Teen Talk

 THEY WANT TO BE HEARD

Some few years ago, during one of our camp meetings, we told the teenagers to write down questions they would have wished to ask someone or never had the opportunity of asking or telling someone especially their parent or teacher. This activity we call 'Burning Issues', because we believe they are those things that burn the hearts of the teenagers.


We were marveled at some of the questions that came out, in fact that happened to be the first time we heard a thing like 'cyber sex'. Honestly, we couldn't answer some of the questions because we didn't have any knowledge about them. These were genuine concerns the teenagers raised because some were going through serious challenges; emotionally, physically, spiritually, psychologically, you name it. Some said for weeks and months they have not seen their parents and couldn't confide in anyone.


One teenager told me she wakes up when her parents have left for work and goes to bed before they return. Don't forget, absence does not bring up a child. Such a teenager is prone to all sorts of attacks; both physically and spiritually, because she has no one to talk to, no one listens to her, in fact it's a pity.  Even with my own toddlers sometimes I feel like resigning from work to take very good care of them.  Because, of what use will your money and wealth be, if you amass all the wealth in this world and have teenagers who grow up with all kinds of deviant attitudes towards life?


I wish to take this opportunity to urge anyone who reads this piece to sit a teenager down for just an hour and listen to whatever he or she has to say.  In fact you will marvel at the revelations.  Your advice or counsel may be a stitch in time that will not only save nine, but ninety.


Give it a try and God will bless you, because they want to be heard.

ADOLESCENT YEARS

Adolescence is an interesting stage in life. Even though some will wish they never left that stage, others wish they never entered that stage.  It is a stage in life when one goes through physical, emotional, psychological and social changes. Physically, the individual sees changes and "strange" things appearing on the body. Emotionally, the individual begins to behave and react to situations in a "strange" manner. Psychologically, the individual begins to think about issues  and bothered about things that hitherto were part of him or her. Socially, the individual begins to adopt a taste or starts to make choices in life.


Ironically, some adolescent boys and girls are visited by these changes without their knowledge, in fact they never expect these visitors and therefore are thrown into a state of confusion. Others become so traumatized that if care is not taken they end up all forms of myths about life. Some adolescents welcome these changes with warm hearts and cheerful faces because they have been informed about the coming of these visitors, the forms they take, when they will be arriving, what to do when they arrive and a whole lots more.


The onset of puberty is very interesting, why? because you wake up one day only to see some "strange" things on your body and the next thing, your thinking takes a different dimension altogether, you no longer take your bath outside, run around the house in your panties, you begin to expect people to treat you in some kind of manner etc.  Even though I wasn't told much about these 'visitors', I read about them in books and also a few good friends.


In this time and age, as a parent or guardian, teacher or leader, if you don't educate your pre-adolescent boy or girl, they will be fed with all kinds of perverted truths and myths about these visitors.