Virtually every parent of a teenager experiences turbulence. Sometimes it’s just a little bump in the road. It may not be a serious issue or it may not last long.
But then there are other times when the turbulence tends to go on. The issues could be very serious, causing a lot of upset in the family.
I personally know parents who have gone through mild and severe turbulence with their teens. I have my own experience with it. But what I am beginning to notice is that some parents are confusing “letting go” with giving up.
What does it mean to let go? It means reaching a point in which you realize that there is only so much you can say and do.
For most of my friends, it actually means letting go and giving them over to God. They have faith in a higher power that they believe will see them and their teens through the difficult circumstances.
There is something to be said for letting go. It can also mean that you won’t let the situation dictate your mood or the atmosphere of your home. You make a decision to ride this through without allowing yourself to get sucked in.
Letting go is hard in these circumstances. But there is a fine line between doing that and giving up. Unfortunately, I have also seen parents go that way.
Letting go doesn’t mean you no longer have parental authority. It doesn’t mean that rules are thrown out. It doesn’t mean that boundaries can’t be established.
When you venture that way, you have given up. And guess what? Our teens know the difference. They know when we have made the decision to let go and give them over to God (or however else you choose to handle the letting go) and when we have given up on them.
Our teens need someone to believe in them. That may be what it takes to see them through the journey.
Know that it is sometimes necessary to let go but as a parent, we must never give up.
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