Publication download options Keep Your Eyes on the Prize If that happens frequently in your household, be careful.
The remedy?

THE WATCHTOWER Lies That Make God Seem Unlovable How could I use the material in this article to understand my teenager better? Talk to Your Teenager​—Without Arguing Newsroom for Journalists

Around the World This is good, for his convictions will help him to cope with pressure from his peers and stand up to them.

Talk to Your Teenager​—Without Arguing “When my daughter was 14, she started to talk back to me.

For example, when Potiphar’s wife urged him to have sex with her, Joseph replied: “How could I commit this great badness and actually sin against God?” (Your teenager too is in the process of forming an identity. Talk to Your Teenager —Without Arguing “When my daughter was 14, she started to talk back to me. In such a case, you are not caving in to pressure but simply following the Bible’s advice: “Let your reasonableness become known.”​—Of course, no parent is perfect.

Peace & Happiness Turn off the “parent alarm.” Listen without judgment and reaction. Talk to Your Teenager​—Without Arguing THE WATCHTOWER Lies That Make God Seem Unlovable Bible Verses Explained “We get so frustrated that we yell at each other.” Carmela, in Italy, faces a similar challenge.

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Bible Study Tools After all, the Bible says that Christians should not be like young children who are “tossed about as by waves and carried hither and thither by every wind of teaching.” (Like younger children, some teenagers have learned the art of bringing up a matter repeatedly in an effort to wear their parents down.



(But there are other factors to consider​—factors that are not too difficult to deal with once you understand how they might affect your teenager.

(But there are other factors to consider​—factors that are not too difficult to deal with once you understand how they might affect your teenager.

I pledge to be more sensitive and less reactive.


Consider some examples.The apostle Paul wrote: “When I was a babe, I used to speak as a babe, to think as a babe, to reason as a babe; but now that I have become a man, I have done away with the traits of a babe.” (The Bible encourages young people to cultivate their “thinking ability.” (A word of caution: When reasoning with your teenager, do not think that you have to have the last word. https://assetsnffrgf-a.akamaihd.net/assets/a/wp/E/20131101/wpub/wp_E_20131101_lg.jpg Do not be surprised if in a few days, your teenager has swung around to your viewpoint​—perhaps even claiming it as his own.Wise parents create an environment in which teenagers can express their convictionsA major part of raising an adolescent is preparing him for the day when he will be able to leave home and live as a responsible adult.

If I told her, ‘It’s time to eat dinner,’ she would reply, ‘I’ll eat when I feel like it.’ If I asked her if she had finished her chores, she would say, ‘Stop bugging me!’ Many times, she and I would raise our voices and shout at each other.”​—If you are the parent of a teenager, conflict may test every bit of your parenting skills​—and your patience. The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah’s Kingdom (Simplified)—2015 If that happens frequently in your household, be careful.

Share “When my daughter challenges my authority, it makes my blood boil,” says Maria, the mother of a 14-year-old in Brazil.

Although giving in might bring momentary relief, it teaches your teenager that arguing is a way to get what he wants. Even if what you say seems to fall on deaf ears, your teenager will probably take away more from the discussion than you expect​—or than he will admit. This is good, for his convictions will help him to cope with pressure from his peers and stand up to them.