Jumping Ship
What to Do So Your Children Don't Jump Ship to the World When They Get Older
There is a troubling trend in Christian families today: older children become discontent and rebellious, jumping ship as soon as they can survive without the family, some as young as 16 years old. Parents are crying, "Where did we go wrong? What can we do to prevent this from happening to the rest of our children?" They re-evaluate and "clamp down" on the remaining children, making life twice as unpleasant for them as it was for their jumped-ship older sibling.
As parents, we are "marketing" a Christian (+ homeschooling) lifestyle to our children in a world that has unleashed evil to win their attention! We are yearning for them to accept the values and family culture that we believe will bring the greatest joy to them in their life, even after we are no longer around to help them. This books helps parents step back and take an objective look--how full of happiness and fulfillment does your lifestyle look to your emerging teens? Do they have hope and the promise of joy if they live like you do, or does your faith look like a bunch of Pharisee's rules and regulations? Is your Christianity and your homeschool lifestyle something that would inspire a 16-year-old?
I wish, wish, wish that every parent would read this book and apply it (including myself). I know it would make a huge difference to their children, and in their family life. I believe that the advice in this book would help children stay true to their parents' faith!
One reader writes:
Just one reading made a change overnight, and continued with daily changes that we could hardly have imagined. Our leaning-toward-rebellion teen suddenly folded my laundry, and cleaned the kitchen completely on her own, just being nice! Her heart is changing too, she talks to us differently, shares things she has clammed up for months... Parenting became a joy again, and we could not believe how blind we had been. Furthermore, applying what the author suggests is even fun and may bring joy and enthusiasm back into your life that you forgot you had lost long ago. . . .this book gives so much hope!
If you are a parent who is wondering if you are doing everything "right" to help your teens grow up faithful and happy, please stop wondering and get some real help and practical advice and the wisdom of one older and wiser.
Paperback, 110 pages, adult reading. |
