Teens Need Their Beliefs to Be Their Own
I had the chance to interview and survey several thousand teens and pre-teens during the research for For Parents Only. And I heard them talk about what it feels like at this age to suddenly realize they are their own person and need to have their own beliefs, tastes, opinions and goals… but don’t know what those are yet! It’s a scary feeling!
Picture your teen or pre-teen as if they were made of Lego building blocks. Up to a certain age, every building block – every value, opinion, ideal – is something that you (and other influencers) have built into your son or daughter. But suddenly, they need to figure out who they are – which means they have to pull out each building block to figure out if they want it in their building!
What we found is that what looks like rejection (“I don’t think God really answers prayer”) may not actually be a statement of firm belief. It may truly be a question in disguise. (“I’ve heard this my whole life and I know it is what my parents believe… but is it what I believe?”)
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