Parent/Teen Connection with Bob Lenz
EC Next Generation Ministries hosted a joint presentation with Life Promotions to discuss a parent teen connection. Here are some of the text questions that Bob answered after the session:
Q: I am not into the god stuff but I want to be the best parent possible. What is the most important thing I can do to be a good parent?
A: Time. Spend quality and quantity time. Show your teen how to have fun without drugs and alcohol. Time connects. Time provides memories. Time with your children is well invested.
Q: It seems that my son is poisoned by his father… how can I reconnect with him?
A: This is a difficult question to answer and feel free to connect with me afterwards. In the schools, we have communicated how to make good choices in life by the acronym VCR; Value, Courage, Respect. I think that in what you are facing, it will be your choice to respect your son’s father so that the poison won’t spread.
Q: How do you balance being a dad and a speaker?
A: This one was tough for me as I had one of my daughters ask me a few years back: “Do you love speaking more than us?” That showed me that I had a problem to deal with. I first had a great friend keep me accountable that I won’t over work on my days off. Secondly, I only book so many days a year for speaking. Thirdly, I make sure I communicate to my family by words and actions that I love them more than my work.
Q: What are some of the messages you want teens to hear from their parents?
A: You being here tonight show me that you want to be a great parent. In fact, you are ahead of the game if you are here because it shows me that you are already a good parent. I would suggest that you communicate honestly, forgive easily, set boundaries and consequences, and have fun with your teen. I think teens need to have fun and experience having fun outside of drinking and drugs. I am not against drinking but teens need to know how to have fun BY you… they watch you more than anything or anyone.
If you would like to get the Parent/Teen Connection Session on DVD, please feel free to contact me.