ShareEmpowering Encouragement: The Power of Trusting Your Teen’s Journey
Parenting a teen can feel like an emotional rollercoaster. As they navigate the ups and downs of adolescence, it’s easy to feel the urge to fix things, to rush them through the tough moments, and to offer solutions to their problems. But what if the best thing we can do for our teens isn’t to solve their struggles but to trust your teen through them?
One of the most profound ways we can support our teens is through empowering encouragement—a form of support that isn’t about fixing, advising, or even making them feel better. Instead, it’s about believing in their ability to handle challenges and trust their process.
Empowering encouragement starts with having faith in your teen, even when their journey seems unclear. It’s about sending the message: “I believe in you. I trust you. I have confidence that you will get through this.” When you provide this type of encouragement, you are planting seeds of self-worth and resilience in your teen. You’re telling them that they don’t have to be perfect or have everything figured out—they just need to stay solution-focused and keep moving forward.
The Fine Line of Encouragement
It’s important to remember that empowering encouragement isn’t about dismissing their feelings or pushing them to move on too quickly. We’ve all been there—wanting to take the pain away, rushing our kids through their emotional struggles because we’re uncomfortable seeing them hurt. But the truth is, this can often come off as dismissive, making them feel like their emotions aren’t valid or that we’re just trying to make things better for ourselves, not for them.
Empowering encouragement requires us to sit in the discomfort with them. It means saying things like, “I know this is hard, and I trust that you’re going to get through it in your own way, at your own pace.” It’s not about pushing them to the finish line. It’s about walking alongside them, showing them that you trust their ability to navigate the difficult moments.
Encouragement With Evidence
One of the most powerful ways to offer empowering encouragement is to give your teen evidence of their strength and resilience. For example, if your teen is struggling with a breakup, you might say, “I see how heavy this feels for you right now, and I have faith that you’re going to get through this, just like you did last time you faced <insert real example here>.” This approach acknowledges their pain, while also reminding them of their past ability to overcome hardships.
Believing in Their Process
It’s normal for parents to want their teens to be confident and resilient. But how can they develop confidence if we, as their parents, don’t have faith in them? Empowering encouragement isn’t just about offering words of comfort—it’s about showing them, through our actions and our belief in them, that we trust their ability to figure things out.
When we stop trying to control the outcome and instead step back, we give our teens the space they need to learn and grow. And this trust is crucial for their development. By believing in their process, we show them that they are capable and worthy of handling their own challenges.
Final Thoughts
Empowering encouragement is about seeing your teen for who they are, recognizing their strength, and trusting their journey. It’s about sitting beside them in the hard moments, acknowledging their struggles, and offering support without the need to fix or solve.
As parents, it’s easy to get caught up in wanting to protect our teens from pain, but real growth happens when we allow them to move through their own experiences. So, next time you see your teen struggling, try offering this empowering message: “I believe in you. I trust you. You’ve got this.” And remember, your encouragement is a powerful tool in helping them realize their own potential.
From Joyful Courage Episode 547: Energetic encouragement for teens and tweens
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