Unconditional love. God, our Heavenly Father, shows it to us as our example so we can show it to others, especially our children. It is the first thing I want my teens to remember. “I will always love you no matter what” is our family mantra.

Even when you are in trouble.

Even when I’m mad or disappointed.

In good times and bad times.

I will always love you.

That’s what I want my all my children to remember, but it’s especially important in the teen years. 

As we journey together creating lifelong memories in everyday moments I want to share with you thirty things I want my teens to remember. Of course, I want all of my children to remember these things, but they are particularly important for my teens in their last years home or in the youth group.  

I hope you’ll follow along and find something useful to share with your teens, whether they are your own children or teens in your youth group. Please feel free to comment and share how you have instilled this truth in your teens.  

We are in this together as brothers and sisters in Christ. Let’s encourage each other toward love and good deeds, and all the more as as day of Christ’s return draws ever nearer. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

1. I will always love you unconditionally. 

Recently, one of my teens has been spending way too much time chatting with a friend on social media. Like hours. During the school day. Late in the night. At the crack of dawn. When we confronted our daughter, one of her reasons for disobeying our screen time rules this way was that she needed a friend to talk to because, though she knew it wasn’t true, sometimes she felt like she wasn’t loved.

Friends, this broke my heart! Yes, with eight kids, homeschooling, and ministry, we stay busier than ever, but how did we neglect our young teen in a way that made her feel unloved?

So, we will go back to reminding our children, and especially our teens, of this truth more often. Even more importantly, I am searching for ways to more intentionally show my love. And you know how kids spell love, right? As always, it’s T-I-M-E. The one thing we can’t get more of and must use ever so wisely. The days are long but the years are short. (Read this post for one way we plan one-on-one time with each child.)

I want my teens to remember that as they go through these years of changing from children into independent young men and women, their daddy and I will still love them just as much as we love the little ones in our family. 

Of course, we show love differently to each child.

What teenager wants lip kisses, belly raspberries, and tickle attacks???  Yes, the little ones take a lot of time and attention, but we love our teenagers and always will. Even if they have bad attitudes and mood swings. Even if they rebel. Even if they make unwise or immoral choices. Even as a they become young adults with independent lives. 

I also unconditionally love the teens in my youth group at church.

At times, a teen has been hesitant to trust me with some problem or issue that he or she really wanted to talk to me about. I remind them (just as I have told them during Bible study class) that nothing they do will change my love for them or God’s love for them. Not even their darkest secret or greatest sin. That doesn’t mean I will condone their sin or agree with their decisions, but I will always love them.

Now, let’s put down our screens, hug our teenagers, and plan time on the calendar to intentionally make the most of these last years they will have in our homes and youth groups. I want the good, special lifelong memories we make to outshine the bad days, even through the sometimes tumultuous teen years. 

I want them to remember my love even though I fail to love them perfectly. Most of all, I want them to remember the perfect love of their Heavenly Father. (Matthew 7:11, 1 John 4:18)

How do you make sure your teens know your love is unconditional?

Please share your suggestions in the comments!