Train them up in the way that they should go

Last summer, when I said that parenting ends at 13, I literally thought nothing of it. I just assumed it was something everyone could agree on.

But boy, was I wrong!

I still get questions about it! And there are some who have gotten quite angry about it!

When I say parenting ends at 13, I am not talking about your kids moving out and working.

What I do mean is that once your child reaches puberty, their intellect and personhood has reached a point where you will not be able to tell them what to do anymore.

And many parents are not ready for this.

Seemingly overnight, they go from innocent babes who wholeheartedly believe whatever their parents tell them to eye-rolling adolescents who argue or dismiss whatever their parents tell them. And equally as wounding is when your child’s peers hold more influence than you do.

The years of your greatest influence and persuasion are done. Your influence now will depend upon what you’ve taught them.

They have begun to mentally process their early years. They have begun to process the things that you have taught them. They will become their own person and make up their own mind.

The family values, religious beliefs, habits, etc… things that are important to you and you want to pass onto your children, must be done when they are young.

After that, you can coach, you can mentor, you can guide. But they can reject it all…and they will filter everything through their own independent lens.