“My daughter just became a teenager this month. I am at my wits end trying to teach her to make good decisions. It seems like her friends matter more to her and she won’t listen to me. Do you know of any books that I can give her to help? Thank you!”

Sometimes being a mom to teenage children is not always easy but we need to be firm in how we approach raising our children. We need to make sure that we have a mindset where we do not give up and persevere even through the rocky times. These are the times we really need to stand firm and be there for our kids.

And while we can’t control the choices our children make, we can definitely do ALL that we can to point them in the right direction.

We must never give up praying for them, sharing God’s Word (it will not come back void), and being there for them to talk to. The lines of communication and love are critical here and we need to keep them open and let them know that they can always come to us with anything.

It helps to start young too. Discipling and mentoring children at a young age can help them to get off to a good start and helps to mold them as they get older. I am so grateful that homeschooling afforded me more time with my children to be able to do this. I believe it makes a huge difference in their lives and our family as a whole. It does not mean that our children turn out perfect because we homeschool but we do get more time to speak into their lives and teach them and correct and help guide their behavior all throughout the day.

I have adult daughters now and they still come and share what is going on with them. Just last night I had a daughter come into my bedroom and share her heart. It is such a blessing to have that kind of a relationship with them and know that they can come to me with things.

Be sure to give them a good Bible for them to read through with you. From it they will learn what God views as right and wrong. This will help them to make clearer choices. It can be a regular Bible or you can get one just for girls like this one.

You can find these and a wider variety of Bibles just for girls here at this link. 

A couple of helpful and valuable resources that come to mind that might also help if she is a reader would be these:

A Young Woman’s Guide to Making Right Choices by Elizabeth George

Here is the description:

• managing emotions
• improving relationships
• developing confidence
• living in the center of God’s will
• avoiding trouble and bad situations

Or if she is younger:

A Girl’s Guide to Making Really Good Choices by Elizabeth George

Here is a quick description:

“Every girl is a beautiful creation, uniquely equipped by God to do His work in the world. But as girls are growing, changing, and making choices about the kinds of lives they will lead, they are bombarded with conflicting messages about what it means to be a woman. The media says one thing, boys say another, and friends seem obsessed with whatever is newest and coolest. As a result, girls too often hand their decisions over to those least qualified to make them. Into the breach steps Elizabeth George, bestselling author and beloved Bible teacher. With wisdom, gentleness, and tremendous grace, she guides tween girls ages 8 to 12 through the most challenging decisions they face, teaching them to let God—not the world—define who they are. Discussing such topics as attitude, friendships, crushes, parents, school, and avoiding bad situations, Elizabeth helps girls see that the very best choice of all is a choice to live within God’s will. Perfect for individuals, small groups, and mentoring.”

It might be a good idea to go through the chapters with her and discuss them as well! I hope that these resources are a blessing to her!

Does your daughter struggle in making good choices?

What resources would you recommend? Share them in the comments!

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