Parenting For The Green

What this episode covers

It’s interesting (and a bit scary) how much the parenting landscape has changed, especially when it comes to raising teenagers. There has never been a time when exposure to the violent and vile things of our society has been so prevalent. We have normalized the killing and abuse of mankind. We have allowed our children, who may look like adults, but who are not, to be exposed to more mess than any other generation during their teenage years (thank you, social media and electronic devices). That’s why it’s so important that we learn to parent for the green. Someone once compared the stages of parenting to a traffic light. When our kids are young, the light is red—we make most of their decisions and control much of what they’re exposed to. During the teenage years, the light turns yellow. This is the time when, rather than simply teaching right from wrong, we teach how to choose right from wrong. We allow space for mistakes and do our best to hold a safety net beneath them when things go off course. And then comes green. When they leave our home and start their own journey, the light turns green, and they move forward—hopefully prepared, confident, and grounded. Sound easy? It’s not. Take a few minutes to listen to our latest Relationshifts podcast, where we talk about how to navigate the yellow-light season and set our kids up to thrive when the light turns green. Even if you don’t have teens at home, I think you’ll enjoy the conversation and maybe find a nugget or two that you can pass on to someone else When we choose to invest in our children, we will make a difference.

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