In the Middle of It with Amy Kelly, The Ish Girl
Letters to My Teenager
Biggest Takeaways:
Teens struggle in unique ways in different seasons of their development. Sometimes it’s about the relationship between the teen and the parents, others it’s about the teens relationship with peers.
Frequently, it’s difficult for teens to receive wisdom, insight, or encouragement from their parents. This is developmentally appropriate, but it’s also super frustrating!
Soliciting those things from family and friends – in the form of letters to your teenager – can have a huge impact.
One of the scariest parts of doing this is asking people to contribute a letter – but in Amy and Angela’s experiences, the response was overwhelmingly positive. In fact, people expressed that it was an “honor” to be asked, and in many cases were EAGER to share.
Taking the time to use this strategy can benefit you and your teen in several ways – it can bolster their confidence and feelings of belonging and it can help you see your teen through the eyes of others.
Make sure you have realistic expectations when you present the letters to your teen – it might not be a “movie moment”, and that’s okay! When you compile letters like these for your teen, you’re creating a resource that will serve them for years to come.
Angela and Amy highly recommend doing this project for your teen!
Referenced in this Episode:
Texas A&M University (WHOOP!)
The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman
Letters to My Teenager – A Step by Step Guide
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