Josh Shipp gives a great summary to help us understand a teen in 90 seconds. Why they always push our boundaries and why it’s important that we support them doing so.
He uses the analogy of a safety bar on a rollercoaster. He reminds us that we push it and pull it and test it before riding. Not because we want it to fail, but because we want to make sure it will hold.
“Listen to me,” says Josh. “That teen in your life is doing the exact same thing. They are pushing you and prodding you and testing you, hoping, confirming, you will hold.”
He reminds us that during the teenage years, so many things are uncertain. Teens find school, friendships, social media, even their own bodies, erratic, uncertain and unstable. As a consequence, they rely on their parents to be the certainty in their lives.
“They need to know that you are certain,” says Josh. “They need to know that you are stable.”
Teens will push the boundaries to test them. “It doesn’t mean that you’re a bad person, or an imbecile or doing it all wrong, or messing things up or saying the wrong things. It simply means you’re dealing with a teenager.”
So, there you go. How to understand a teen in 90 seconds. Watch the video to find out how Josh puts it all together. It’s all very comforting to think about, don’t you think? Thanks Josh!
Do you think we’ll ever really be able to understand a teen in 90 seconds?
