Parenting
Why Is A Teen So Easily Seduced?
by Jackie Kendall
Teens being seduced by Cyber predators is just a modern version of predators who have existed for centuries. These predators whether past or present capitalize on teens’ “love hunger.” These predators are acutely aware of the signs of a teen’s love hunger. Sadly, these predators often know the longing of a teen better than the parent of the teen. A teen’s soul hunger will allow this child to be easily seduced by any attention even when the one extending the “olive branch’ is the hand of a pervert.
It is so difficult to get parents to SLOW DOWN ENOUGH to notice the “love hunger” in not only their teens but their tweens. Parents today are so busy making money to light candles before the idol of mammon that their children are being seduced right under their distracted noses. While parents are so distracted making a living, the predator enters the life of their teen with an irresistible quality of “time, attention, and care.”
There are apps that are available to help parents keep track of who is “extending attention” to their teen while they are too busy to notice. There are apps that help parents know when inappropriate material has invaded their teen’s arena. Yet so few parents take the TIME to invest their energy and a little money for a security system for one’s teen soul. Parents put security systems on their houses to guard their possession but neglect the guarding of invaluable souls they are called to shepherd.
Once our daughter asked why her girlfriends were so boy-crazy (6th graders) and immediately our 9th grade son said, “I know the answer!” Our son proceeded to explain to our daughter that these girls have ‘love hunger.” He explained that our daughter is so loved by two guys—her dad and older brother—and that her heart is full. These boy-crazy girls have love tanks that are just not filled. Predators know the difference when too often parents are clueless.
“A person who is full refuses honey, but even bitter food tastes sweet to the hungry.”(Prov. 27:7)
To protect our teens, we have to become students of our teens. Their lives and struggles are perfect tutorials to expand our knowledge of their hidden love hunger. A parent paying attention will be the parent hearing the alarm on their child’s security system and block a predator, who was thirsting to take advantage of your child’s hunger. The price of this security system is ultimately time and attention. Parents need to listen with their eyes and their ears. Ironically, parents are easily seduced by technology and so distracted, and this distraction is making withdrawals to the child’s love tank. Don’t fall for the phrase “quality time.” Quality time is only possible with quantity. Technology can be the thief of quantity time with our teens.
This is just some musing from a mother/grandmother who has lived seven decades and recognized the predator’s MO (Modus Operandi) even as a teenager.
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Visit Jackie Kendall online at her website https://www.jackiekendall.com/
