More than 80% of high schoolers and 50% of middle schoolers carry a cell phone. We all know that the thing they spend most of there time doing with the phone is texting. The average teen sends/receives an average of 2400 each month. As a parent, you’ve probably had a talk with your teen about it, yelled about it, or rolled your eyes at it. Instead, what if you used texting it as a meaningful way for the whole family to spiritually and relationally connect. Here are a few things to try.
TOY RN (Thinking of you right now)
Take a few minutes at breakfast and ask your teen what is going on in her day today. Test? Special projects due? Performance or game? At some point send a text to her and tell her that you are praying for her about that special thing. You don’t need to go into great length. Just a quick text so she knows that she’s on your radar.
Im prayiN 4 U 2day (I’m praying for you today)
Print off verses of encouragement onto 3×5 notecards. Place them in a basket besides the front door. As each of you leaves the house each morning, pick up one of the cards. Later in the day, you each send a surprise verse to one another in a text message. Print off more cards to keep it going.
DY knw w@ I lov bout u? (Do you know what I love about you)
From time to time send your teen a text that reminds him what it is that you love about him. It’s a text so keep it short and to the point. It could be some like, “I love what a servant you are. Thanks for helping out around the house this last week.” Most of the time teenagers think their parents don’t notice the little things they do for their family. You make a big deal of it by sending a simple text acknowledging it.
The more you use texting as a family the more normal it will become to communicate through this means. It will also show your teen that you want to be a part of their world, especially since they know texting doesn’t come natural for you. They’ll also be reminded that you care about what is going on in their life when they are away from you and it will allow them to speak into your spiritual life as they tell you how they are praying for you too.
So GA n try it. Ull have a hol nu wA 2 T2 1 nothA!.*
*Visit www.transl8it.com for a fun tool that can translate the above sentence for you.
