Who in your teen years mentored you? Was it a coach, youth leader, parent, or teacher? What difference did it make in your life?
In my last post, I gave five simple ways to open your home to teenagers. Now I want to add five ways to open your heart.
I spend a good chunk of time parenting my teenage sons and working with the girls in my youth group, and I love it. Here are some of the lessons I am learning:
- Be real. Say you don’t know sometimes. Don’t always look perfect. Let them see your messes and hear about your worries. Laugh when you get it wrong. Love them when they are real: sweaty, grumpy, messy, emotional, and honest.
- Be flexible. Include that last-minute friend for dinner, or wrap up the leftovers when your teenager decides Qdoba with friends sounds better than your taco salad. Be willing to grab coffee with a teenager when they are free, even if it’s a busy time of day. Allow a little more noise and chaos than you are comfortable with. Bring humor into tension.