Stay Plugged-in: Top TEEN Things Every Parent Needs To Know

10. You are the #1 influence in the life of your teen.

Regardless of the message they send, your teen truly looks to you as the #1 influence in his life.

9. Your teen daily faces a cultural war.

The key to winning the war is you. Everyday you must fight for the soul of your teen by making time for her and giving attention to her.

8. There is a huge distinction between being “busy” with your teen and being “involved” with your teen.

Being busy is defined as: carpooling, cooking, washing those dirty socks

Being involved is defined as: making a conscience effort everyday to connect with your teen about the things important to him.

Being busy is important. Being involved is essential.

7. Be a parent, not a pal.

Your teen has plenty of friends. One day you can assume more of a friend role with her. But for now, what she needs is a parent.

6. You have been where they are now.

Many aspects of this postmodern culture may cause you as an adult to feel as if you can not relate to his world. Like most parents, at some point you have probably questioned your ability to communicate with and relate to your teen. Yes, it is a different world than the one you and I grew up in – MTV, Internet porn, and I-pods. But at the core, she still faces the same struggles today that you faced then – the desire to fit in, to be accepted, and to feel loved. One of your greatest assets as a parent is experience.

5. How you live speaks louder than what you say.

Everyday your teen watches your life. What does he see? The questions is not, “are you a role model?” The question is, “what kind of role model are you?”

4. The birds and the bees talk is not a one-shoot deal!

Your teen is bombarded daily with sexual messages. There are over 14,000 acts of sex during prime time TV alone each year. Don’t buy the lie that one sex talk will cut it. Consistently look for teachable moments to have relevant talks with your teen about sex, love, and dating. If you don’t talk to her about sex, who will?

3. Fathers: Take time for your teen or time will take your teen from you.

Studies show that 9 out of 10 teens say they are close to their mothers. Only 4 out of 10 describe themselves as close to dad. You’ve got approximately eighteen years to make a difference. What difference are you making?

2. Know your teen’s friends. Know the parents of your teen’s friends.

Studies show that teens whose parents keep tabs on their teens whereabouts, their teens friend’s, and the parents of their teens friends, are less likely to experiment with alcohol and drugs. Keeping tabs on your kids doesn’t make you a nag. It makes you a good parent.

1. Take it one day at a time.

Becoming a plugged-in parent isn’t about doing everything right every day. This is impossible. Becoming a plugged-in parent is about doing more today than you did yesterday to becoming more involved, more aware, and more determined to help guide your teen through the most challenging years of their life.

*** This is an excerpt taken from the E3 Update – the official newsletter of Jeffrey Dean Ministries. To receive this free newsletter, click here.