Sunday, March 14, 2010

No Teenagers Allowed!


I admit that I am a very opinionated person. Lately I have done a lot of pondering, reading, praying, and thinking about one subject in particular, and I feel that I should share it here on my blog.

The thought is this:

I don't allow teenagers to live in my home.


That's it!

How, you are wondering, do my children who are age 13 and up still reside in our home?

The answer is, they live happy lives, complete with privileges and outside activities, as long as they don't act like obnoxious "teenagers." And, lucky for them AND me, very few teenagers ever show up around here. ;-D

So what is the definition of a teenager? Well, first I'll give you MY definition, and then I'll ask my three older kids (ages 16, 14, and 13) what THEIR definitions are and put their responses in my next blog post.


Teenagers do these things:
  1. Display a bad attitude.
  2. Are glued to their cell phones.
  3. Text others when with someone in person.
  4. Constantly obsess about members of the opposite sex.
  5. Do not follow the principles clearly laid out in the "For the Strength of Youth" booklet.
  6. Treat younger siblings with contempt.
  7. Tear their family members down.
  8. Avoid family activities.
  9. Complain about chores, family activities, parental decisions, church duties,... (Fill in the blank here!)
  10. Use phrases like "This is stupid," and "I'm BORED."
  11. Care more about what their FRIENDS think, than what their parents and family thinks.

When I teach my weekly Shakespeare class to youth ages 12 and up, my number one rule is "No Teenagers Allowed!"

My class often looks at me, puzzled. I explain that I have no desire to teach "teenagers." That "teenagers" are not teachable, and are no fun to be with!

Then I let them know that I LOVE teaching Young Adults. Young Adults are more enjoyable to be around because they're respectful, they're kind, they're WAAAY more fun to be around than silly teenagers who like to roll their eyes, text on their phones, want to talk only about boys/girls, and refuse to participate and try new things.


Young Adults do these things:
  1. They are excited about life!
  2. They genuinely care about others.
  3. They are content to just be friends and wait until they're older and more mature to start obsessing about members of the opposite sex. They don't pair off until they're ready to seek out a marriage partner.
  4. They are courageous and are not afraid to try new things-- even if it's something potentially "embarrassing".
  5. They are not afraid to stand up for what's RIGHT and follow the principles in the "For the Strength of Youth" booklet, even when a crowd of teenagers is pressuring them to "be like everyone else."
  6. They like to have good, clean fun with other Young Adults.
  7. They honor their parents, and show kindness to their siblings.
  8. They like spending time with their families.
  9. They ask their parents for advice, and respect their opinions.
  10. They help around the house, and honorably fulfill their duties at home and at church.
  11. They can TOTALLY be trusted!

Young Adults are AWESOME!!! :-)


Can you see why I'm not interested in having any teenagers around here? ;-)

17 comments:

  1. Thank you for posting these definitions. I raised one teenager and have two young adults at home now. I can attest to the difference! I think we still have occasional "teenager" moments with my kids, but I know they have made a lot of strides towards being accountable and reliable young adults.

    I'm going to link to your post. K!

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  2. Um, hahaha! You make me feel guilty for being a teenager (and I wasn't even the worst of them)!

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  3. You know, I was a "teenager", too! And I was a total Molly! I just decided I don't want to raise any, myself.... ;-D

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  4. I think I already teenagers and my oldest is only 9 3/4. HOW'S TE PREGNANCY going? when is your due date?

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  5. Valine-- I think my girls are at their worst hormonally at age 10! Yech!

    The pregnancy is going great-- I'm enjoying the lovely heartburn stage right now, but it's all good.

    I'm due in the middle of June. *eek!*

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  6. Rachel,
    I stumbled upon your blog. I am not even really sure how I found it. I just wanted to let you know that you are a very inspirational writer. I am also in awe that you are pregnant with your 11th!! Wow! Good luck with your pregnancy and homeschooling your children. I know how demanding and rewarding that is. I myself do not homeschool, but have 4 sis-in-laws that do.
    Lisa
    www.penningtonfamilyfarm.blogspot.com

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  7. Thanks, lisapenn! I'll be checking out your blog, too. :-)

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  8. Well, I have to say I agree 100% and I think I will make the same declaration. My oldest just turned 12 and we have often talked about good teenagers verses the average. I think your definitions will be quite helpful.

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  9. Great post! You really did a great job of articulating some of the things that bother me about teenagers today and helped me see that I want to be raising young adults. Also wanted to say hi again, I've been catching up on your blog. Congratulations on #11! I appreciated your thoughts on that pregnancy.
    We just had #4 in January. (Probably why blog reading and commenting has gone down!)

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  10. Congratulations, Cellista! I still like to go in and peek at your blog every now and then. ;-)

    Hugs!

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  11. Oh Rachel, you and I think so much alike, it's almost scary. Love this post. I'm going to share it with my family. Thanks for writing it.

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  12. Love this!! Stopping by via Celeste... at Cinder Mtn Scholars... =)

    I am so going to share this with my kiddos... ages 11 and 13....

    I so dont want teenagers... and I think Im on my way to Young Adults... who might occasionally have a teen moment... hahaha..... anyhows... thanks for posting this... =) TOodles!

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  13. Rachel, this is awesome. Perfect. I love it. I'm sharing it with a slightly-inclined-to-behave-like-a-teenager fifteen year old that I live with. Bless her heart. How is it I never found you before, kindred spirit? You're in my favorites now, let me tell ya.

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  14. I know this is an old post, but it's one of my favorites. :)
    I hope you don't mind if I share a link as I'll be the mother of a new teenager, whoops, I mean a young adult this coming Tuesday!

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  15. Popping over from Cellista's blog . . . love this! I am going to share it with my young adult!

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I will not approve any comments that are rude, negative, or disrespectful. Thanks for being civil! :-)