Duct tape.

MikeMaroon said…
Duct tape.

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Ha Ha... so you are one of those people who thinks duct tape is the cure-all for everything (though it does work wonders ;) LOL!

MikeMaroon said…
Duct tape.

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I just had a big laugh from this. Kevin too. Thanks.

Mike your fundraising for Jerry's Kids might be another suggestion.

Seriously, I thinking teens volunteering to help others is a cool part of the solution.

Well, it may not be a cure-all, but Ownership sure can have a positive impact. It could be through a community garden, some kind of mentor-ship or a group owned youth facility. It is amazing how any 'thing' is treated better when there is a sense of ownership. If the kids truly feel they have invested in something, they will most likely treat it better, and want others to treat it better too. I guess it would take a lot of creativeness to figure how to foster that feeling of ownership.

LOL!!!! Duct tape, LOL!!! I Oh man that was funny **wipes tears**

I have an 18 an a 22, almost 23 year old, son and I never had that issue. The older one is on his own now and the younger one still calls home to see if he can stay an extra half hour at his friend's house. I'm not quite sure what we did right but I am VERY glad to be past the scary "teens going bad stage". It happens to the best of parents and I wish I knew what the answer was. Besides, of course, duct  tape. ;)

rulistenin said…
Well, it may not be a cure-all, but Ownership sure can have a positive impact. It could be through a community garden, some kind of mentor-ship or a group owned youth facility. It is amazing how any 'thing' is treated better when there is a sense of ownership. If the kids truly feel they have invested in something, they will most likely treat it better, and want others to treat it better too. I guess it would take a lot of creativeness to figure how to foster that feeling of ownership.

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I love community gardens!  Everyone works together.

Mentors are be wonderful and can even lead to future careers.

After school clubs are great too - drama, volunteer, art and sports.

Parents just have to try their best to be good influences and set rules that they actually enforce.  A lot of teens have rules, but when they break them there is no punishment, so they don't ever learn NOT to break them.

thanks for the input,me myself have a 23year-old and iv'e never had a problem  out of her and still don't ,i was just thinking about the kids that don't have parents that set moral s or anything else for there kids like we did or do..

maybe you should start a fundrasing for our inner-youths

thanks for your reply

My church has a pretty large youth group and most of their parents don't even attend our church.  Word of mouth and lots of activites are reasons why they join and it keeps them out of trouble while making friends.   

mindyvol said…
My church has a pretty large youth group and most of their parents don't even attend our church.  Word of mouth and lots of activites are reasons why they join and it keeps them out of trouble while making friends.   

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That's great! Do they ever help out with fundraising?

lillian1003 said…
maybe you should start a fundrasing for our inner-youths

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You could talk with the schools and churches and community groups and have the teenagers themselves participate.    : )

I personally think they are off the street to much! To many kids shut themselves out and huddle in their rooms all day playing video-games. We are already seeing the effects of this everywhere, a non-social, or challenged society.

I grew up on the streets, it taught me a lot about life, and from this, I learned to respect my elders very early, along with a lot of other things. :)

Perry makes sense about being huddled at home, it's a good idea to get your teen involved in activities, especially school sponsored ones.  I was in dance through 6 grade, played some volleyball in 7th or 8th, and then was in colorguard in high school.  It's good to be part of some kind of social activity :) 

It might not be the same as being "on the streets" but it does help produce well rounded kids and give them chances to make friends.

My father was a Marine, a Drill Sargeant and he enforced house rules.  We always knew there was consequences for our behavior. 

Today, many children don't have a safe place/haven to go home to so they wander the streets or hang out with people that they believe care for them.  If you want your child to come home make it a place that they feel comfortable coming home to. 

And don't allow your children to take charge!  You gave them life now take care of them!  Children/teens really do want boundaries, structure and limitations; some parents are just afraid of setting them. 

And so often I see parents befriend their children and their friends.  You are a parent and disciplinarian first and foremost--let the friendship develop once they are mature enough to understand the difference between parent and friend. 

God gave you children to nurture and raise.  He didn't give you a friend. He gave you the ability to make friends.  Adults must also know the difference.

Last and maybe most importantly: How do you get through the teenage years?  Treat them as the "premature" adults they want to be but never forget they are your child.  Love them, honor them, and respect them.  They are on loan to you from the Lord and like sands in the hourglass they are gone too soon.

What I do know is that physical abuse and verbal abuse is wrong. Instead of helping, it only causes the child and parent to grow apart and possibly develop fear and/or hate. A parent has the responsibility to love and care for the child always no matter how old or young they are. And the child has to be respectful, loving and helpful to his/her parents. :) And communication is a major key.  :) Discipline has to be given of course but depending on the child's personality, etc. For example, if you have a 5 year old child and he or she steals, you grab the object he or she stole and tell him or her that that is wrong. And take her to take it back. And give examples because they can learn from them. :)

GigiandAdonai said…

My father was a Marine, a Drill Sargeant and he enforced house rules.  We always knew there was consequences for our behavior. 

Today, many children don't have a safe place/haven to go home to so they wander the streets or hang out with people that they believe care for them.  If you want your child to come home make it a place that they feel comfortable coming home to. 

And don't allow your children to take charge!  You gave them life now take care of them!  Children/teens really do want boundaries, structure and limitations; some parents are just afraid of setting them. 

And so often I see parents befriend their children and their friends.  You are a parent and disciplinarian first and foremost--let the friendship develop once they are mature enough to understand the difference between parent and friend. 

God gave you children to nurture and raise.  He didn't give you a friend. He gave you the ability to make friends.  Adults must also know the difference.

Last and maybe most importantly: How do you get through the teenage years?  Treat them as the "premature" adults they want to be but never forget they are your child.  Love them, honor them, and respect them.  They are on loan to you from the Lord and like sands in the hourglass they are gone too soon.

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My Dad was a Drill Sergeant too!  All it took for me was that loud, deep yell of his and I would run to my room crying.

My parents could look at me and my lips would tremble and I would burst out in tears.  I NEVER got a spanking from my parents because I was always so fragile and had such a guilty conscience that I would 'fess up to anything.  I lived in fear of being disciplined!  

Derek managed to survive my locking him in the house and getting a security system after I caught him out on the front porch at 3 am talking to another friend.  So, while I love the duct tape idea, by then he was bigger than me so wrestling him to the ground while I hog tied/duct taped him was a little out of the question.

It worked, he's 20 now and pretty good kid. :-)

IF the pictures of the blonde lady in your photo gallery is you then you don't look old enough to be the mother of a 20-year-old.

no thats not me it's my daughter she just turned 23