The Proper Parenting Posture

I sometimes think there are only three basic postures we can assume as we approach the task of parenting teens. The first posture is what I call the “Unrealistic Optimist.” This is the parent who ho-hums over the teen years, assuming that adolescence is a short-lived life-stage that even though it’s filled with ups and downs, is better left alone. Why? Because kids will weather it and emerge from it ok. The second posture is what I call the “Alarmist Pessimist.” This is the parent who demonizes the teenage years and adolescent culture. Believing that there’s nothing good or redeemable about adolescence or youth culture, they shield their kids from the pressures and realities of life during the teen years. Here’s a better posture option: Biblical Realism. It’s a posture that looks realistically at life, parenting, and adolescence through the eyes of God’s Word. It’s a posture that gives us great opportunities to interact with our kids now while teaching them how to live life to God’s glory.