It’s common around the world for children to be brought up with the faith of their parents and their extended family. While this is a standard practice for many people, it doesn’t mean it’s without its challenges, and a huge one can be if a teenager begins to question or reject their family’s religion. This can be painful for all involved, so here is some advice to help navigate this.
Don’t Let Any Anger Show
For many religious people, their faith matters a great deal to them. Therefore it’s understandable that your first response to this challenging situation may be frustration and anger. However, allowing these negative emotions to show through will not help and will likely make things worse. No matter how upset you may feel, try to act in ways that don’t put further distance between the two of you.
Consider Reasons Why
As with most disagreements with people, it’s a good idea to try to understand the situation from their perspective. It could well be that this is simply a phase and a way for them to express their teenage rebellious spirit. It also could be a response to feeling alienated by certain aspects of the faith, or general feelings of frustration and lack of autonomy.
Continue to Have an Open Discussion
Following on from the above point, it may be the best idea to ask them about their thoughts and feelings on this. Remember to be respectful and sensitive, and try to hear their opinions with a neutral approach. Even if they can’t articulate any specific reasons, simply talking to them about it helps bridge feelings of distance and shows them they can talk to you about these matters.