Wait and Watch. And Pray!
Thankfully, we got a great surprise on the survey. It was clear that along with a desire for independence, the teens truly did have an underground desire to embrace the strongly held values and heritage of their family. If they respect you as their primary influencers (which the vast majority of kids do, even if they don’t look like it!) they care about the beliefs built into them by Mom and Dad. Especially for people of faith, we can hit our knees and pray for our children, knowing the that if we have brought them up in the way they are to go, once they are older they probably don’t want to depart from it.
Understanding all this will help you have a great discussion with your kids, and be there as a strong support for years to come. Relax and trust that by letting your children go through the questioning process, they are far more likely to come back to your core beliefs in the end.
Helping people thrive in life and relationships is Shaunti Feldhahn’s driving passion, supported by her research projects and writing. After starting out with a Harvard graduate degree and experience on Wall Street, her life took an unexpected shift into relationship research. She now is a popular speaker around the world and the author of best-selling books about men, women, and relationships. (Including For Women Only, For Men Only, and the groundbreaking The Good News About Marriage)
Her newest book, The Kindness Challenge, demonstrates that kindness is the answer to almost every life problem, and is sparking a much-needed movement of kindness across the country. Visit www.shaunti.com for more.
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