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Not if but when your teenager makes a bad decision, it can feel like a personal failure

on your part or a reflection of your parenting abilities. Today, if you're carrying a heavy weight

because you're worried about your teen

we want to offer some encouragement. I'm John Fuller along with Danny Werta. He's the head of

our parenting and youth department here at Focus on the Family and Danny it is one thing to

know in my head that God is ultimately in charge of my kid but if they're a teen

and they're not making good decisions it's it's hard to remain calm.

Oh, it is.

And that's perfectly normal.

I mean, we are human beings with emotions, right?

And there is a frustration behind with that is perfectly normal, but the word and comes after that?

And what do we do with that frustration?

One thing that I like to reflect on is, am I frustrated with my teenager because they're making me look bad or because it's something about me or is it because I'm concerned about their well-being and their growth?

There's a big difference between those two. One of them, I am frustrated and I'm going to come

at you as my teen son or daughter because you have shamed me or done something that made me look bad.

Whereas the other one, you come in with grace and love,

and they can sense that, that you really want something good for them and the disappointment is more that

they're missing out on something and that's how our Heavenly Father treats us in

correcting us is that we're missing out on something.

It's not about, man, I can't wait to punish you and correct you.

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