Parents Aren't Perfect

In my sixteen years of parenting I have made a lot of mistakes. So have a lot of other parents. After all, parents are only human. We're not perfect, but chances are we would die for the well-being of our children, or at least fight to the death for them.

As I consider everything my mom had to put up with while my siblings and I still lived at home, it is a wonder that we all turned out as well as we did. With six kids at home and a husband who traveled a lot in his job, she did the best she could for us, always loving and praying for us and disciplining us when we needed it. There wasn't a lot of time for lengthy conversations about the issues of life, but back then times were a little less complicated. It was enough to know that she meant what she said. If we dared to stray from the straight and narrow, then we knew we deserved what came next. That, in itself, was enough to keep us motivated to do the right thing, or at least not do the wrong thing.

If you have parents or other grownups who will sit down and listen to you, take advantage of that and talk with them about the things that concern you. We can't know what it is you need if you don't tell us. Remember, we are dealing with problems of our own that sometimes are overwhelming. We don't always pick up on the signals you send, so just say what is on your mind.

If your parent advises you against doing something in particular or spending your time with certain friends, please listen to them and heed their advice. We are not always great at explaining ourselves, but we speak out of our own experience and the mistakes we made as teenagers and young adults. If we tell you to do something or not do something, realize that ninety-nine percent of the time we are telling you for your own good. If you ask "why?" and we respond "because I said so," trust us anyway. Explanations are not always necessary and sometimes only confuse things.

I am glad to be a parent, although it is the most difficult and stressful thing I do each day. It is a privilege to pray for my kids and teach them God's ways, though it is seldom easy. Until you have kids of your own, you will never understand why we parents do the things we do. Just know that we love you, we care about what's best for you, and we want more than anything for you to grow up to be godly men and women who will have a positive impact on your generation for the glory of God.

Young people, "Obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 'Honor your father and mother'--which is the first commandment with a promise--'that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth'" (Ephesians 6:1-3).