Youth Expert: The Biggest Mistake Parents of Teens Make
Every parent of a teenager knows the fear: your kid is pulling away, the conversations are getting shorter, and you wonder if you're slowly losing them. In this episode we sit down with Brandon Davis, a youth expert who spends around 80 hours a week with kids as the youth director at City Light Vegas, a regional Young Life director, and a former high school teacher. He's walked thousands of teenagers through the exact season your kids are in, and he names the single biggest mistake parents of teens make: correcting more than they connect.
If you're a Christian parent trying to raise kids who keep their faith, this conversation is for you. Brandon breaks down why most people who follow Jesus come to faith before age 18 and why that number collapses after their twenties, what to do when your teen doesn't want to go to church, and how to bring church into your home when you can't get them through the doors. We talk about being a leader to your kids instead of just a friend, why connection has to come before correction, and what a dad leading the faith at home actually changes for a child's future.
Jason and Malia also open up about their own discipline that was quietly disconnecting them from one of their boys, and how they course-corrected. This is an honest look at teenage rebellion, faith, and the long game of parenting, from someone who sees what happens behind the scenes in families every single day.
Brandon is also a kingdom entrepreneur. He founded Ash Clothing, a Christ-centered streetwear brand built to help people wear their faith in a way that points back to God. Give him a follow and check out the brand below.
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Intro
02:04 Meet Brandon Davis
03:41 Why youth ministry matters
06:36 Teaching teens vs mentoring teens
08:03 What Young Life is
12:08 Why families feel safer outside church walls
16:54 Building trust with teenagers
18:25 The power of showing up consistently
24:41 The biggest mistake parents make with teens
25:26 What teens really need from parents
28:19 Connect before you correct
31:25 Teens need leaders, not just friends
34:07 God-centered homes and family contrast
36:09 Honest conversations with your kids
38:15 When kids do not want church
40:02 Letting your child choose faith
42:46 When your child walks away from faith
44:52 God is not done with their story
46:52 Faith, business, and setting culture
52:29 Being the Bible someone reads
54:27 Staying present as a busy parent
58:14 A simple habit for more peace at home
01:00:00 Closing
CONNECT WITH US
Instagram: @ourhouse.faith
Take our free 4-minute family Faith Talk assessment: https://ourhouse.faith/assessment
FOLLOW BRANDON
Instagram: @brandondavis8
Clothing brand: Ash Clothing (Christ-centered streetwear)
https://ashclothing.co/
https://www.instagram.com/ashclothing.co/
As for our house, we will serve the Lord.
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