How To Encourage Your Child X Sarah Jakes Roberts & MaKenzie Roberts

In the delicate journey of parenting, fostering an environment of honesty and openness with your child is paramount. The key lies in maintaining an open dialogue that respects their individuality. By fostering a culture of honesty and acceptance, you empower them to navigate their own spiritual and moral journey, fostering a lifelong commitment to values that resonate with their authentic selves.

Watch the FULL “Raising Little Hearts with Ella & MaKenzie” episode on the Woman Evolve TV App. For audio-only, head over to iHeartRadio, Apple, Spotify, or Google Podcasts.

Give us some advice, though. Like, we’re parenting teenagers. Okay. The world is crazy.
The music is Tomo Sex, Tomo Drugs, is too much step going on out here in the world.
Y’all be taught my sex. Y’all be taught my drugs. Y’all be doing inappropriate.
Seeing inappropriate things all the time. I’m trying to keep you near the cross.
I’m trying to not project my trauma and fear of, like, oh my gosh, I got pregnant 14.
Now you’re 14. And trying to, like, make you pay for my mistakes.
Like, what is some advice that you can give to us parents out here who are trying to good parents for teenagers, but also trying to keep them in line.
Um, I’m gonna say it it depends because there’s different parents.
So, like, you know, I feel like a little bit of a helicopter parent say take a step back for a second because, you know, often you know, kids feel crowded and they need space to process things.
Depending on what kind of day they had at school, they’re not always in a mood to talk.
So don’t make them talk when they don’t wanna talk and just, you know, let them have time, just to decompress because if they’re explaining to you about their date, they still haven’t processed it themselves.
So, you know, just like, immediately jumping on and be like, oh, today. What are we doing?
How are you feeling? Like, that’s a lot at the same time.
I do that. I do that every every second you get in the car.
But it’s different when you do it because you’re prince. You’re big pookie. So it’s different.
It’s different than somebody’s parents out here. You know what I’m saying?
And also, I’m a very receptive child, so it’s completely different.
As for keeping them close to the cross, you gotta force them a little bit.
Basically, what I’m saying is try to encourage your child to make time for God.
Also, by doing that, you are kind of protecting them from the dangerous things out there.
One of my friends, like, been through a lot. Like, it was due at last this time last year.
It was it was drugs and everything. And now now they saved Faroo for real. So it can happen.
I’ve seen it. I’ve heard it. You know what I’m saying?
What do you think made the person change?
I think it was in many I think at a certain point, you get tired of waking up every single day, like, very depressed and sad.
I think that at a certain point, you’re like, oh my gosh, I’ve had enough of this, but I feel like I don’t have enough to go on But, you know, you gotta realize you gotta push through.
You gotta get closer to God.
You gotta be like, god, I know I know never talked to you, but I’m a really need your help.
I’m a really need your support. Man, go to your parents.
Uh, I know I really don’t talk to you about anything, but I’ve been struggling lately because and I didn’t wanna worry you.
But the truth is I’m going through a lot right now. You know?
Does it help you when sometimes, like, instead of telling you to go pray that I pray with you?
And, Anne, I’ve been trying this new thing where, like, I pray with you about the things that I would usually pray to God about you.
So, like, if I’m worried about your friendship circle or I’m worried about you, like, being focused, like, instead of me just being like, man, I’m a I’m a take that into my own prayer closet.
I’ve been trying to pray with you. Have you noticed that?
I have noticed that.