Teenagers are so (not) selfish
I sometimes hear people speak ill of teenagers, as if they are monsters from a horror film.
"Oh, I don't know how you teach the teenage class. Teenagers are so disrespectful these days."
"Teenagers these days are just so rude. I can't stand how entitled they are."
"Ugh…I just can't stand seeing teenage kids walk into the (fill-in-the-blank). They are just wild. They don't have any respect like kids did back in my day."
But, I personally love teenagers. My only struggle with the idea having a teenager living in my house is that I feel old when I think about her growing up.
I've worked with teenagers in my career and at church for years. Teenagers are fun, energetic, opinionated, hilarious, loving, open-minded, and so much more. The teens in my church are usually the most quick to say "yes" to helping others. They are so servant-hearted. A sixteen-year old boy is my helper in children's ministry. He isn't some goody-two-shoes, either. Most often you can find my helper doing dangerous, ridiculous stunts with his buddies (think hunting a mountain lion with a flame-thrower). He definitely isn't the kind of kid you think of when you think about a teenage boy who gets himself up on a Sunday morning to help corral a bunch of elementary kids. Our other teenagers are just as eager to serve in children's ministry, the nursery, in our after-school tutoring program, or doing community clean-up. One Sunday morning I noticed one of our fifteen-year old girls was using the outdoor hose to wash off her tennis shoes. As it turned out, she helped her father fix the church's septic system and got a little "poo" on her shoes. She didn't complain about it or try to make herself into a martyr -- she just did what needed to be done because it was the thing that needed to be done.
My own teenager just had her thirteenth birthday party. It was an action-packed party full of Minute-to-Win-It games, crafts, clues and other fun activities. She was the perfect hostess. Without us having to coach her, she directed her friends to the food, handed out plates, and served herself last. She made sure that her friends were comfortable and that she wasn't spending too much time with any one friend. My teenager was concerned about how other people would feel if they were left out, so she made sure to spend time as equally as possible with everyone. It was clear to see she was mindful about the choices she made in the games so that everyone had equal chances to play with her and others. When the party was over she thanked me -- twice -- for making the party so fun for everyone. She didn't act like she was entitled to have the party or that it should have been more grand or expensive. My child was thankful for what she had and she expressed her gratitude in a genuine way.
Disrespectful, rude people can be found in all walks of life -- kids, teens and adults alike. I prefer to see the best in the teenagers in my life, including the one living in my house.
"Oh, I don't know how you teach the teenage class. Teenagers are so disrespectful these days."
"Teenagers these days are just so rude. I can't stand how entitled they are."
"Ugh…I just can't stand seeing teenage kids walk into the (fill-in-the-blank). They are just wild. They don't have any respect like kids did back in my day."
But, I personally love teenagers. My only struggle with the idea having a teenager living in my house is that I feel old when I think about her growing up.
I've worked with teenagers in my career and at church for years. Teenagers are fun, energetic, opinionated, hilarious, loving, open-minded, and so much more. The teens in my church are usually the most quick to say "yes" to helping others. They are so servant-hearted. A sixteen-year old boy is my helper in children's ministry. He isn't some goody-two-shoes, either. Most often you can find my helper doing dangerous, ridiculous stunts with his buddies (think hunting a mountain lion with a flame-thrower). He definitely isn't the kind of kid you think of when you think about a teenage boy who gets himself up on a Sunday morning to help corral a bunch of elementary kids. Our other teenagers are just as eager to serve in children's ministry, the nursery, in our after-school tutoring program, or doing community clean-up. One Sunday morning I noticed one of our fifteen-year old girls was using the outdoor hose to wash off her tennis shoes. As it turned out, she helped her father fix the church's septic system and got a little "poo" on her shoes. She didn't complain about it or try to make herself into a martyr -- she just did what needed to be done because it was the thing that needed to be done.
My own teenager just had her thirteenth birthday party. It was an action-packed party full of Minute-to-Win-It games, crafts, clues and other fun activities. She was the perfect hostess. Without us having to coach her, she directed her friends to the food, handed out plates, and served herself last. She made sure that her friends were comfortable and that she wasn't spending too much time with any one friend. My teenager was concerned about how other people would feel if they were left out, so she made sure to spend time as equally as possible with everyone. It was clear to see she was mindful about the choices she made in the games so that everyone had equal chances to play with her and others. When the party was over she thanked me -- twice -- for making the party so fun for everyone. She didn't act like she was entitled to have the party or that it should have been more grand or expensive. My child was thankful for what she had and she expressed her gratitude in a genuine way.
Disrespectful, rude people can be found in all walks of life -- kids, teens and adults alike. I prefer to see the best in the teenagers in my life, including the one living in my house.
Comments
Post a Comment