Giving Hope for the Future to Your Teen

Are we paying enough attention to the emotional state of the youth in the USA? Are we aware of their self esteem and ability to hold on to their hope for the future? As a parent I have heard many parental check lists when it comes to identifying a youth that is a potential risk to themselves. Going down the checklist the questions are as follows: are they depressed, have they recently had major changes in their lives, are their grades slipping, do they have friends or are they loners, are they isolating themselves, and the list goes on.

I have something to add to that list. Are they still talking about tomorrow and looking forward to it being better than today? Do they still hold on to their hopes and dreams? Do they talk about their future with excitement? You may not be concerned that they may be a threat to themselves but when they can not look to the future with excitement then they are a threat to themselves. They are a threat to the potential on the inside of themselves to accomplish great things. How many times have we all thought I could have done that or I could have been a doctor, a lawyer, a pilot, a receptionist, etc. Why didn't we become all that we could have been? Was it because we exhausted every avenue and just didn't succeed or is it because we gave up hope before we ever really tried?

It is time to be the best parent you can possibly be to your teenager. It is time to be a reminder of their dreams and their ability to achieve. It is not too late to form a relationship with your teen. They have dreams that they have never expressed to you and possibly never expressed to anyone at all. Help them tap into the God given hope on the inside of each of them for their future and their destiny. Do not let your child fall into disillusionment and discouragement. Believe in them. Help them find their interests. Help them get hope back. And if you find that they are trapped in today and can not see a tomorrow then take that seriously. Take them to a counselor or a pastor. Look for help in getting them to invest in their tomorrow. Don't give. Get them positive life roles.

Yes, it would be best if we started all of this before they hit sixteen but if not its not too late. Its not to late to smile at them, laugh with them, ad explore with them. Take them to visit an outrageously priced college. Bring them to a moderately priced college. Talk to them about the ability to fulfill their dreams no matter what college they attend. Ask their guidance counselor for contacts in the fields that interest them. Help them get in contact with others in that field. Attend their extra curricular events. Don't miss the football game or the cheer leading competition. If your child sits on the bench the whole time talk about how great the team did. Always encourage, always give hope. Just because you did not make a million dollars doesn't mean they can't. Just because you never had a great rich aunt doesn't mean they won't. They could marry a girl or a guy with the rich aunt that you never believed they could have. Why limit their faith in the future to what you can see. Let them believe for the biggest of houses and the best of careers. Let them believe to be a happily married house wife if that is their desire. Help them by pointing them in the direction of fulfilling their goals with wisdom. Teach the daughter that wants to get married right away how to pick a good husband. If you don't know how to teach her find others who can. Our youth deserve our best. They deserve our hope in their future. There are many ways to help your teen explore their interests. A few ideas are: the library, a school counselor, doing a google search, visiting colleges, getting the help of other professionals in that field, setting them up to donate their time at a profession that interests them, get them connected with a youth pastor who may have more ideas, and the list does on. Your teen is worth your investment of time, love, effort and faith. Believe in them. Be their favorite cheerleader in the game of life.