We all want to be part of something bigger….

Over the years, I have loved studying people and what makes us tick.  Why is it that we love going to a football game with 80,000 people?  Or a rock concert?  And we highly value these experiences based on what we pay for tickets to attend these events! Of course we love our sports and music, but it’s more than that - we also crave being part of something bigger.  It’s exciting to have that feeling that you are surrounded by people having the exact same experience at a given moment. 

Likewise, our teenagers need to be in community.  They need to know that they are more than just a physical creature going through the motions of life.  They need to know they are part of a greater community - that their contributions are noticed and appreciated, that they are needed and missed when they are absent.  This is one of the reasons we have made our own teenagers work outside the home (don’t worry, they have to work inside the home, too; that’s a given!).  It is healthy for them to be part of a team where there are expectations and community built through working together.  This can also be achieved through volunteering, church and many other avenues.  As an added bonus, it is a nice relief for parents to know that their children have a boss outside the home who is teaching them some accountability and real life skills.  

Challenge question - is your tween/teenager actively part of some “bigger” things?  If not, I challenge you to help your teenager brainstorm some places s/he might enjoy being part of something bigger.  Start when they are young so by the time they are teens they will have different places to turn to when they going gets tough.