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“Don’t let your teenagers intimidate you.”

A thought by Ray Johnston (2014-05-13) from his book, The Hope Quotient:  Measure It. Raise It. You'll Never Be the Same. (p.165). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

Ray gives some barriers and builders that will help every parent become more effective connecting with their kids and influencing them to become more productive and hope-filled.  This is one of the two barriers.

He says, “Sure, they’re younger and probably thinner, they think they’re cooler, and Hollywood tells them they’re smarter. There’s a difference, however, between acting sophisticated and being mature.”

He goes on, “As sociologist Jean Potuchek said, ‘There are some cultures in which the elderly are revered for their experience and wisdom, but American society values youth and denigrates age. In this culture, the greatest compliment one can pay an older person is to tell them they seem or look younger than they are.’  How dumb is all that?”

He then gives an illustration I love.  He said, “I met a couple of parents who are the exact opposite. They picked me up at the airport the last time I spoke at a family conference in Seattle. We were driving through the ultrahip downtown area when the wife said, ‘Honey, this is the spot.’ Her husband and I both said, ‘What spot?’

“’Last week I was driving downtown with my sixteen-year-old ‘too cool for life’ daughter,’ she said. ‘At that stoplight, I glanced out the window, saw something, and yelled, “Honey, duck!” I pushed my daughter’s head down and sped two blocks down the street. She was saying, “Mom, what is it? A carjacker, a gun, a robber?”

“’Two blocks later, I took a deep breath and pulled back my hand. I said, ‘Honey, I’m sorry. I saw one of my best friends and couldn’t bear to be seen with my teenage daughter!”’

 He said, “This mother played a prank on her daughter but also showed a great example of how not to be intimidated by a ‘too-cool-for-life’ teen”

Don’t be intimidate.  Have some fun with them.


So, how is it going with you?
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