Waiting for the Right Time
(^) In regular friendship relationships, you would never jump on your
friend the moment you saw him do something you questioned the
wisdom of, or thought was wrong. So long as his life was not
endangered, you would not pounce on him about everything you saw
him do or heard him say. You would bide your time, waiting for the
proper moment. Do your teenagers need less consideration?
(^) I have been embarrassed sometimes to be with the parents of
teenagers and hear them reprimand their children over every little
fault. You have no biblical obligation to censure your children for
everything they do that is irritating to you. You must increasingly
make room for your teenager’s differing style and manner, holding
correction for moral and ethical failures.
(^) When you have determined that you must address some issue with
your children, you must watch for a good time. If you have an
important issue to discuss, it helps to take a walk or jog, or a ride in
the car to provide some uninterrupted time for a good conversation.
(^) Develop sensitivity to your children. Sometimes, they are very
talkative. At other times, they are less forthcoming. During the times
when they are accessible, you must be prepared to engage them. This
may be inconvenient for you, but it is crucial to your relationship with
them.
Deal with Broad Themes
(^) In adult relationships, you do not nit-pick your friends over every
little thing that needs attention. Rather, you look for broad themes of
response. You try to understand the patterns of response and that’s
what you talk about.
(^) In the earlier illustration with my son’s project, the broad theme
was sticking with long-range tasks. The project in his room was
illustrative of other things. That is why I mentioned it, and that is why