Parenting Today’s Teens

(Click title to listen)PODCAST SCRIPT: You’ve got a million things you’re trying to teach your kids.  But don’t miss one of the most important skills in life! When they were little, you taught them to write their name or ride a bike.  In the next few years, you became the math tutor and showed them how to throw a curveball.  In the teen years, you were the unofficial driving instructor.  But there’s one thing parents often forget to teach.  It’s how to struggle.  You heard me right.  How to struggle. The life ahead will be full of ups and downs… and you won’t be there to coddle your son or daughter. Before your child leaves your nest, they need to become champions of adversity.  Teach ‘em how to push through the tough stuff.  Some day … they will thank you!   ©2013 Mark Gregston www.parentingtodaysteens.org. Email: markgregston@heartlightministries.org. Phone: 1-866-700-3264Also, listen via iTunes here.

(Click title to listen)HALF-HOUR PODCAST SUMMARY: When the stress mounts in our home, how we react says a lot about our relationship with our teen!  This week on Parenting Today’s Teens, Mark Gregston provides some practical tips on managing those stressful moments and maintaining relationships.  Helpful advice for every parent from Mark Gregston on Parenting Today’s Teens.   ©2013 Mark Gregston www.parentingtodaysteens.org. Email: markgregston@heartlightministries.org. Phone: 1-866-700-3264Also, listen via iTunes here.

(Click title to listen)HALF-HOUR PODCAST SUMMARY: What are the essential skills every parent needs to raise healthy and happy kids?  Listen to Parenting Today’s Teens this week, when Mark Gregston shares a realistic list of tools that should be in every parent’s toolbox! Special Guest:  Dr. Robert Epstein ©2013 Mark Gregston www.parentingtodaysteens.org. Email: markgregston@heartlightministries.org. Phone: 1-866-700-3264Also, listen via iTunes here.

(Click title to listen)PODCAST SCRIPT: If you’ve seen an unexplainable or drastic change in your teen’s behavior, take a closer look.  It may be far more serious than “those turbulent teen years”! Teens today are experimenting with drugs in a variety of ways.  You may not know it, but the intoxicating substance may be found in your kitchen drawer, medicine cabinet or garage!  There are literally thousands of ways to get high… that don’t seem as sinister as the well-known illegal drugs, but are potentially more dangerous! As a parent, keep your eyes open for any clues that your child is experimenting with harmful substances.  Then, no matter whether they’re using household items or harder drugs… don’t look the other way.  Take action!   ©2013 Mark Gregston www.parentingtodaysteens.org. Email: markgregston@heartlightministries.org. Phone: 1-866-700-3264Also, listen via iTunes here.

(Click title to listen)PODCAST SCRIPT: I’ve heard it many times.  A frazzled mom, in a public place with a toddler… yelling warnings left and right.  You can hear her two aisles down in the grocery store, shouting “If you don’t get over here, I’m leavin’ without you!” I’m pretty sure that mom wouldn’t leave her three- year- old in aisle six of the supermarket.  But we’ve all done what she did.  We get frustrated.  And we bark out warnings without any intention of following through. I’ve met a lot of parents who put off consequences in favor of idle threats.  But I’ve also found that it breeds chaos in their home. If that’s something you want to steer clear of… be sure to decide rules and consequences before the frustrating public scene happens.  Then …stick to your guns!   ©2013 Mark Gregston www.parentingtodaysteens.org. Email: markgregston@heartlightministries.org. Phone: 1-866-700-3264Also, listen via iTunes here.

(Click title to listen)PODCAST SCRIPT: When I was growing up, there was a lot of tension in our home.  We spent many dinners around the table in frustrated silence.  You know what that taught me about dealing with problems?  Just avoid ‘em! That lesson from my childhood wasn’t the best one.  But maybe you can relate.  The higher the tension gets at home, the easier it is to check out… to stay quiet… or to find some convenient distraction.  Though it may seem like the easier route, it’s doing more harm in the long run. Instead, choose to talk about issues in the home, even when it’s hard.  Your proactive approach… asking questions, listening to the answer, and sticking with it… will go a long way to relieving the tension in your home!   ©2013 Mark Gregston www.parentingtodaysteens.org. Email: markgregston@heartlightministries.org. Phone: 1-866-700-3264Also, listen via iTunes here.

(Click title to listen)PODCAST SCRIPT: What do you think your teens wish you knew? I live at a residential counseling center in East Texas… and being surrounded by more than fifty teens gives some great opportunities for conversation.  I once asked the kids what they wished their parents knew.  One student said, “No matter how deep a hole I got into, I didn’t want my parents to leave me.”  Another student said, “I wish they knew that their definition of abnormal was my definition of normal.”  And one more.  A teenage boy said to me “Just because I don’t talk doesn’t mean I don’t want to.  It’s just that I don’t know what to say.” Maybe it’s time you ask your own teen that question:  What do you wish your parents knew?   ©2013 Mark Gregston www.parentingtodaysteens.org. Email: markgregston@heartlightministries.org. Phone: 1-866-700-3264Also, listen via iTunes here.

(Click title to listen)HALF-HOUR PODCAST SUMMARY: If parenting is like a card game, sometimes it can feel like we’ve been dealt an unfair hand.  We may long to re-shuffle the deck and start all over!  But on this edition of Parenting Today’s Teens, Mark Gregston encourages us to play the parenting cards we’ve been dealt… and trust God with the outcome!  Find support for discouraged parents this week on Parenting Today’s Teens! Special Guest:  Chap Clark ©2013 Mark Gregston www.parentingtodaysteens.org. Email: markgregston@heartlightministries.org. Phone: 1-866-700-3264Also, listen via iTunes here.

(Click title to listen)PODCAST SCRIPT: When parents ask me how to better communicate with their teens, I usually start with this:  Quit talking. It might seem harsh… like I’m trying to stunt the growth of a parent- child relationship.  But actually, keeping your mouth shut can be a catalyst for development and greater maturity in your teen. You see… when we’re constantly reminding, teaching and correcting teens, it backfires on us.  You’re giving them the answer because you want to fill them with wisdom.  But every answer you give… is one they don’t have to figure out themselves.  It’s a recipe for stunted growth, if I’ve ever heard one! So… try this out with your teen today.  Improve your communication.  Resist the temptation to lecture!   ©2013 Mark Gregston www.parentingtodaysteens.org. Email: markgregston@heartlightministries.org. Phone: 1-866-700-3264Also, listen via iTunes here.

(Click title to listen)PODCAST SCRIPT: What are your hobbies?  What do you spend your Saturday afternoons doing?  Now… one more question:  Are you putting the same effort into connecting with your teen, that you’re pouring into your favorite pastime? We all need time to rest, relax and do the things we like best.  But here’s an idea.  Why not do it with your teen, as well?  Take time to find out what your son or daughter likes… and do it with them.  Or… if you can’t find some common ground, explore a new activity together! The time you invest in your teen will be abundantly rewarding.  And… who knows?  You just might find a new hobby!   ©2013 Mark Gregston www.parentingtodaysteens.org. Email: markgregston@heartlightministries.org. Phone: 1-866-700-3264Also, listen via iTunes here.

(Click title to listen)PODCAST SCRIPT: The teenage years are important ones.  They’re not a time just to “get through” as fast as possible.  Especially when it comes to spiritual things! It’s easy to wish away the turbulent teen years.  But I wish I could show you what they’ll look like twenty years from now… when you and your child will fondly remember these days.  You’ll see that God was doing great things.  He was teaching your son or daughter to think, to understand, to trust and to take risks.  He was molding them just as He wanted. And beyond that… He was teaching you to let go.  And to trust Him.  These lessons in spiritual growth are too valuable to wish away!   ©2013 Mark Gregston www.parentingtodaysteens.org. Email: markgregston@heartlightministries.org. Phone: 1-866-700-3264Also, listen via iTunes here.

(Click title to listen)PODCAST SCRIPT: When I was a kid, the music I liked drove my parents crazy.  They couldn’t understand why I liked what they called “noise.” You might not like the music your teen listens to, either.  But I meet a lot of parents who make a big deal out of a small issue.  They major on the minors.  Even though you may not like a particular type of music… step back and take stock.  Is the choice of music… or whatever else you’re dealing with today… the thing that should fracture your relationship? It’s amazing how your teen’s taste will change over time.  Before long, they might even like much of the same music you and I do.  So… make sure you’re focusing on the majors.  Not the minors!   ©2013 Mark Gregston www.parentingtodaysteens.org. Email: markgregston@heartlightministries.org. Phone: 1-866-700-3264Also, listen via iTunes here.

(Click title to listen)PODCAST SCRIPT: Has your child ever said this to you:  “I don’t need any help!”  “I can do it on my own!” If you have a teen living under your roof, chances are you hear those words all the time.  And if they aren’t saying it with their mouths, they’re certainly saying it with their actions!  But rather than viewing such communication as a slap in the face from an ungrateful child… I’d encourage you to take it as a compliment! What I mean is this.  Disrespect should never be allowed… but your goal as a mom or dad is to raise healthy, independent children.  Right?  Well then …why not celebrate when the kids start to spread their wings?  Let them strike out on their own!  Let them “do it all by themselves”!   ©2013 Mark Gregston www.parentingtodaysteens.org. Email: markgregston@heartlightministries.org. Phone: 1-866-700-3264Also, listen via iTunes here.

(Click title to listen)HALF-HOUR PODCAST SUMMARY: The loss of a child through suicide can destroy a marriage and throw a family into turmoil.  How can we process the grief, while keeping our relationships strong?  This week on Parenting Today’s Teens, Mark Gregston and special guest Gerard Long provide compassionate advice for dealing with teen suicide.  Don’t miss this important conversation on Parenting Today’s Teens. Special Guest: Gerard Long ©2013 Mark Gregston www.parentingtodaysteens.org. Email: markgregston@heartlightministries.org. Phone: 1-866-700-3264Also, listen via iTunes here.

(Click title to listen)PODCAST SCRIPT: While at the airport recently, I watched a dad snap at his 14- year- old son.  They had spotted a famous football player on the concourse and asked for a photograph with him.  But the whole time they were with the athlete… dad publically criticized his son. I’m sure that father was trying to get his son to “shape up.”  He acted embarrassed… rather than show pride in his son.  But as I watched that scene, I could see the anger and poor self esteem emerge from that teenage boy. The lesson here is easy.  Compliment your teenagers often in front of others, and you will give them a reputation to live up to.   ©2013 Mark Gregston www.parentingtodaysteens.org. Email: markgregston@heartlightministries.org. Phone: 1-866-700-3264Also, listen via iTunes here.