I was a teenager in the 80’s. My concerns then were stiffening my hair with Aquanet Hairspray, listening to Janet Jackson’s songs on my Sony Walkman and reading about Craig and Darcy in my Sweet Dreams pocket books.
My parents, particularly my mother, didn’t have a hard time disciplining or raising me and my younger brother… Oh, wait, I don’t know about my brother haha! After school, I would go straight home, do my school work and do my “thing” in my pink-colored room. I would spend time with my friends from school usually after the last day of our quarterly exams. We hang out at the malls then in our area. I don’t even think I can call it a mall, it’s just a department store with a supermarket.
My friends and I would “chat” face to face because there was no internet then. In fact, our landline phone at home was installed when I was in college. Only the businessmen and rich kids had cellular phones that weighed and looked like a heavy hollow blocks. We were not allowed to drink coffee as it was reserved for the old people. There was no Starbucks in sight.
Growing up I knew I didn’t have a choice but to obey my parents. It’s either you obey or you suffer the consequences of your disobedience. We were not allowed to stay out beyond 6PM. If we do, my brother and I would be hearing her distinct sound signaling us to go home. There were no gadgets, WIFI, computer games, and social media that would distract us.
So, if you were a teen in the 80’s, you would probably agree that our parents didn’t have much to contend with regards to raising us. Would you also agree that kids today are facing a lot of distractions that we parents have to compete in order to get their attention? Aside from that, we parents are too focused on providing for our families, managing our homes or businesses, serving our communities and churches that there is feeling of guilt whether we are doing our best in raising our kids, most especially our teens.
God called us to be our kids’ mentors, to correct and guide to the right path while they are still young and very impressionable. But with teens, it’s a different story. The youngsters who used to tag along with us wherever we go, now have their own schedules. The little boy or girl who would always crave for attention is now busy online.
I was still single when my mommy would share a verse to me about parenting and it stuck with them until I became a parent myself. In Proverbs 22:6 it says,
Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.
I am still learning the importance of training our children the right way and leading them to the right path because at the proper time, they will remember what was taught to them. It’s sad to see that our children receive conflicting messages from the world today. As parents, how do we filter what they are exposed to? Are we to filter at all? Or should we teach them tolerance and allow them to be influenced by the perspective of relativism and false teachings?
My husband and I need help in this area as our eldest child is two years away from being an official teen! I mean, what do I know about raising teenagers or a responsible teenager at that? The Bible is rich with parenting advice that we so badly need in this day and age. Also, we have experts who studied, have personally experienced and specialized in equipping parents in raising their teens.
So, if you’re a parent, no matter how old your child is, join me, my family, other parents and educators as well to this half-day Parenting Seminar by sought-after family counselor, Pastor Clem Guillermo. If you listen to the radio program, Heartline at 702 DZAS, then you have probably heard Pastor Clem and his wife give wise and biblical advise to those who are in need of counseling. He will be our main speaker with the topic, Raising Responsible Teenagers. Join us on January 31, 2015, Saturday from 9AM to 12PM at the 3rd floor Multi-Purpose Hall of CCF Alabang in Madrigal Business Park, Alabang Muntinlupa. Registration opens at 8AM. Please be early! I’ll see you there!
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