT: Kids need boundaries.  No matter how hard they try to tell you they don’t need rules… it isn’t true! A lack of limits has the tendency to produce a child that’s selfish, demanding and aggressively controlling.  Here’s an analogy.  A glass of milk is a good thing… healthy and drinkable.  But take away the limits of the glass… and all you get is spilled milk.  All that good stuff is wasted! Take a look at the limits around your teen.  Are they sturdy?  Are they fair?  If the rules are too confining, your teen will push right through them.  If they’re too weak, you’re training your child to be selfish and demanding. Spilled milk, anyone?   ©2013 Mark Gregston www.parentingtodaysteens.org. Email: markgregston@heartlightministries.org. Phone: 1-866-700-3264Also, listen via iTunes here.

(Click title to listen)PODCAST SCRIPT: Bullies have always been part of the playground politics.  Most likely, you remember a few of those tangles out on the schoolyard. Though we’ll always find a handful of mean-spirited kids in class… the bullies today are using new weapons.  The Internet, texting, blogs and Facebook all provide creative new ways to beat up on others verbally …for all to see. As parents, we need to be aware of the damage inflicted by digital bullies… and step in to stop it whenever we can.  Go the extra mile to protect your kids.  Or… if the bully actually lives under your roof… take away the tools of the trade! Just because the bullies look different… doesn’t mean they’re any less dangerous!   ©2013 Mark Gregston www.parentingtodaysteens.org. Email: markgregston@heartlightministries.org. Phone: 1-866-700-3264Also, listen via iTunes here.

(Click title to listen)PODCAST SCRIPT: Know that saying… the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree?  Well, it’s probably describing your family! Though the culture and friends greatly influence our kids… there’s actually a stronger and more consistent force on their lives.  YOU.  Yes, you.  The principles and behaviors your teen eventually adopts are mostly learned from observing mom and dad. So… if that’s the case… what are you communicating?  Do your actions express kindness toward others?  Can your teen tell you value God and His Book?  Where have you taught your kids to go for help and comfort? Take a look at what you’re teaching your kids.  ‘Cuz the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!   ©2013 Mark Gregston www.parentingtodaysteens.org. Email: markgregston@heartlightministries.org. Phone: 1-866-700-3264Also, listen via iTunes here.

(Click title to listen)PODCAST SCRIPT: If you eaves dropped on a typical household… one with a few teens, a mom and a dad… what noises would you hear? The more I meet struggling teens and their panicked parents, the more I find that the four walls of their home encompass arguments.  A lot of arguments.  Some are loud and include shouting.  Some are hushed, but filled with anger.  Sound familiar? Though I’d never want any families to avoid conflict… in fact, I think it’s an important part of growth… I’d want them to cut down on needless verbal battering.  Is there an argument that can be turned into a discussion?  Do you need to stop contributing to the yelling- match and start listening instead? It takes two to have an argument.  Don’t be one of them!   ©2013 Mark Gregston www.parentingtodaysteens.org. Email: markgregston@heartlightministries.org. Phone: 1-866-700-3264Also, listen via iTunes here.

(Click title to listen)HALF-HOUR PODCAST SUMMARY: We may want to ignore the issue or assume that it will never happen to our child, but teen suicide is a very real problem among teenagers.  Join us on Parenting Today’s Teens as special guest Gerard Long sits down with Mark Gregston to share a personal story of his own family’s struggles with loss and finding healing in the midst of tragedy. ©2013 Mark Gregston www.parentingtodaysteens.org. Email: markgregston@heartlightministries.org. Phone: 1-866-700-3264Also, listen via iTunes here.

(Click title to listen)PODCAST SCRIPT: Believe it or not, you can’t judge a teen by his behavior any more than you can judge a book by its cover. When it comes to teens, what you see is not always what you get.  What may look like uncontrolled rebellion to a parent, may be nothing more than misplaced desire for independence in the teen.  Or… what comes across as an angry kid… may expose some of your own weaknesses! It’s not always easy to tell the difference, however.  So that’s where you and I need to do some digging.  Look behind the behavior.  Ask some questions.  Wait for answers. Don’t judge a book by its cover.  And don’t judge a teen by behavior!   ©2013 Mark Gregston www.parentingtodaysteens.org. Email: markgregston@heartlightministries.org. Phone: 1-866-700-3264Also, listen via iTunes here.

(Click title to listen)PODCAST SCRIPT: Granting amnesty, giving grace, isn’t easy.  And forgiveness is hard work! We love to talk about God’s grace.  We sing about it… we thank the Lord for mercy in our own lives… but when our kids mess up in a huge way, it’s hard to offer forgiveness! Grace is a costly gift, and it’s most needed when it’s least deserved. Parents, we can extend grace even as we enforce the consequences of our teen’s inappropriate behavior.  We do it by affirming the relationship at a time when they might be afraid that relationship is in jeopardy. Hey … if our teens never experience grace from their earthly fathers, how will they ever recognize or learn to receive grace from their Heavenly Father?   ©2013 Mark Gregston www.parentingtodaysteens.org. Email: markgregston@heartlightministries.org. Phone: 1-866-700-3264Also, listen via iTunes here.

(Click title to listen)PODCAST SCRIPT: What is your definition of peace?  Is it a house with no yelling?  Maybe a few quiet moments without the kids making a mess? The world’s definition of peace is the absence of conflict.  But God’s definition of peace is hope in the middle of conflict.  When you struggle as a family… when there’s tension and disappointment in your relationships… you have the choice to trust God, and to see that the hardship will lead you to a deeper relationship with your teen. If you sweep struggle and conflict beneath the carpet, you’ll keep your family relationships from growing.  In fact… requiring a non- conflict home will only atrophy your family muscles! Today, view peace from a different perspective.  Let God bring peace in the middle of conflict!   ©2013 Mark Gregston www.parentingtodaysteens.org. Email: markgregston@heartlightministries.org. Phone: 1-866-700-3264Also, listen via iTunes here.

(Click title to listen)PODCAST SCRIPT: No matter how much we want to believe it… we aren’t perfect.  Dad… you’re not Superman!  Mom… you’re not Wonder Woman!  Are you ready to admit your weakness? Your teens already know you’re not perfect… but when you’re finally up front about your faults, you’ll actually build your relationship.  Your son and daughter are daily surrounded by voices that tell them they don’t measure up.  And when you get on his or her level and admit your own imperfection… you’re doing two things. First, you’re helping your teen feel comfortable in his own skin.  And second, you’re teaching him how to have a confident, but realistic, assessment of himself. Being imperfect is okay.  And it doesn’t hurt to admit it!   ©2013 Mark Gregston www.parentingtodaysteens.org. Email: markgregston@heartlightministries.org. Phone: 1-866-700-3264Also, listen via iTunes here.

(Click title to listen)PODCAST SCRIPT: Are you rested?  Refreshed?  If you’re the parent of a teen, you may not know what those words mean any more! In Matthew chapter 11, we read these comforting words from Jesus:  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”  That’s a warm invitation, isn’t it? When you’re exhausted emotionally, physically and spiritually, you can find refreshment in God’s embrace.  And… as He’s designed you to be a parent to your teens… you’re also called to offer that rest to them! Jesus said, “Come to me, and you will find rest for your souls.”   ©2013 Mark Gregston www.parentingtodaysteens.org. Email: markgregston@heartlightministries.org. Phone: 1-866-700-3264Also, listen via iTunes here.

(Click title to listen)HALF-HOUR PODCAST SUMMARY: If there is one guarantee in parenting it’s this: someday your child will betray your trust.  When the inevitable does happen, how should Mom and Dad respond?  On Parenting Today’s Teens this week, Mark Gregston shares some helpful tips about moving past the hurt, and rebuilding the trust that was broken. ©2013 Mark Gregston www.parentingtodaysteens.org. Email: markgregston@heartlightministries.org. Phone: 1-866-700-3264Also, listen via iTunes here.

(Click title to listen)PODCAST SCRIPT: Learning the hard way.  Most likely, when you were growing up you did a lot of that! The school of hard knocks isn’t easy… you were probably hurt by a lot of the mistakes you made in your own teen years.  So, naturally, you’ll want to save your kid from encountering those same pitfalls. I’ve learned, however, that the hard way is sometimes what a teen needs.  One of the best ways to teach your child about the realities of life is to allow her to make choices and suffer the consequences.  It teaches her responsibility and discernment.  How will she learn to recognize good decisions unless she makes a few bad ones? Next time you see your kid learning the hard way… allow it to happen!   ©2013 Mark Gregston www.parentingtodaysteens.org. Email: markgregston@heartlightministries.org. Phone: 1-866-700-3264Also, listen via iTunes here.

(Click title to listen)PODCAST SCRIPT: My good friend James MacDonald says this all the time:  There’s no pain like family pain. Pain in family relationships will always be tough to endure.  There’s no magic cure.  But when you pay attention … and don’t avoid the suffering… you can start to see benefits of hangin’ in there. Here’s what I’m getting at.  The family that faces its pain together stays together in the long run.  Unfortunately, some parents won’t discipline their teens because they’re afraid of causing pain.  But wouldn’t you rather tell the truth now and face temporary pain… than live with a sense of regret later? The temporary pain caused by discipline will subside… and leave behind it a growing, maturing and strong family.  Mom, Dad … hang in there!   ©2013 Mark Gregston www.parentingtodaysteens.org. Email: markgregston@heartlightministries.org. Phone: 1-866-700-3264Also, listen via iTunes here.

(Click title to listen)PODCAST SCRIPT: I’ve heard it said that the average teenager actually goes “deaf” after hearing about five sentences from a parent’s lecture. If you have teens in the house, you probably know what I’m talking about… that flinch in the shoulder, the eyes roll up into the skull …as they turn and leave the room! Hey, maybe you need a different approach.  If your teen goes “deaf” five sentences in… learn to condense your message.  Or, better yet, start with a question! Yeah, I know you want to correct bad behavior, but five- point sermons aren’t always effective.  Let them learn the way you learned… through asking questions and sorting through the answer on their own. When you change your approach… you might be surprised what your teen decides to hear!   ©2013 Mark Gregston www.parentingtodaysteens.org. Email: markgregston@heartlightministries.org. Phone: 1-866-700-3264Also, listen via iTunes here.

(Click title to listen)PODCAST SCRIPT: It’s a common story.  Mom and Dad enjoy great relationships with their innocent young kids… everything is going just fine… then, out of nowhere… your teen becomes a monster! One moment your family looks like the American dream.  The next moment, you’re spinning out of control… and wondering where you failed.  Your Ozzie and Harriet home has morphed into a nightmare. So, Mom, Dad, ask yourself this question:  Is this really a bad thing? Seriously. If members of your family are hurting themselves or others… be sure to get help!  But if these turbulent times are nothing more than an innocent departure from the family you imagined …you might wanna stop and ask the Lord what He’s trying to teach you. Broken ideals could be the doorway to an exciting an unexpected future of blessing. ©2013 Mark Gregston www.parentingtodaysteens.org. Email: markgregston@heartlightministries.org. Phone: 1-866-700-3264Also, listen via iTunes here.