Your teen’s cluster {{Giveaway}}
July 3, 2009 | Books,Nurturing Family
If you came over from Encouragement for Today, welcome!
If you watch teen movies they often show a teen longing to sit at a popular table in the lunch room. It’s the first clue that this movie was made by adults who don’t live in a real teen world. Most teens will walk past that table to sit with friends who are loyal, who like them for who they are, and who they can count on to be there the next day.
It’s called the cluster – three to five people where you fit and feel like you belong.
I interviewed hundreds of teens when writing my book, Real Issues, Real Teens: What Every Parent Needs to Know. It was when I realized that family had taken on a new definition. A few years back “family” was a group of people who lived in the same home. It might include a mom, dad and siblings and Spot the dog.
Today a teen might live in that or a similar situation, but their idea of family is where they feel loved and accepted. It might be a circle of friends. It could be the family next door, or a youth pastor and his wife, or a group of guys who ask for loyalty and promise the same. It could be a guy who says he loves her, or a girl who promises she’ll be true to him alone.
It’s the new cluster.
Are you in your teen’s cluster?
Suzie, I’m not my children’s friend. I’m their parent.
Let me ask you again. Are you in your teen’s cluster? Do they feel safe in your home? Do they know they are loved (even if they are in the learning stage)? Do they feel accepted (even if they are a work in progress)?
If teens do not feel welcome in their churches, their youth groups, or families, they will leave—emotionally or physically—to find a cluster that will accept them. And sometimes that is when our teens get in trouble.
Parenting is hard work, and especially so in the teen years. I’m not blind to teen’s faults. I have worked with and loved all kinds of teens. Teens with a hard shell around their heart. Teens who are friendly and inviting. Immature teens and wise teens. At-risk teens and teens who have made few mistakes. I’ve even worked with teens who got up and walked away when I sat by them, making me feel like I was in middle school all over again.
But I’ve learned that almost every teen will open up if they genuinely believe that you care about them and see the best in them.
So let me ask the question a third time: are you in your teen’s cluster? Does she know that you believe in her, even when she’s struggling to believe in herself?
Does he know that you are his safe place when the world outside the door is tricky to navigate day by day?
Does he or she hear words like “I love you” even when you are training, teaching, or disciplining? Do they know that you are dealing with the behavior, but still love the person standing in front of you?
I hope you’ll check out the book, Real Issues, Real Teens: What Every Parent Needs to Know. It’s a book that changed me as a parent while I wrote it as I listened to hundreds of teens talk about faith, peer pressure, sex, family, communication, and much, much more.
I’ll give away one copy of this book to a commenter below. I’ll draw a name on Monday! (Be sure to leave a link or e-mail address so I can contact you.)
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I am really interested in reading your book. I have an 11-year-old daughter that I can see moving further and further in her heart away as she learns to spread her wings and fly, but boy is it tough. Our kids are exposed to so much more now then even when we were kids, so many times I think we all forget that they are children and not little adults. Thank you for the timely and thought provoking blog. Look forward to hearing more from you.
July 3rd, 2009 at 7:13 amGood stuff Girl!
As a mother of teen daughters and a youth speaker and leader in my church – I am so interested in this book and its content!
Sounds like it will be a great book to read and recommend to others as well.
Veronica “Vern” Hutcherson
July 3rd, 2009 at 7:17 amhttp://www.inspiredlooks.blogspot.com
I have never really thought of the cluster concept. It makes perfect sense. We all want to belong to something that will accept us just the way we are! If my teen doen’t feel this way at home they will go elsewhere which can be a very scary thought!!
July 3rd, 2009 at 7:22 amI thought that I was doing the right thing, pushing my daughter to be a better person. I pushed too hard, and she ran away. She is now living with her aunt and I pray that someday, I will get a second chance to rebuild a relationship with her. Please tell your children that you love them, today.
July 3rd, 2009 at 7:47 amI am very interested in reading your book, I have 2 teens right now, girl 15 and boy almost 13. I need all the help I can get! I see a difference in them as they get older and I become further down on their totem pole. My knees have callouses, you know.
July 3rd, 2009 at 7:48 amThe cluster explanation is brilliant. Of course! I’ve raised two teens (now 23 and 19)but have three (11 yo girl, 9 yo boy and 4.5 yo girl) left to go. I’m sure the book could provide some great insight into their lives.
Thanks for writing it and thanks for the giveaway.
July 3rd, 2009 at 7:50 amSounds like a great resource. I remember the clusters I was in in high school. As I look back on it, I miss high school terribly. It wasn’t always pleasant, but they were the best years of my life.
I now have a teenager on the verge of going to high school, and many of the parents at our church also have teenagers. One of my plans for the near future was to hold a parenting Bible study and I would love see if your book would work for that.
Thank you for your devotional, too, Suzie. As a work-at-home mom, my house is rarely as tidy as I would like. I’m always struggling to maintain a balance between working and maintaining a house, especially with a husband that works shift work.
On to my to-do list!
Darlene
July 3rd, 2009 at 7:51 amI love the Prov. 31 ministries and am so glad that many sisters have risen to the challenge of helping others through devotionals and books. I have a 15 year old and 2 more coming to the teen years. I would love to have your book to help my husband and me understand them better.
July 3rd, 2009 at 8:21 amI am a mother of two teens and the wife of a youth pastor who is really in the throws of trying to be in the cluster of many teens. As such I would love to have your book to help us at home and with our ministry. I appreciate you writing it. We can’t have enough resources to get us thru this stage. God Bless!
July 3rd, 2009 at 8:43 amI am a mother of two teenagers (16son/13daughter) and I see my two teenagers clustering to each of their groups. My teenagers have bonded to their support systems the past two years unbelievable. We are awaiting a Heart transplant for my husband and the clusters are stronger than ever before. I am just so fortunate that my children by bonded with solid christian teenagers with solid christian homes. I can only pray that they feel as if our home is a part of that cluster. I would love to read your book. Thank you for taking the time to allow GOD to use you to ministry to all of us teenage parents.
July 3rd, 2009 at 9:07 amThank u 4 an opportunity 2 win your book. I have a 12 yo daughter, a 17 yo son starting college this fall & now my 15 yo niece is living w/ us. She was expelled from school 4 having a crack pipe in her purse. She kept sneaking out of her parents house 2 go 2 her boyfriends & her mom was ready 2 send her 2 any any place that would take her. She is the 3rd neice we have taken into our home & each time the stakes seem 2 get higher. I.m sure your book could offer lots of insight into this ever changing teen world.
July 3rd, 2009 at 10:04 amI was so excited to see that there was a chance to ‘win’ your book. I have a JUST TURNED 18 year old daughter who is ‘clustering’ at someone else’s house because we have rules when you live at our house. Fortunately for me, my daughter realizes we have a problem and has agreed to have family counseling with her dad and me. I also have a 13 year old girl that has an eating disorder that we have just found out about – thankfully again, we have been led to a great specialist to help her ‘see’ herself as she is but I see her ‘clustering’ with people that have the same issues and also, a boy who is 4-5 years older than she (she only texts with him can’t literally be with him). It makes me sad that my children don’t want to cluster with me – unless of course, they want or need something. I DO worry about how my house looks in case someone were to op in,but try to look at it from th perspective my friend might see it in – and it’s not so bad – go upstairs to my kid’s rooms though and it’s a different story. I have been reading so many books – and would love to have the chance to have another that could help me with this clusterin issue – maybe it’ll help my kids want to cluster more with me if I can make some personal changes.
July 3rd, 2009 at 10:17 amThanks again.
We have two sons, 14 and 11. The hardest thing to have them understand is just because society accepts many things does not necessarily make it acceptable in God’s eyes. Your book sounds like it will help us understand how to guide and help them grow in the right direction through the teenage years. Thank you!
July 3rd, 2009 at 10:21 amYour encouragement, blogs, and book excerpt are so helpful. Parenting has been wonderful and occasionally tough. We’re on other side now w 3 grown daughters, one married w 2 small children. We see the results of lifetime Christian worship, friends of all ages, Bible study for the girls, and much prayer. It’s a great life. One, questioning God’s existance for some years is now asking for Him. All the ‘work” is so worth it and praying against the enemy with prayer partners. Joy, joy, joy. Sometimes, espec teen yrs, don’t look at what’s in front of you, but keep praying courageously. Yes, love them lots & catch them doing all the good things. Ignore much of the other. Teach them how to respond and handle the challenges they face daily.
July 3rd, 2009 at 10:24 amI have experienced the cluster concept with both my teenagers. My oldest chose friends who fueled her desire to “experience” the world and break away from our Christian morals and values. Deep inside she knew it was wrong, but she stayed closely to the friends who said what she wanted to hear. My son, on the other hand, has a cluster of friends who love the Lord. My children’s personalities played a big role in the choices they made as well. My oldest was the quiet one, never communicating what she really thought while my son has always been open to share his heart. My oldest is slowly making her way back….interstingly, the “friends” who fueled her sinful desires never speak to her anymore. I have yet to see the road my 12 year old will take. I think the book sounds interesting and would love to read it. The teen years can be difficult, and the more resources we have to help us along, the better.
July 3rd, 2009 at 10:26 amLoved your blog post and your Encouragement for Today devo as well. With one daughter entering high school and one entering middle school, I’ve been praying for a while now that the Lord would help me to make our home a place where kids would want to gather. I do not have the gift of hospitality, but God has been faithful to slowly grow me in that area. Twice in the last month, my 14 year-old daughter has brought a group of kids back from the pool to spend the evening hanging out at our house. They don’t care if it’s clean or cluttered, they just want a place to go and I’m so thankful that they’re coming here! Now I’m keeping the freezer stocked with snacks (wings, pizza, etc.) and the garage stocked with sodas so I always have munchies on hand. The sounds of their laughter in the basement make it all worthwhile!
July 3rd, 2009 at 10:29 amSuzie,
I so want to read your book! This is where we are in our season of parenting! It’s a hard balance to find, to be that parent and that friend/cluster. Especially when you see rebellion with your young person! God Bless you Suzie for writing this book! It’s so needed today! YOu can reach me here: jeanene22@cox.net, http://www.jeanielovesthelord.blogspot.com.
July 3rd, 2009 at 10:34 amI have a teenager and three more up and coming. We have definitely had our ups and downs. Many hours in prayer have helped me avoid numerous mistakes and given me and my teen grace and mercy to get through the parenting mistakes I have made. Thank you for your P31 devotion today. There is never enough time to do it all so what will I choose above all. Always looking for guidance and encouragement along the journey.
July 3rd, 2009 at 11:05 amThank you so much, Suzie! I came over from Encouragement for Today, and couldn’t stop reading the current entries posted on your blog–I almost thought you were talking about me (LOL!). We have two wonderful teenage boys, ages 17 and 19, and I am so happy to be in their clusters! There have been some rough spots, of course, especially with my 17-year-old–who is so like his mom! He actually used to say he hated that, but now he thinks it’s fun, which is just amazing to me. My 19-year-old, who just finished his freshman year in college, has such a tender and devoted heart for the Lord, and I love sharing with him as he matures in his faith. Yes, I am their parent, but I also love being their friend. I’ve always loved having their friends in and out of our home, including impromptu sleep-overs (“Mom, is it okay if Stephen spends the night?”) I am so blessed to be their mom! Thank you for reminding me of that–I am still smiling, and thanking the Lord for such incredible blessings. God bless you today.
July 3rd, 2009 at 11:07 amThis blog post really hits home. I am the mother of 3, the youngest of which is now 18 and she will be a senior in high school in the fall. My kids always knew that their friends could come on over to our house. It was comforting for them to know that I was at home. Some of these kids didn’t even know where their parents were.
July 3rd, 2009 at 11:08 amI have 4 children, 10, 9, 7, and 5! I have had used some really good parenting resources thus far and am now looking for ones for those tween and teen years! That is why I would like to win your book!
July 3rd, 2009 at 11:12 amI have twins that are 17 and one that is 14. All girls. I do consider myself in their cluster. I am also “mom” to so many of the girls’ friends who don’t have that safe haven in their own homes. I would love to have a copy of your book!!!!
July 3rd, 2009 at 11:41 amSuzie, this has been a struggle for me because I have shared custody of my teens….
But as I answered your questions in my own mind, I realized that my teens have multiple “clusters” — including both homes they live in, as well as groups of church friends from both houses/denominations where they worship.
Thanks to homeschooling (which was the only logical choice even after the divorce due to parents living in different school districts), my kids have never felt much need to succumb to peer pressure.
Your questions are worded so well — they help me see that it’s probably a good thing for my teens to have multiple clusters. They are covered with love and safety on multiple fronts!
July 3rd, 2009 at 12:13 pmI hope you’ll also check out http://realteenfaith.com to see what teens are saying about faith, family, life, etc.
July 3rd, 2009 at 12:14 pmSuzie, sometimes parents try to be “friends” to their children and forget to be a parent. I have 2 sons, one is now 23, but when he was a teen he was a loner at home, always in his room or walking in the woods, he had a group of guy friends that all hung out together. After he graduated and left home is when I really found out the things he had been involved in. I now have a 17 year old that is totally opposite, he is fun loving, is going to come around often to see what his parents are up to or discussing. He loves to be at home. He has guy friends but we don’t allow him to sleep over or camp, anything that may require alot of time with them alone, because we learned from the past. But most of all, he is involved in church and loves the Lord. If you don’t stay involved in their lives, they will find others to replace you that may not be good influences. I am happy to say, my 23 year old is now in church, saved and a brand new man. I am proud of both of my sons. Thank you for your work.
July 3rd, 2009 at 12:20 pmThe teen years are so notorious for being difficult. This current generation is no exception to the rule…and may be more complicated thanks for the age of technology! I would have to guess that there are some teens who may have multiple clusters to suit multiple levels within their lives (sports, academics, church, family). Conversely, I can also see that many teens may have trouble finding a primary cluster as a result of overcommitted parents, perhaps undue pressures from home, unmet emotional needs, and a plethera of other reasons. It would be difficult for any of us to be able to relate to the world of teens as it is today since it has transformed so dramatically from when we were “there!” Thanks for pursuing your passion to connect with teens and to share your insights with others! May God richly bless your efforts!
July 3rd, 2009 at 12:34 pmThe cluster thing is a new concept for me, but it makes a ton of sense. My oldest found her cluster, and it was not the best choice. She is from a divorced home, and that did not help at all. Mom’s home is old, small, we don’t have much money, and it’s out in the country – a solid ten miles from “friends.” Dad’s home is new, big, fancy, and he has the available cash to treat friends to expensive outings and restaurants. People tell me that she will “figure it out” someday. I hope so, but it’s small consolation to me now. My second husband and I have two more girls coming up – the situation is different because they won’t have any choice about where to socialize; but I have always wanted to be the mom and have the house where the kids congregated. I still have hopes for that.
July 3rd, 2009 at 12:52 pmThanks for your devotion today. Yesterday afternoon, I took the three of my kids that were home out in the back yard with bubbles, books, and snacks and we enjoyed the cool breeze and high clouds. I left housework inside (hung up a load of clothes) and enjoyed playing with them. My son built with sticks, my toddler poured bubbles in my hair saying “I’m fixing lou hair Mommy” (lou=you) and my 10 month old enjoyed grass and sticks (with close supervision). Your devotion this AM confirmed I made a good choice even when making a path through the house this AM made me have second thoughts. I would be interested in your book because my teen daughter and I could use more moments like these. I will put it on my list of books to buy even if I don’t win. Thanks for your blog and resources. Blessings, C Brott
July 3rd, 2009 at 2:45 pmThank you so much for your devotion for today and for the blog about your book. It really hit home with me. I am a high school math teacher and during the summer I tend to try to work on cleaning my house more than just playing with my kids. Thank you for the reminder and for the book you have written. That is one that will definitely be added to my library.
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:06 pmI didn’t have the kind of home I wanted whilst growing up and definitly didn’t have a cluster that I really felt safe in. I wasn’t always able to be there for my teens but they always knew I loved them and accepted them whatever.
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:30 pmI have an 11 year old son at home and really want to do the best that I can with him, help him to be all that God has planned for him and I think that your book will definitly be a God send
Thanks
Hello. I am not a parent to a teenager. My daughter is soon to be 10 and my son is adamantly 6 and a HALF! But I am over 3000 miles away from my 15 year old niece and 16 year old nephew. I am working on clearing clutter out from our house while my husband took up a friends’ offer to go swimming. I took a break to read my P31 devotional and it was timely and dead on yet again. I felt like pushing my hubby to stop working on the garage to take our kids swimming was the right choice bust wasn’t sure since the clutter puts us in chaos. I didn’t go since I sink, I don’t swim. I read your devotion and felt assured it was the right balance of work and play for today.
But my heart has been heavy and aching with a DESPERATE desire to connect with my teen-aged niece and nephew. I would find it a blessing to receive a copy of your book. It is so hard to figure out a way to connect and be relevant from across the country. I am praying for insight, wisdom and encouragement to be part of their cluster from so far away. The teenagers in my life are pretty tech savvy so I pray that even though I can’t spend time in person that God will show a way for me to connect with whatever means necessary. Any ideas?
Truly I have been praying and I do appreciate your blog because it is an answer to pray about this very specific concern I have for my niece and nephew. With Elementary school aged children of my own it’s hard to know what to do with the upcoming years so I appreciate your perspective and wisdom from the other side.
Gretchen
July 3rd, 2009 at 5:51 pmThank you, Suzanne, for your right-on & thought provoking devotional on teens. That subject has become my focus these days, as my six children one-by-one enter the teen years. So exciting, daunting, fun, scary, joyful & much more, being a mum of teens!
July 3rd, 2009 at 9:19 pmThank God for you & the wonderful people like you who share such Godly insights with us. God bless you!
Thank you, Suzanne, for your devotional on teens. I love the Prov. 31 Ministries devos everyday–my husband even reads them. Your book on teens sounds so insightful. Even though we have a son who just graduated from HS and will enter community college in the fall, I sometimes feel so inadequate as a mom and regret too much attention to unimportant things such as my home and not enough play. Our son has ADHD and has difficulty making friends, even though he has a great personality and sense of humor. He loves our church, but has not connected well there. The friends he does select are unchurched and do not make wise choices. He is a good son, yet, going through some rebellion. We are praying that his heart will soften back towards God and that God will be the first love of his life. Differences in parenting styles has caused conflict in our marriage and it has played out with our son, so we have not reflected Christ as I would like. Although we are going through a rough time, we feel fortunate that he will still be living with us at least one more year so that we may have some positive time for all of us to become more Christlike. I have prayed so long for my son to have one good, close friend that would be a positive influence in his life.
God Bless.
July 3rd, 2009 at 10:26 pmI just came across your blog and am very interested in your book. I have two teen girls who seem to be at odds with their parents, seeking approval from their peers and running in the opposite direction. I know I tell them how proud I am but do they really hear it?! Parenting is hard and I want my children to know Love. I do certainly hope I am in their cluster. There are moments I wonder.
July 3rd, 2009 at 10:53 pmAlthough I am not yet a mother of teen boys, they happen to be 4 & 1 yrs old however I still feel and identify with the feelings you shared as a parent and with teens in the current world we live in they are exposed to way too much way too soon. I am truly grateful that you have taken the time to write such an insightful book and most importantly captured the voices of teens which I find is the way to learn about our teens by engaging in conversations with them and allowing them to be themselves. God Bless
Jessica Notoriouscutie22@yahoo.com
July 4th, 2009 at 12:13 amThe past 2 years have been ecspecially hard for my daughter. She had a good cluster to be w/ at school and church then througout her first year in Jr. High some of the new girls turned her world upside down. It astounds me how “mature” some of these young girls are. On top of that, she began having terrible seizures. We had to begin homeschooling this last year as a result of them. She still has one childhood friend who remains loyal, but the rest have fallen away. She told me the other day that I was her best friend.Even though this made me happy to know, she thinks of me that way. It also made me sad, as I know she needs acceptance from her peers also. She is an excellent child. She wants to be everyones friend and doesn’t hold ill will toward others even when they aren’t accepting of her.
July 4th, 2009 at 9:02 amI would like to read your book, as I am at a place seeking to find a way to help guide her in knowing how to find the right cluster.These first few teen years have been hard, it would be great to have a resourse as I am sure they don’t get any easier.
Elizabeth
We just moved here in the North Americas from South East Asia and my whole family is definitely adjusting to the new culture, lifestyle and everything else! I’m a mom to an 18yr old, a 14yr old and a 10yr old, and I can definitely relate half-way through your blog’s timeline. Am used to working full time in the corporate and now that we’ve moved here, I myself am adjusting to mothering and everything else that goes with it: the housework, chores, errands and thinking of ways to keep the younger ones busy, allowing them to find & build new friendships, build us a home, etc. etc. etc. Coming from a 3rd world country, there are surely a whole lot that the North Americas has to offer my kids: freedom, independence, new adventures & experiences; which are also quite new to me & my husband. We will need all the PRAYERS and support and practical help from family, brethren and tools such as these from Proverbs 31. Hopefully, a book like yours may be of great help in this new phase in our life here in this part of the world. GOD has a purpose for bringing us here, I believe! But it will not be easy and we may need some guidance & direction from advisers like you who have been there and done that! Thank you very much & more power of GOD to flow through your life to be able to serve HIM and minister to others! GOD blesssss!
July 4th, 2009 at 11:31 amMy father-in-law passed away this week and with the funeral and such and all the feelings that go with it: as well as all the normal blended family house-hopping routine –it has been interesting to say the least…We have 5 teens ages 12-17, I am tired of the disrespect that “creeps” into my house and most days deal with it and move on…maybe I am just grieving …but today was one of those moments….as I read your devo; I felt God using you to gently remind me…Thank You for being obedient and listening to him…
July 4th, 2009 at 4:12 pmHi,
I just wanted to stop by and thank you for your P31 devotion. It is so timely. Well, really, any time you would have written it in the last 10 years would have been timely for me.
It’s a constant struggle to balance order and priorities. I’m constantly trying to “let things go so I can make memories” only to find myself getting totally freaked out because housework builds up so quickly. It feels like I can’t take a break or I will be unburying for the next week.
So, I’m totally with you on the priority thing. I love the way you said that how your house compared to other homes wasn’t even on their radar. I just hope to find a good balance…some time BEFORE the kids get married (now ages 10, 7 and 2).
Blessings,
July 4th, 2009 at 6:23 pmSandy
We have a 14 year-old daughter and 12 year-old. Not a day goes by when I don’t question if I am doing the right thing and making the right decisions. Having Godly advice, friends, and resources is so helpful and encouraging. Balance seems to be the key in so many areas of life — it just seems so tricky sometimes!!
July 5th, 2009 at 4:57 pmThanks for your devotional and additional resources to keep us on the right parenting path!!
Loved your P31 devo! It really spoke to me! Excited about the drawing too! Love yoU!
July 5th, 2009 at 11:33 pmThis is my first time here, but I’ll be back! What a great resource. My oldest is only 11, but I know the trying years are just around the corner and I’d like to be prepared. Your book looks like a great resource.
July 6th, 2009 at 8:37 amI loved your P31 “PineSol” devotion – I woke up today running through my list of “to-dos” and realized that none of them involve my 2nd and 3rd graders….God scheduled your devotion came on a day/week that I need to just play with my kids. The summer is 1/2 over and we have YET to go to the pool or just hang out doing something fun, going on our own little adventures. THANK YOU for the reminder to just do it. While my kids are not quite teenagers, I know a few people with whom I could share the book AFTER I have read it! Blessings to you.
July 6th, 2009 at 9:00 amWhat a great P31 devotion. Something I often think about and try to keep balance. I pray my kids remember lots of fun times together. I also pray that we have a continuing close relationship with our teen and other 3 younger ones. They are each such a gift from God!
Blessings to you today
July 6th, 2009 at 9:02 amThe PineSol devotion was great! While keeping the house perfect may not be my biggest blind spot, there are plenty of others that get in the way of just enjoying my kids while they’re young. I REALLY loved the “Are you in your teen’s cluster” blog even more! I have two “tweens” and am trying hard to keep the lines of communication open so that they feel they can come to me to help with their problems without having to worry about a lecture. Thanks for your book, blog and encouragement!
July 6th, 2009 at 9:18 amSuch great words of wisdom…..the concept of the cluster makes perfect sense. We have a son who turns 13 in two weeks, and my husband and I are working with great love and care to begin to navigate this highway. Have a blessed day!
July 6th, 2009 at 9:59 amThanks for your encouragement. My daughter will be 13 in two weeks and it is important to us to be in her cluster. I think we’re there now, but I want to keep it that way!
July 6th, 2009 at 2:05 pmThanks for the encouragement. My daughter is the absolute joy of my life, but WHOA!!! It can be so scary to deal with a 16 (going on 26!!) year old. I pray for her to not make the same mistakes I did, and for my husband & I to parent in love through trust in God, instead of in fear.
July 6th, 2009 at 3:36 pmI have 3 teenage girls who are really into making us parents mad all day with their non-responsive stunts and non-communicative mode of living. We get by with them coming back from school and heading straight for their room and of course their respective computers! From their phone conversations, I can see that they do have clusters of good friends who talk of nothing but their respective interests such as guys, new phones, where to go, what to buy, where next to meet etc! Where do we parents factor in when we do not know if they do not even put us anywhere in their orbit?! Pray that your book can bring their parent aliens into their world for a change….
July 6th, 2009 at 10:12 pmI have 4 boys, ages 17,15,5,1. What is totally amazing is that my teenagers aren’t SWEET any more. Crazy , I know, and i was warned about this , but never ever did i think that my little sweethearts would change. No not my boys they are kind , gentle in spirit and loving . NOT ANY MORE! They don’t even want me around anymore , i was not prepared for the manhood change. WOW! What a total change both have gone through. Memories of us sitting on the bed doing devotionals , now, forget it. They fuss just to sit and listen. HURTS MY HEART! TRUELY can’t wait to read your book. NEED ENCOURAGEMENT.
July 7th, 2009 at 3:38 pm