One of the greatest challenges a parent can face is an adult child who rejects the values they were taught growing up. It’s tough to watch a child turn away from honesty, kindness and good character in favor of lies, selfishness and unwise choices. You may even wonder where you went wrong as a parent. Let me encourage you with a few ideas:
The first is to recognize that your child’s decisions are not your fault, at least not entirely. None of us are perfect, of course, which means our parenting influence is always a mixture of good and bad. We have to own our mistakes, but we also have to remember that our children are individuals. Ultimately, they’re accountable for their own decisions.
The second thing to remember is that the book of your child’s life isn’t done being written yet. Don’t assume that their propensity to act unwisely will never change. You can’t know what the future holds, but even bad mistakes can eventually transform into greater maturity and humility.
Above all, remember that good parenting is a probability not a promise. There are no guarantees. Even Adam and Eve chose unwisely. Keep moving forward and pray that your adult child experiences a change of heart and returns to the values you taught them throughout childhood.
If you’d like to speak about your situation with a counselor, give Focus on the Family a call at 1-800-A-FAMILY.