A couple weeks ago we hosted a parent panel as part of HSM’s How to Raise Your Parents series. We had students text in their questions and they are a goldmine. Here is a selection of the questions that students texted in over that weekend. Some pretty insightful stuff in here, I think. If you’re wondering what your teenagers are asking, here you go:

• why do parents pick favorites with their kids?
• how do you tell your parents your tired of them fighting?
• how do I tell my parents how to let go?????? Seriously
• what do you do when your parents dont give you a reason for not being able to do something besides saying” because i said so”
• views on sexting?
• how do you help a parent who refuses to live by christ and accept him?
• If parents were hurt by the way their parents raised them, why would they raise their own kids like that?
• my mom is very hypocritical to me and how i treat her. how do i handle that?
• if you were born a guy but then changed yourself to a girl, then became a christian, would you change yourself back?
• When parents r extreamly stressed out and it feels like they take it out on you wat do u do?
• is it ok to not like your parents
• how can i say back off without actually saying back off
• my parents are in a bad financial situation and are always stressed and its taking away from the time that we can be bonding with our family what do I do
• my dad is extremely lenient with me and sometimes I feel like he doesn’t pay attention to me or doesn’t want to…how do I get him to see me?
• “Why do parents always punish their children for negative actions but seldom even notice the positive or beneficial actions?”
• If your son/daughter came out as gay how would you react?
• how do I still be a kid in a household where I’m fulfilling a parent’s role?
• if i messed up sexualy or with drugs or drinking should i tell my parents even if they will never find out
• why do parents get mad when we don’t listen but when you don’t listen to us it’s ok?
• im super close to my dad but i dont really get along with my mom. Is it ok to talk to my dad about how to deal with the relationship with my mom?
• do you think its okay for parents to read your texts?
• How can we as son/daughters make the sex talk less ackward when mom and dad aren’t great at it?
• why do we always have to keep our rooms clean?
• should my parents be friends with me on facebook
• what would you do if your child said they did not believe in god?
• Do you have sex?
• my parents won’t let me go to parties after dances. I want to go and i’m strong in my faith what should i do to show them i’m ready
• How do you tell parents who are closer to parole officers than parents to let you have more freedom?
• my parent smokes marijuana he doesnt know i know but they incourage me not too..how can i confront them?
• if my dad is a football worshipper and lives for football but i want to quit, how do i tell him?
• how do parents feel about us having friends that do drugs/drink if i dont do it.
• I like a guy he’s a mormon…he has not tried to convert me…is it ok if I start dating him?
• I’m so close to graduating, but still have so many rules like I’m a kid. Why not let me grow up a bit?\
• I did something really bad, how do i start regaining the trust of my parents back… can u give me some action steps?

JG