These two examples show why controlling parents aren’t effective when they interact with teens.by Tim Sanford
Using the four styles of interacting (HOLD, GRAB, TOSS and FOLD), there are four possi­ble “dances” that can occur when two people interact. Let’s look at these dances, using four versions of a teen-­parent situ­ation I’ve encountered in my counseling. Of course, I’ve made some changes in the actual dialogue and added some hypothetical elements. Consider the roles of control and influence in each dance.

Dance One: the HOLD and GRABIn this example the teen is a HOLDer. Remember, that’s the type who takes responsibility for what he can control. He says, “What’s mine is mine.”

But the parent here is a GRABer. She tries to take responsibility for things she can’t control. She says, “What’s yours is mine.”



I’ll play the part of the 16­-year-­old son and use my name in the story.

TIM: “That’s so dumb! I can’t believe I flunked the written part of my driver’s test. Man, I can ace the driving part! I guess I didn’t study enough.”

(Notice how I’m taking ownership of my failed test.)

MOM: “Honey, I’m so sorry you didn’t pass the test. Come here. I’ll make you your favorite brownies. I’m sorry I didn’t help you enough; I’ve just been stressed out with your dad traveling so much lately. I guess I should have helped you study more. I’m sorry. I didn’t even think about giving you the sample test I saw on the Internet last week. Go get the book and I’ll study it with you.”

(Mom is GRABing, trying to control the outcome by taking ownership and blame. It’s not the same as validating my feelings and helping me take ownership. She’s not trying to influence me, she’s trying to fix something that isn’t hers to fix.)

TIM: “It’s okay, Mom. I can handle it. I’m just frustrated, that’s all.”

MOM: “No, I’m sorry I haven’t been more involved in your life lately. Let me help you.”

TIM: “Mom, I’ll be okay.”

MOM: “I said I would help you, and I will.”

TIM: “But, Mom — ”

MOM: “No ‘buts.’ Go get the manual. I’ll quiz you right now on the questions you missed.”

This dance happens a lot more than you might expect. We may not notice it because the teenager’s plan for “fixing” things may seem unwise or incomplete. Still, even if you’re trying to “help,” that’s no reason to reach for the responsibility yourself.

This dance produces tension and strain. Why? Because both par­ticipants are trying to control the same thing. And two people can’t own the same thing at the same time.

In this case, the teenager is using a healthy style of interacting. The parent isn’t. The teen is trying to HOLD on to control that belongs to him, and Mom is trying to take it away. Get ready for a fight, because teenagers don’t want to be controlled or manipulated — directly or covertly.

Mom needs to take her hands off and let “Tim” learn on his own. She can influence what he does next, but her stab at control won’t help either of them.

Dance Two: the TOSS and GRABIn this example the teen is a TOSSer. Remember, that’s the type who refuses responsibility for what he can control. He says, “What’s mine is yours.”

The parent here is a GRABer, as in Dance One.



TIM: “That’s so stupid! I can’t believe I flunked the written part of the driver’s test. Man, I can ace the driving part! Mom, why didn’t you make me study that stupid manual more?”

(Notice how I’m trying to push ownership of my failed test onto Mom, expecting her to take the blame and fix the problem.)

MOM: “Honey, I’m so sorry you didn’t pass the test. Come here. I’ll make you your favorite brownies. I’m sorry I didn’t help you enough; I’ve just been stressed out with your dad traveling so much lately. I guess I should have helped you study more. I’m sorry. I didn’t even think about giving you the sample test I saw on the Internet last week. Here, go get the book and I’ll study with you. I’ll also call the DMV to see if I can make arrangements to retake the test without having to pay for it. Okay?”

(Mom is GRABing again.)

TIM: “Where’d you put the book, anyway?”

MOM: “I don’t know. What did you do with it?”

TIM: “How should I know? You’re the one who’s always going around and cleaning up my stuff — putting it where I can never find it again.”

MOM: “I’ll look for it as soon as I finish paying these bills.”

TIM: “Whatever.”

Does this sound familiar? It’s far more common than Dance One, especially in homes with a teenager. The terrible thing about this dance is that it “works.” The teenager TOSSes; the parent GRABs. There’s no real tension. It’s like you’re playing a game of catch.

One problem with this dance is that the TOSSing goes in only one direction — away from the teen and toward the parent. It’s not a healthy way to interact. Another problem is that the parent isn’t influencing; she’s still trying to control the outcome by GRABing. The teen’s TOSS­ing seems to invite this, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea for either party.

When a parent dances this way, it’s often because this recording is playing in his or her jukebox: If it’s my fault, then I can fix it. If I can fix it, it will turn out the way I want it to. The parent is trying to control a part of the world he or she can’t control.

The lack of tension in the “TOSS and GRAB” dance fools some parents and teens into thinking all is well on the Western Front. It fools some parents into thinking they’re acting responsibly. It also gives teens a false sense of power — and parents a false sense of being needed.

Taken from Losing Control & Liking It, a Focus on the Family book published by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Copyright © 2009, Focus on the Family. All rights reserved. International copyright secured.

by Jill Savage

Any professional whose primary responsibilities include caring for the needs of others is usually accompanied by wonderful relational benefits. These same occupations can be very emotionally and physically draining and require a plan for refueling. As we all know, motherhood has twenty-four-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week responsibilities.

While there are no designated days off, vacation time doesn’t seem to be addressed in the job contract either. If we don’t take some time for ourselves, if we don’t arrange for a day off here or there or if we don’t take an evening for ourselves, we will find ourselves in a hole that is difficult to climb out of. We may lose our perspective or even consider reentering the paid workforce just to keep our sanity. As a woman in the profession of motherhood, you must learn how to take care of yourself. No one has built that into your job description and no one is going to set boundaries for you. You have to do it yourself.

As moms, too often we work sacrificially and selflessly to the detriment of our family life. It is then that we become short-tempered, judgmental and even jealous of those who have more freedom in their lifestyles. We find ourselves discouraged with the daily duties of a job that never feels finished. We begin to question the value of what we’re doing and our self-worth. To combat such reactive emotions, we need to be proactive in caring for ourselves.

Have you ever been on an airplane and listened to the instructions about using the oxygen masks in an emergency? The flight attendants always give special instructions to those traveling with children: Put your own oxygen mask in place before you place the mask on your child. Those directions seem to go against our very nature. Our first inclination is to take care of that child even if it means sacrificing ourselves. But when we stop to consider the reasoning behind the instruction, it makes sense. If we don’t take care of ourselves first, we might not be able to help either one of us and we might both perish in those few precious moments. If we put our mask in place first, we are then in a position to care for others.

The same principle applies at home. We must first take care of ourselves in order to properly take care of others. This will give us the stamina, patience and perspective needed to care for the needs of others over the long haul.

Pull into the Filling StationDo you have someone in your family who insists on driving the car on gas fumes when the gauge is registering empty? It seems every family has one member who pushes it to the limit. Well, each one of us has an emotional fuel tank. If we don’t take time to fill our tank, if we push ourselves to the limit, sooner or later we will find ourselves “out of gas.” Stranded. Stuck. Ineffective.

When we’re broken down along the road, someone else has to come take care of us. By that time, it takes more to fill us up. If we’re proactive, we do something to fill up while we can still pull up to the gas pump.

Moms are always taking care of others, but we have to make sure that in the whirlwind of life we’re taking care of ourselves as well. There are three personal areas we need to care for: body, mind and spirit. Do you know how each of these is drained and filled? To keep our lives balanced, we need to evaluate these areas regularly and place emphasis on keeping our tanks filled as we do the job God has called us to do.

Taken from Professionalizing Motherhood by Jill Savage. Copyright © 2001 by Jill Savage. Used by permission of Zondervan. www.zondervan.com

From our friends at A Father’s Walk – A Ministry for Single Dads

Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. –Col 3:20 (NIV)Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. –Eph 6:4 (NASB)

I was recently posed with the question as to whether or not it was right for us to allow our children to have a social media account, such as Facebook. While there are multiple cases I could make for each side, as always, we need to turn to the Lord for answers.
I have read several articles (such as this one: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/22/facebook-study-envy_n_2526549.html) on the correlation between people being on Facebook and experiencing feelings of depression or less self-worth afterwards. In short, we compare ourselves and our lives to what we see online and act out accordingly.
As fathers, one of our number one responsibilities is to instill a strong self-worth and confidence in our children, and to point out the lies and flaws with anything that may inhibit those qualities in them. This is accomplished through our knowledge and passing on of Scripture to our kids and spending quality time with them so they don’t go looking to fill that gap somewhere else. We are also to set firm and realistic boundaries for their protection. If you love and discipline your kids in the same way God does us, then you will have their respect when it comes to topics such as social media usage. If you do not, then you still have the right to petition the Lord on their behalf.
I am not going to make a judgment call for your household. We all understand the risks and dangers that lurk in cyber-world; but I believe an even greater danger is our sons and daughters not having a father who is active in bringing them up in Christ. Seek His guidance today through the Word and prayer and ask Him to lead you when it comes to leading them.

From our friends at A Father's Walk - A Ministry for Single Dads

“I’m watchin’ what I’m watchin’…” –Tripp Lee

                You know when you buy a new car how all of a sudden a bunch of the same cars you just purchased magically appear all over the place? Obviously, they didn’t just “appear”- they’ve always been there but your eyes were not trained to look for them. I just left the video store and man was I depressed! We already know that our culture is ridiculously overridden with sex and violence, but what really stuck out to me was the unbelievable number of DEMONIC movies out there. I’m not talking horror- I mean full blown satanic worship. Just like the cars, these movies may have always been there, but as I push closer to Christ, my mind and eyes are now much more alert to anything that opposes Him.
                According to a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, kids and teens 8 to 18 years old spend nearly four hours a day in front of a TV screen and almost two additional hours on the computer (outside of schoolwork) playing video games- not to mention the time they spend in school, extracurricular activities, and with their friends. Here’s my point: With such minimal quality time available to spend with our kids, and with so many ungodly influences lurking nearby, as the spiritual heads of our kids we need to be speaking, teaching, and modeling Jesus to them whenever possible. Ephesians 4:32 reminds us to watch the way that we talk; but I would also say we are to be mindful to what goes INTO our heads too. Dads, are you staying on alert towards the enemy as Peter instructs us- guarding you and your kid’s heart and mind? Or, are you oblivious to what they are being exposed to, perhaps even falling short yourself and participating in music and movies any Christ follower has no business with? Sure, we may not be watching movies like the ones I mentioned above, but let’s face it- the vast majority of secular media is in no way God-honoring.
                Whether we choose to engage ourselves or not, there is a war for ours and our children’s souls going on all around us. God did not create us to lie down and play dead, and He sure as heck didn’t make us to be complacent. The Bible tells us that things are only going to get worse when it comes to values, family structure, and the way the world views God. The cool part is that if we choose- we can be completely exempt from the enemy’s plans and not only stand firm against his schemes, but protect and lead the next generation in Christ. Dad, God gives us clear direction to “examine ourselves”. Take inventory today and put your activities, hobbies, and passions up against His Word, removing anything that fails the test. By doing so, you will not only enhance your own walk with Him, but you will be able to influence your son or daughter to make a stand and show the world the Light it so desperately needs to see.
Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. -1Thess 5:21-22