In an increasingly secular culture, many adults find themselves saying, ‘I’m so glad I didn’t have to grow up in this culture.’
Unfortunately, many of these same adults have children who will grow up in these turbulent times.
Mark Gregston from Parenting Today’s Teens discuss how parents can understand and respond to the culture while supporting their children.
“What are we doing to make sure we are relieving the pressure of the culture with our kids?”
Mark encourages parents to be aware of the cultural pressure.
“I think the first thing is just being aware of that, so it changes the way I engage with my child, it changes the way that I move toward them, and it changes the atmosphere because I know that they are under pressure and I don’t want them to be.”
According to Greg, there is a right way to move toward your child and a wrong way.
“I don’t move toward them just to discipline them, interrogate them, and get them in trouble, but I participate in their life because I don’t want them to end up at a place that they don’t want to end up and I want to help them get to a place that they want to go.”
As parents when we spend time with our children, we should be vigilant for potential signs of dangerous behavior and attitudes. Don’t just assume everything is fine.
“Do you see any drug paraphernalia around the house? Can you smell incense? Are they attending parties that you don’t really know what’s going on? Keep tabs on where your child goes, show interest and participate and you can do that without being a policeman or an interrogator.”
If you are concerned about something, don’t be afraid to ask questions.
“Look for changes in the behavior of your child, things they used to hate, now they love, things they love that they used to hate. Sleep patterns, friends, change in appetite, laziness, lack of motivation, poor grades, those are all signs that something else is going on and that’s what needs to be focused on.”
