| I think most parents would agree that parenting a | | | | simply, keep working on your relationship with them, |
| teenager is a unique and complex job that offers both | | | | and in helping them develop positive healthy |
| joy and frustration to their lives. If you add an behavior | | | | characteristics within themselves that will serve them |
| defiant or out of control teen to the mix, things get a | | | | well in this world. A few things that come to mind are |
| little bit more difficult. Nevertheless, as their parent, you | | | | to stay active and involved in their life. Show an |
| need to do what you can to help your teen make it | | | | interest in the things they like, weather you like it or not. |
| through adolescence while still maintaining a happy, | | | | Be genuine. You love them, so enter into their world |
| healthy relationship with you, his parent. The question | | | | and find out what it is that they really enjoy. And then |
| then becomes "How do I do that?" My answer is | | | | find ways to participate in that with them. For example, |
| general, and two-fold. | | | | maybe you can go to a music concert with them, or a |
| 1. Continue to get guidance and learn new tips and | | | | sporting event of some type. Pursue them. |
| techniques for dealing with your teenagers specific | | | | Another way to be relentless is to commit to |
| areas of difficulty. | | | | constantly learning and growing in ways you can |
| 2. Choose to possess the qualities of relentlessness | | | | effectively parent them. None of us come into |
| and unconditional love in your parenting of them, no | | | | parenthood with an automatic perfect skill set to raise |
| matter what. What I mean is decide today that you will | | | | our children from start to finish. There is so much we |
| never give up on them, on helping them, or on | | | | do not know. And there are things we think we know, |
| parenting them. If you do, whom else will they have? | | | | but obviously do not by the outcomes we are seeing. |
| As parents, our job is to not only raise our kids up to | | | | Being able to admit that and learn new ideas is really |
| be happy, law-abiding, contributing members of society, | | | | important. There is a lot of learning that we as parents |
| but also to love them unconditionally through the | | | | end up doing. Being unrelenting means that when you |
| process. No matter how much they test us, fight us, | | | | are at a loss for what to do, that you do what it takes |
| argue with, ignore us or rebel, we must be persistent | | | | to get the help and the answers you need. |
| as parents. There will always be those unmanageable | | | | In conclusion, no matter how difficult your teenager is |
| days...the days when we are worn out, defeated, | | | | right now, keep pressing forward. Continue to love |
| disappointed and overwhelmed, but every day ends | | | | them unconditionally. They are your child. No matter |
| and a new one follows. Keep that in mind. Time is not | | | | how hard a situation gets, be willing to find the help you |
| unnumbered. There is always an end to whatever | | | | need. It is imperative that you remain willing to continue |
| season you are in with your child. Therefore, be | | | | reaching out, to keep trying, and to keep learning. It is |
| unrelenting as a parent. | | | | then, that you will remain close to your child, even |
| So how can you be relentless as a parent? Quite | | | | through those rebellious teenage years. |