July 4, 2008
Lynn, a mom to a teen, read my book “Real Issues, Real Teens: What Every Parent Needs to Know“. In it a teen shares that if she could tell her mom anything, she would tell her about all the times she struggled with a guy who was physically abusing her and was making her feel like her life didn’t count.
I shared with parents how important it was to listen — all the way to the end. Without lectures, or “in my day” stories, and without freaking out, and gave practical helps to reconnect with their teen and to really hear what they were saying.
A mom named Lynn read that story and that chapter and had a great talk with her teen son–one she didn’t expect and one that was amazing to her. This is what she had to say:
I read a quote from Suzie’s book that has changed the way I have been relating to my kids. I read a paragraph to one of my teens and they said they totally agreed. They had wanted to tell me stuff - some of it things that happened a long time ago - but they were afraid I would freak out or punish them. I then asked them if I promised to not freak out, would they trust me. They agreed. After they shared with me, I hugged them, we cried together and I told them I was more proud of them than ever before. I have a new relationship with my child.
Go to Lynn’s blog to read the whole story.
If you are a youthworker or parent visiting this page, you can buy this resource from RTF. A discount is offered for 25+ books. Many have bought this for their parenting retreats, conferences, counseling centers, and churches as a tool to help parents wanting to know what’s going in their teen’s life, how to communicate, what pushes a teen away in their faith or helps them grow, what a teen needs from mom or dad in today’s youth culture, and much, much more.
Contact RTF if you want to order this book.
Janice Kilgore says:
I will be connecting with my 19 yr old son who refuses to come home in just one week. I will go to where he is and I want to hear what he has to say and listen to what I missed before. I feel that this is our time, no outside noises or interferences. This is a wonderful place to come to and increase a part of your understanding that gets lost in the trumbles of life. Pray for me. Mom in Michigan