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Is My Teen’s Behavior Normal?
The culture has changed, but teenagers haven’t. They are still focused on trying to fit in with their peers and to make sense out of life. But parents can get confused by their changes in attitude...
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Relieving Tension in the Home
There was a lot of tension in my home when I was growing up. I can remember the whole family nervously sitting around the dinner table and eating a meal without saying a word. When we were at odds...
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When Teens Reject Their Parents
We want our children to become independent; to be able to take control of their own lives. A natural and essential part of that maturing process is to make choices for themselves. Every decision they...
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Encouraging Independence in Your Teen
“I can do this on my own!” “I don’t need any help!” “Quit treating me like a child!” How do you respond to statements like these from your teenager? Do they upset you, or do you see these as signs...
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Discipline and Teenagers
A few years ago my mother said, “You know, you boys weren’t disciplined a whole lot growing up.” I looked at my brother and he looked at me. For a brief moment we wondered if Alzheimer’s was setting...
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Breaking the Cycle of Criticism
We learned it when we were young: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” But it’s not true! I can still vividly remember the harsh words said to me by a teacher in...
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Teaching Teens Character
One of the most important things we parents can do is to teach our kids to make good choices. But good choices can be counter-intuitive. So, how can they be taught when the immediate rewards are...
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Connecting with Your Teen
I read recently more 200,000 cell phone text messages are sent every minute–mostly by teenagers–which adds up to more than 6 trillion per year. That’s a staggering amount of “connecting” but it isn’t...
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The Over-Involved Parent
One of the most difficult things about parenting is to keep your level of involvement in balance as they get older and need more independence and less controlling. I get asked a lot, “Am I doing...
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Teens Need to Belong
One of the most powerful influences on young people today is their need to belong—to fit in and to be accepted by those they consider to be their peers. Research shows that the need to belong is...
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Forgiveness
It ought to be easy to forgive. Those of us who have been forgiven by God realize what a great gift that is. But when it comes to forgiving those who bring us a lot of grief, especially when it comes...
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Getting No Respect from Your Teen?
R-E-S-P-E-C-T . . . anyone in my generation who reads those seven letters will recall Aretha Franklin’s heart-felt desire to be treated right, put to song. All of us have that need. Young and old...
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Are You and Your Teen Connecting?
I’m talking a lot lately about the enormous wave of disconnectedness that is sweeping our culture — particularly among our teens. The reason I’m so focused on this topic is that this sense of not being...
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Parable for Dads
Have you ever considered the father figure in the Parable of the Prodigal to be the focus of that story, not the wayward son? After all, the word “father” is mentioned many more times than the word...
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What if My “Ex” Won’t Hold the Kids to the Same Rules?
When families go through a divorce and the kids end up splitting their time between parents (often called co-parenting), it changes the dynamics of the family, as well as the basic interactions between...
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When Christmas Joy is Overshadowed by Struggle and Pain
With Christmas just around the corner, you’re probably thinking about last-minute shopping or getting your final preparations done. And then, maybe once those pressing to-do’s are complete, and...
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Pass the Blessing
“And [Jesus] took the children in His arms, placed His hands on them and blessed them.” Mark 10:16 The word “blessing” is a rather archaic word. Other than a courteous response to a sneeze,...
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Boys to Men
Thirty-five years ago, a pastor of the church I worked and I were eating lunch at a local restaurant and he asked me, “Mark, do you see every person in this room?” I knew there was a lesson coming. He...
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Don’t Miss Out on The Good Part!
Once Jesus was invited to come over to a friend’s house to sit down, relax, and swap stories. One of the hostesses was a lady by the name of Martha, and she was your typically type A personality. She...
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What Makes Boys Different
After numerous, harrowing experiences babysitting little boys, a friend recalled saying to God, “You know Lord, I don’t think I want kids. And I especially don’t want boys!” But as you may know, God...
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