Beyond Sunday / January 24, 2023

Navigating the Teen and Tween Years

Raising teens and tweens to be intentional disciples in 2023 may make this season of parenting especially daunting. In this episode, co-hosts Rakhi and Nicole share some of their experiences of raising teens and tweens, highlight nuggets of wisdom that have been helpful for them, and offer an extra helping of encouragement to all parents navigating this often challenging time of life. They highlight Compass, a new practical tool for parents, and invite listeners to participate in the upcoming Bosco Prayer Initiative.

This episode of Beyond Sunday is sponsored by SaintSprouts. SaintSprouts creates fun, engaging illustrations to inspire children of all ages to encounter Jesus and the beauty of the Catholic faith! Learn more and shop at saintsprouts.com.

Show Notes

(01:19) Co-hosts, Rakhi and Nicole talk about Rakhi’s Christmas tree still being up and discuss embracing Ordinary Time. They mention the upcoming feast of. St. John Bosco and discuss raising their older children: teens and tweens. They discuss the growing pains of this age group and share some of the challenges they’ve experienced.

(07:20) Nicole shares how she came to understand the importance of validating the feelings of our children, even when what they’re experiencing doesn’t seem to be a very big deal from our perspectives. She also shares how she tries to encourage her children to recognize that the hard things they face won’t always seem as challenging as they do in the moment.

(09:57) They discuss the many influences that exist and the importance of helping their children to learn to identify the true, good, and beautiful and push back on ideas that are false. They go on to discuss how they aim to cultivate discipleship among their children in a developmentally appropriate way, by seeking answers to big questions about life, giving them spaces to make their own, and respecting that their children’s prayer may look different from their own.

(16:32) Nicole and Rakhhi discuss the reality that teens and tweens may resist a life of faith, simply because of their developmental stage, and encourage listeners to trust in God and in his desire for a relationship with them.

(19:49) Nicole highlights Compass, a new project of the Office of Family Ministry in the Archdiocese of Detroit, which points parents to dozens of helpful articles, videos, books, and blogs to help parents navigate some of the more challenging realities of raising teens and tweens in 2023.

(22:23) Rakhi shares a bit about St. John Bosco, whose feast day is coming up, and shares why he is a great model and intercessor for parents of teens and tweens. She invites listeners to participate in the upcoming Bosco Prayer Initiative, a dedicated time to pray for young people and those who minister to them.

(27:15) Rakhi challenges parents to consider creative ways to invite their kids to pray, by leaning into the things their children already enjoy doing and playing with.

This episode of Beyond Sunday is sponsored by SaintSprouts. SaintSprouts creates fun, engaging illustrations to inspire children of all ages to encounter Jesus and the beauty of the Catholic faith! Learn more and shop at saintsprouts.com.