Raising Your Teen: What You Want to Avoid

Scroll down the list. Does it look or sound familiar? Do you agree that the statements initially sound like a typical declaration and profile of teenagers in their rebellious years?

1. "Have It Your Way"

2. "Your World Should Know No Boundaries"

3. "Just Do It!"

4. "Challenge Everything"

5. "Take a Licking and Keep on Ticking"

6. " So Easy Even a Caveman Can Do It"

7. "You Deserve a Break Today"

8. " Choose Freedom"

9. " Now You're Playing with Power"

10. "Thousands of possibilities. Get yours."

11. " Be Fearless"

12. "Create a storm"

13. "I am what I am"

14. "Delightfully Tacky, Yet Unrefined"

15. "It's All About You"

16. "Obey Your Thirst"

17. "What's the Worst that Can Happen?"

18. "Do What Tastes Right

19. "Taste me! Taste Me! C'mon Taste Me!"

20. "Never Follow"

What seems to be classic statements by teenagers are actually advertising slogans of top companies in America. Check out which businesses own the above slogans.

1. "Have It Your Way" (Burger King)

2. "Your world should know no boundaries (Merrill Lynch)

3. "Just Do It!" (Nike)

4. Challenge Everything (Electronic Arts)

5. Take a Licking and Keep on Ticking (Timex)

6. So Easy Even a Caveman Can Do It (Geico)

7. You deserve a break today (McDonalds)

8. Choose Freedom (Toshiba)

9. Now You're Playing with Power (Nintendo Entertainment System)

10. Thousands of possibilities. Get yours. (Best buy)

11. Be Fearless (Symantec)

12. Create a storm (Monsoon)

13. I am what I am (Reebok)

14. Delightfully Tacky, Yet Unrefined (Hooters)

15. It's all about you (Nescafe)

16. Obey your thirst (Sprite)

17. What's the worst that can happen (Dr Pepper)

18. Do What Tastes Right (Wendy)

19. Taste me! Taste Me! C'mon Taste Me! (Doral Cigarettes)

20. Never Follow (Audi)

The advertising slogans of top American businesses reflect the current teen's culture. The slogan's general message is to defy authority and boundaries. It also implies that teenagers are ripe to make choices. They can satisfy their need for instant gratification and not worry about consequences.

Top businesses have catered to this need. We see a lot of teens immersed with their new cell phones, IPODS and I Phones. Teenagers can access their favorite movies, games, music and the Internet conveniently. In short, their exposure to bad elements is faster than the ability of parents to evaluate and monitor the contents of their high tech gears.

Are they surfing the Internet for inspirational stories to help them with their challenges as a teenager? Are they reading scriptures in the Internet? "Heck no! Dude that is so not cool", a teenager responds.

So what is in their cell phones, IPOD or I phone? Does a parent ever wonder? Media bombards them with explicit sexual graphic images 24/7. Movies blur the line of what is normal and abnormal. The youth memorize the words of the rap music instead of scriptures.

Are you one of those parents that recognize these alarming trends? Are you a parent that believes that teenagers can swim on their own and come out victorious instead of drowning? The teenager is becoming a tough audience to bring closer to God. Many parents lift up their arms in the air in surrender and exasperation. A parent must realize that the feat requires doing something more than ordinary. No one can make drastic changes to a teenager's lifestyle without wearing a "Super Hero" cape. The question is will you take that heroic role or will you stand like a bystander?

What to Avoid: Parents Remain Blind to Teen's Spiritual Hunger

Time flew so quickly. Parents are so oppressed with time juggling work, home life and debts. Their intent is to provide a better life for their children. Both parents have to work to afford the mortgage and the growing expenses of the children. In the midst of these, parents are too tired to do anything after work and on weekends. They follow the lead of their children. Prayers and devotions are missing in their lives.

The Church is so plagued with problems that parents exhibit discontentment with their Church leaders. They learned to tolerate differing religious views or morals. They are content with just being spiritual, whatever "spiritual" means to them. Parents do not feel like volunteering in their Church because it limits their personal time. Thus, many children have no exposure in the Church that is worthwhile and meaningful for them.

How Teens Divert their Spiritual Hunger?

The youth go to school seeking friendships and a sense of belonging. They find out that in order to belong one must cuss and curse, be disrespectful to authority, find enjoyment in their senseless world and aim for the high tech cell phones, IPODS and IPHONEs to be cool.

Parents have promoted this indifference by substituting these high tech gears for meaningful youthful activities. The youth cannot rely anymore on their parents, schools, neighborhoods and parishes to give them genuine direction on where to channel their energies; instead the mass media culture is shaping them and giving them the wrong values. The youth doesn't even believe that they need salvation; it is something that can wait.

It is a waste to see the youth rot to technology. They sit in front of their computers chatting and surfing the Internet without a goal all night. They want to know that their lives have some sort of meaning. They want to connect and be loved. Teenagers are hungry for what will give affirmation in their lives. They want to be relieved of their insecurities. But, they do not know how.

The search of many youths for a deeper experience and connection often begins in hanging out in malls, then to bars, resulting to the use of drugs and experimentation on sex. Many become addicted to their computers because it provides them instant gratification. Many begin a life of Internet porn addiction.

Teenage depression is rising at unprecedented rates. Society is raising teenagers who are not equipped to deal with the ups and downs of life. A teenager with a deep connection with God will raise children of their own one day that will serve humanity and not promote the destruction of life.

Conclusion

How do we steer teenagers to heaven? That's a theological question for parents, but for teenagers, it will be viewed as a query on the type of transportation. Is there a special bus or elevator to heaven? They have no idea how to get to heaven. However, their souls yearn to fill a void in their being. They experiment with drugs, alcohol, sex, and bad friendships. Many of them never find out how to fill that hole.

Parents and church leaders must help navigate the life of teenagers by instilling spiritual values. Somewhere along the line, the teen's impression of their Churches and how it can help them satisfy their spiritual hunger evaporated in thin air. Either their parents did not steer them in that direction or they were distracted by high tech gadgets and the prevailing teen culture.

One thing parents must avoid in raising a teen is to just stand by and assume things will take its normal course. Teens must be guided in the direction of a healthy spiritual life. A relationship with God will steer teenagers to positive path of being men and women for others. We need teenagers that will become responsible, ethical, and caring citizens

"Pope Benedict XVI is convinced that if the new generations have nothing important to learn at a deeper, human level, both faith and reason lose. Even worse, humanity loses. "

Sources:

Alejandro Bermudez, "Pay Attention to the Pope's Onion", Thepopeblogs.ny.times.com

William J. Bausch, "Storytelling the Word"

"Catechesis of a Good Shepherd", Cgsusa.org

"Advertising Slogans", Wikiquote.com

Kevin Huggins, "Parenting Adolescents"