Raising Teens in a Mixed Faith Family: Marriage on a Tightrope Podcast

Following up on our last discussion about communicating with believing family members, I again sat down with Kattie and Allan of the "Marriage on a Tightrope" podcast to talk about some of the challenges of raising teenagers in a mixed faith family.

Kattie and Allan expressed how some of their listeners (and they themselves) weren't sure what to say when their teenager pushed back against going to church because a parent may not attend regularly. The truth is that whether they are in a mixed faith family or not, teens are developing and pushing boundaries, so this is not unusual in all types of families.

One other idea I expressed is that when it comes to the faith practices of their children, parents need to decide together what is required of their teens. For example, in some mixed faith families, the children are required to attend church until they are 18 years old (after which they can decide for themselves). The important thing is that both parents' perspective be taken into consideration when creating this rule.

Overall, if you're a non-believing spouse, avoid imposing your own faith crisis onto your child. If asked about your beliefs (or lack of them), simple and short answers work best. And as a couple, you still have common values that bring you together that you can work to instill into your teens.

Listen to the conversation about for the full discussion.

Here is my article on modesty that was referenced in the conversation.