![\"Teen](\"https:\/\/faith-blog-assets.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/20170523133402\/How-Can-I-Best-Prepare-My-Teen-for-School-e1312383001731.jpg\" "\\"How-Can-I-Best-Prepare-My-Teen-for-School\\"")
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School, already?<\/p>\n
Amazing how quickly one school year ends, the summer comes and goes with all its activities, then we begin the preparation for school start-up.\u00a0Tha’s the way the school calendar is set up here in Indiana right now.<\/p>\n
Transition into the school-year is many times welcomed by parents, whether due to the benefit of routine, the need for a son\/daughter to be given more purpose in his\/her day, or just because you as a parent want your teen “out of your hair”.\u00a0 Not focused on motive here, some are good and some are not.\u00a0 My focus is on preparation of your son or daughter for the school year.<\/p>\n
Here are a few simple principles to best prepare your teen for the school year<\/strong>.\u00a0 Please feel free to reply with additional comments.<\/p>\n 1.\u00a0 Pray for your teen<\/strong> very specifically.\u00a0 You and I need God’s help…not just to survive, but to thrive –\u00a0for His glory.<\/p>\n 2.\u00a0 Have at least two good, non-pressure, intentional discussions<\/strong> with your teen prior to school starting and accomplish the following:<\/p>\n a.\u00a0 Listen to where your son\/daughter is in life.\u00a0 Ask lots of questions.\u00a0 Before you and I know how to best take someone where he\/she should go, we must first know accurately where the person is.<\/strong> Like a GPS, if you want direction from where you are to where you want to go, you must accurately know both your destination and your location.\u00a0 Discussion one is about finding out your son or daughter’s location.\u00a0 You and I must listen more than talk.<\/p>\n b. Clearly outline goals, responsibilities and expectations<\/strong>.\u00a0 Like being an employee, if your boss\/company does not outline the goals, responsiblities, and expectations for you, aimlessness and minimal productivity occurs.\u00a0 We should be providing our teen with direction based on God’s Word (the Bible).\u00a0 That is our role.\u00a0 Also, if we are not clear about what is expected, how can we then accurately keep our teen accountable.\u00a0 Outline clearly your house rules, like when chores must be done, how they are to be done; What time is curfew; What the car can and can not be used for; expected attitude.<\/p>\n c. Discuss important topics<\/strong> like spiritual condition and growth, importance of academics and doing his\/her best, relationships\/purity, careful selection of close friends, the priority of family, your love for your son\/duaghter, and work.\u00a0 (More could be said here for sure.)<\/p>\n d.\u00a0 Review the summer and find out what your teen enjoyed and learned<\/strong>.\u00a0 Summer usually holds many light-bulb moments for teens, some due to seeing the result of hard work or good choices, others due to lessons learned in poor choices made.\u00a0 Both are good if spiritual growth occurs.<\/p>\n These discussions should not be rushed or done out of mere duty, but with a spirit of love and sense of importance.\u00a0 If possible, I would encourage you to go somewhere special and semi-public, like a coffee-shop, restaraunt (teen boys love the food, while most of the girls are about atmosphere – you know your teen best), or a park.\u00a0 Tell your son or daughter in advance you want to get some time together a couple times before school begins, then set the day and time.<\/p>\n 3.\u00a0 Guide your teen in selecting his\/her friends. <\/strong> This is where many parents struggle.\u00a0 Our society says, let your teen make his or her own way – Their friends, their choice.\u00a0\u00a0The book of Proverbs, and other places in the Bible,\u00a0instructs\u00a0us differently.\u00a0 \u00a0 The very first topic that Solomon, the wisest man ever, aside from Jesus, brings up about developing wisdom is a son (or daughter) listening to his father’s instruction and his mother’s teaching.\u00a0 Two important principles: 1)\u00a0 You have to be instructing your teen – how to choose friends; and 2) It is your responsibility to make sure your teen listens and follows your instruction.\u00a0 The rest of Proverbs outlines who to choose as close friends and who to not choose as close friends.<\/p>\n 4.\u00a0 Regulate TV, internet, texting, entertainment time.<\/strong> These are privileges, not rights.\u00a0 If these privileges are not handled responsibly, they will be removed or minimized until responibility is established in smaller areas.\u00a0 Establish clear guidelines on what, when, and how each of these things will and will not be used.\u00a0Regularly ask specific questions to make sure your guidelines are followed.\u00a0 Check cell phones, FB accounts, e-mail\u00a0accounts.\u00a0 Oh, and\u00a0your teen probably has more than one or two different accounts for each.\u00a0 Many times\u00a0teens use a nickname or\u00a0code username for their “secret”\u00a0discussions they want to hide from mom and dad – just a little FYI (but I’m sure your teen would never do that).<\/p>\n 5.\u00a0 Provide options for your teen that enable you to say “yes” as much as possible.<\/strong> For example, before your teen asks to have a friend over to spend the night on a night that that you may not be comfortable with, then you pose a three options for your teen that you have selected and believe are all good for everyone involved.\u00a0 So you may say “I think this Friday may be a good night for you to do something with a friend.\u00a0 Here is what I am thinking….which one sounds good to you.\u00a0 In your options, outline the “who” (two or three teens you approve of), the “what”, and the “when”.<\/p>\n 6.\u00a0 Clearly say “no” when necessary.<\/strong> I am amazed at how many teens are rarely\u00a0told “no” regarding what he\/she wants.\u00a0 You can usually tell who they are.\u00a0 How?\u00a0 They get angry, argumenative, defensive, or try to ignore the conversation.\u00a0\u00a0 You may need to clearly say “no” to some things your teen wants to do as he\/she prepares for school.<\/p>\n 7.\u00a0\u00a0Establish a time each week on your calendars for family time, and protect it.<\/strong> All family schedules are different.\u00a0 It may take hard work to find that time.\u00a0 It does not have to be anything fantsy, but consistant and meaningful.<\/p>\n