Parents,

I hope you found the Green Thumb in Parenting classes to be beneficial. Thanks so much for your humility and eager desire to grow in parenting your teens.

I mentioned on Sunday morning that I would post a link to this article in response to Paul’s question. This article was written by Abraham Piper (Dr. John Piper’s son). Entitled 12 Ways to Love Your Wayward Child, Piper humbly acknowledges that he was one of those wayward children. He’s following the Lord now, but this article describes how his parents related to him during his rebellion. I share these not so much because we have so many wayward children, but because many children are wayward at some point, even if only in small ways. This article helps model an approach to teenage sin that is redemptive and not self-righteous.

I think this is a great list, but please remember that these are general principles based on Scripture that will need to be adapted to your family’s situation. In particular, numbers 5 and 8 may need the most tweaking. The target here is really a 20-something, so at times it might actually be more helpful for the parents of a teenager to sever friendships that are unhelpful for their wayward son or daughter.

That being said, points 1 (12), 2, 3, and 6 can not be improved upon and are essential for any parent any time correction is necessary.

Here are the 12 ways:

1. Point them to Christ.
2. Pray.
3. Acknowledge that something is wrong.
4. Don’t expect them to be Christ-like.
5. Welcome them home.
6. Plead with them more than you rebuke them.
7. Connect them to believers who have better access to them.
8. Respect their friends.
9. Email them.
10. Take them to lunch.
11. Take an interest in their pursuits.
12. Point them to Christ.

You can read the whole article here.

Categories: Thursday Thoughts For Parents, five15 blog