Train up a child…

Myths about Teens

There seems to be a tendency in our society to lump all teens together as a group and assign certain characteristics to them. Many of these assigned characteristics have us shaking in our boots at the very thought of associating with teens, or, heaven forbid, working with them in a learning setting. This is unfortunate. Teens, just like everyone else, must be thought of as individuals. Many of the qualities of teens that we think are common may not be so common at all. Let’s look at a few of them.
Some would say that teens don’t like older people and that to be successful in working with them, one must be near their own age. This is definitely not true. In fact, many times teens look at older people as grandparents and they are carrying fond memories of grandparents. When I was teaching GED classes, one essay topic was to write about someone greatly respected. Over and over I received essays about grandparents and other older people. Believing this myth causes teen leaders to be chosen who are often too immature to really give them the help that is needed.
Quite often people can be heard saying that all teens are rude. This, too, is not true. The basis of all good manners is kindness and consideration of others. Some teens have been raised in families where there has been an absence of kindness, and, in this case, it often carries over in the actions of the teens. On the other hand, teens often have a keen sense of fairness, and, if in a kind environment, they want to have good manners. Many have simply never been taught good manners, but would practice good manners if they knew what to do.
A huge myth is that all teens like to have fun all the time. Many teens today are suffering hurt from broken homes and broken promises. Trying to force them to have fun goes against nature when they are hurting. It is true that they need physical exercise, but sometimes they just want to have a dependable shoulder to cry on and someone to whom they can express their hurt, fears, and concerns.
Many say that you just can’t talk to a teen. The truth is that most teens would love to have someone to talk to but feel that to do so would cause condemnation or more trouble. They have often been betrayed when they have shared secrets, so they may “clam up”. Teens can often work out their own problems if they have a good listener who knows how to interject a pertinent question now and then.
Teens need our help. They have a lot to deal with in a short period of time. We need to debunk old ideas about teens and strive to understand each as an individual in order to give the help they need.