Loving your Rebellious Child: A Survival Guide for Parents of Prodigals

By Norman H Wright

What to Do When Your Child Strays

It often begins with a phone call. It may be from a police officer, teacher, pastor, friend, or even from your son or daughter.

Whoever it is, they are telling you something you never wanted to hear, something that causes you to go weak with shock, disbelief, and dismay:

"I'm moving out, I can't stand you or your religion anymore."
"I'm pregnant."
"I'm living with my girlfriend."
"Mom, Dad, I'm gay."
"Your son has been arrested for selling drugs."

Such words shake the very foundations of a home and family. Everything you've worked for, prayed for, and sacrificed for has just crumbled. Where do you go from here?

Loving Your Rebellious Child is not a "how-to" quick fix for parents of prodigals; rather it reads more like a wise companion coming alongside to bear the pain, understand the struggle, and to offer insights gleaned from the kiln of experience.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Authentic Publishers
• Release date: Dec 10, 2013
• ISBN: 9781780782140

Norman H Wright

Dr. H. Norman Wright is one of America's most prominent Christian counselors. He is a licensed Marriage, Family and Child Therapist. Dr. Wright is a graduate of Westmont College, Fuller Theological Seminary (M.R.E.), Pepperdine University (M.A.). He has written numerous best-selling books on Communication, Family and Parenting. His titles include Communication: Key to Your Marriage; Always Daddy's Girl; Quiet Times for Couples; The Power of a Parent's Words and the Premarital Counseling Handbook. Dr. Wright is currently on the faculty of the Talbot School of Theology and was the former director of their Graduate Department of Marriage, Family and Child Counseling.

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Endnotes

CHAPTER 1

DO YOU HAVE A PRODIGAL?

It often begins with a phone call. It may be a police officer, teacher, pastor, friend, newspaper reporter, or even from your son or daughter. Whoever it is, they are telling you something you never wanted to hear, something that causes you to go weak with shock, disbelief and dismay:

Mom, Dad, I’m gay.

I’m pregnant.

I’m living with my girlfriend.

Your son has been arrested for selling coke.

I’m moving out. I can’t stand the restrictions here.

I’m dropping out of school. It’s a waste, and I won’t graduate anyway.

You daughter is in the hospital. She tried to take her life.

I was diagnosed with HIV.

I can’t stand this woman and the kids anymore. I’m gone. You can have them.

Such words shake the very foundation of a home and family. Everything you’ve worked for, prayed for, and sacrificed for has just crumbled.

It may be that the awareness of a problem came more gradually, like a hairline crack you can’t seem to patch spreading an inch at a time on the face of a dam, until finally the dam breaks and the water comes rushing in. Either way, the impact is so strong it numbs you, and then emotions rage. One moment the sky of your life is clear. The next, you feel as though you’re caught up in a tornado.

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Storms are like that. They often appear out of nowhere at the wrong time.

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And storms are not just inconvenient; they’re destructive. For some, life is never the same afterwards.

WHEN STORMS ARRIVE

Storms come in all kinds and intensities. In your life, the storm may be a dramatic one—a son or daughter running away, getting involved in drugs or alcohol, being sexually promiscuous, joining a cult, changing his or her sexual orientation, or a host of other behaviors. Or your cause for concerns may be more like a slow, steady rain, eroding the foundation you have so carefully laid for your child’s life—a persistent lack of effort at school, no desire to attend church functions, a preference for deadbeat friends. Either way, the result is the same—inside, you feel shattered. Listen to a few of the many parents that I interviewed as I researched this book:

And your struggles and pain intensify each day. Your response is likely similar to the response of other parents who have been in your shoes. My immediate reaction was to blank out. My emotions were blocked off and numbed due to shock…I blamed myself for failing as a parent. What did I do wrong? I blamed my husband for not being involved in family relationships…I also felt total helplessness. I didn’t have the maturity to go to church for help and support. I felt ashamed and hid from other friends, who didn’t have my problem. I was closed in. my family fought a lot and I cried a lot.

Our immediate reaction was heartache, crying and feeling as if we should wear some or all of the guilt. I particularly wore a lot of guilt for anything we might have done to alienate (our daughter) from the primary focus of Christianity in our home. I might add we have faithfully (I mean faithfully) tithed, gone to church (not church-hopped), served in our church, prayed, read our Bible daily, been faithful to each other, been consistent with our faith her entire life. But there were still times when we let her down. I recently at least had the chance to ask her to forgive us for many times that might have hurt her.

When I first heard him utter the words, For the past four years I’ve been living a gay lifestyle. I felt numb, sick to my stomach, and felt like I wanted to be anywhere but where I was. I tried to talk sense to him, but it was clear he wasn’t interested in anything I had to say. After the initial upheaval of the revelation, I did find myself reliving the past eighteen years of his life and asking myself, Where did I miss the signs? What did I do wrong? At first I couldn’t understand how this could be happening since I had raised all my children in the same way, with the same standards, values, etc.—all the things that were important to me—and one had strayed so far from the path!"

It’s like a roller coaster. First, I felt shock and disbelief. Then a terrible amount of guilt, followed by wanting to figure out how to fix the problem. Next, to release the problem and realize that it’s a problem for my son to solve. I’m available to my son for love and support. My son would improve for awhile—then there would be another phone call from the police. The emotional roller coaster would start all over again.

You’re a hurting parent. Buddy Scott describes well why you hurt:

You hurt…

because the children you love have turned toward self-destruction.

because your children stand in grotesque defiance against you.

because your mega contribution to the lives of your kids is not being appreciated by them.

You hurt…

because you feel like failures as parents.

because you are haunted by your thoughts, If only we had done this or done that.

because other parents—some with younger children or some fortunate enough not to have had severe problems with their teenagers—look at you like you are failures.

because you are frustrated from going behind your kids, cleaning up their messes.

because you have to mix with people at work, at community functions, or at church who know about your children’s problems.

because you wonder if you ought to give up your positions at church or in the community.

You hurt…

because you don’t know for sure how to help your children.

because you don’t know what to do or how to think.¹

Our many joyful experiences with our children produce a reservoir of fond memories. I often reflect on them, as you probably do. Remember those first days of school when your child came racing home to share his or her exciting discoveries? I do. I also remember watching our five-year-old daughter bait her own hook with a live anchovy on a deep-sea fishing boat, toss the bait into the water, and reel in her fish all by herself. That trip led to many experiences of hiking and boating with her throughout Montana and Wyoming.

I think of her final piano recital when she was in high school. She talked me into playing a duet with her for her last number. It was supposed to be a serious recital, but we soon destroyed that image. As we played, the music slid off the piano into our laps, and we couldn’t stop laughing until we concluded the piece. I’m glad that happened because the event is much more vivid in my memory than it would have been otherwise.

I also remember listening to Sheryl describe how she had invited Jesus Christ into her life and the joy I experienced over that. Perhaps you’ve had that experience with your child as well.

But entwined with those memories are the dreams you had for your child’s future. Playing dress-up and house made you envision a wedding day and grandchildren; good report cards conjured up images of doctors’ scrubs or suits and ties. Perhaps most poignant were the moments when your child’s voice rang out pure and high in the singing of a hymn or the praying of a prayer, and you saw his or her future as a committed child of God.

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When she tended that wounded bird, you wondered, Will she be a veterinarian? When he hit that home run, you thought, Maybe he’ll be an athlete!

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Every parent dreams about the future. The dreams may change from time to time as the parents become more aware of the unique qualities and characteristics of their child. But the dreams remain, continuing to involve the best for the child. The dreams usually include the child developing talents to the fullest, reflecting the parents’ Christian values, perhaps accomplishing what other parents’ children are unable to, and even fulfilling some of the unfulfilled dreams the parents had for themselves. But right now it may seem that those dreams are turning to dust, right before their eyes.

FACING THE WORD PRODIGAL

A prodigal. Not a pleasant term. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth and a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. It’s a label given to people who are wasteful. But it’s not just money they waste. It’s the value system you’ve been trying to instill. It’s their potential, their abilities, their health, perhaps even their lives. It’s upsetting to you, but in many cases, they really don’t care. When a child—whether a teen or an adult of any age—becomes a prodigal, dreams are tarnished. Sometimes they’re not just damaged, they’re shattered. Some are kept faintly alive like the smoldering coals of a fire; others die. It’s difficult to say which is hardest.

One writer offers us an insightful perspective on this particular subject:

Many parents see their children as extensions of themselves, or as their possessions, or as the fulfillment of their unfulfilled lives. These are all potentially destructive attitudes to have toward raising one’s children. All of those beliefs make children into little idols in one form or another. We idolize them. We hallow them and their achievements. We have to, because we have invested so much of ourselves in them. Such idolatry, created by unresolved grief, not only blocks grieving, but blocks the opportunity to discover our children as adults.

The central theological question is: Whom do our children belong to? For people of faith, the answer should be: God. Isn’t that what we acknowledge in infant baptism or dedication? God gives them to us as gifts. They are on loan. Our job is to raise them, teach them, love them and then launch them into the world, thereby returning them to God. They are with us only for a short time.²

Some parents create greater pain for themselves by failing to say goodbye to a dead or damaged dream. They keep trying to resurrect their original dream. They attempt to breathe new life into it, like giving CPR to a corpse.

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When a dream is damaged or has died, it, like any other loss in life, must be grieved over before you can move on.

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When a dream cannot be fulfilled or is mortally wounded, the only alternative is to create new dreams. This is what parents who survive the years of their child’s wandering have learned to do in order to survive as well as to resurrect hope.

I’ve dreamed many dreams that never came true

I’ve seen them vanish at dawn,

But I’ve realized enough of my dreams, thank God

To make me want to dream on.

I’ve prayed many prayers when no answer came,

Though I waited patient and long,

But answers have come to enough of my prayers

To make me keep praying on.

I’ve trusted many a friend who failed

And left me to weep alone;

But I’ve found enough of my friends true blue

To make me keep trusting on.

I’ve sown many seeds that fell by the way

For the birds to feed upon,

But I’ve held enough golden sheaves in my hands

To make me keep sowing on.

I’ve drained the cup of disappointment and pain

And gone many days without song;

But I’ve sipped enough nectar from the roses of life

To make me want to live on.

—Author Unknown

As willing as you may be to move on, the death of those dreams in which you have been so invested leaves you feeling abused and victimized. As one parent said, I feel like I’m going through a divorce, not with my spouse but with my seventeen-year-old. Our relationship has crumbled. He won’t even talk to us anymore, let alone accept anyone’s suggestions or help. And I’ve pretty well planned on burying all my hopes for him going to that Christian college. He won’t go to church anymore. He told me that he doesn’t even believe anymore. Maybe I ought to have a funeral service for the future! It sure looks dead to me!

Your child’s choices also end up controlling your life to some extent. It’s a struggle for every family, as these parents share…

I tried to keep my homosexual son’s actions from controlling my life, but at first it was difficult because the pain and loss were so great. I wanted to be available if he called, so I wanted to be home a lot. Then when I was out, I remember thinking, If these people only knew the pain I’m in, or sometimes I just wanted to shout out my grief to the world! My spouse wanted to move on with our life more than I wanted to and he was the one who suggested the house rearranging—I would have left (my son’s) room as it was for a little longer, till I worked through a bit more of my grief. But in retrospect I think it was the best thing to do because it kept me busy.

What our daughter did totally controlled our life. After my marriage broke up (not at all because of my daughter) my daughter lived with my mom and me. She then got pregnant, had the baby, and immediately started hanging out, doing drugs and staying out every night. Actually it started about ten months after my grandson was born. She was only sixteen years old and not at all ready to be a mom. Because of my grandson I put up with much more than I should have for fear she would try to take him out of my home. There was a lot of manipulation and control on her part because she knew I loved my grandson and wanted a safe home for him. Her behavior controlled all of our lives at the time.

Often I made poor choices to get on with life by filling the time with meaningless activity such as cleaning the already clean house or shopping for unnecessary things. For months I realized I was out of control, allowing pain to affect a lot of my decisions. If I was discouraged, I blamed my son, if I was sleepless it was because I was thinking or praying about my son…Although he was miles away, my moods and reactions were…colored by the memory of his words that I believed were cruel and unjustified. Temporary victory came when I heeded the faithful support from my prayer partner and husband who pointed me back to reality and helped me to get a grip on life. I must confess this was a battleground for me to try to remain stable, and not be disabled by depression and evasion of the issues by becoming exhausted.

Right now I feel that she in many ways is controlling our lives. We are all functioning in dissonance. Our ten-year-old is greatly affected. When the prodigal is around, tensions run high and he exhibits acting-out behaviors.

In some aspects our daughter’s reactions certainly controlled our family’s life. Vacations were tough. We literally could not trust her to be by herself; whenever we did probably 80 percent of the time we caught her in lies/bad activities—so if she wasn’t with us we were concerned. After a while you understand you can only do so much, and I basically said whatever she chooses to do, she’ll do, and worrying about it just won’t help. We talked openly with her sisters, if they felt like it—but they didn’t want to say much. I did not realize just how much our youngest was affected—I think it was significant, but I still don’t know why.

The author of Surviving the Prodigal Years describes the widespread impact of a prodigal’s behavior:

As the pain of the prodigal years increases, we find we are dealing with more than just our personal sense of guilt. As the load escalates, it sucks in other people. Both parents, whether they are currently married to each other or not, are snagged and flung into the angry sea of emotions. Siblings, the extended family, and friends are snared and left floundering, unrestrained for the shock of torn relationships.

The strain on the fabric of families can cause frayed edges and unraveled seams. We are so interwoven with one another than when one person rips away from the others, the continuity and strength of the family can be severely damaged.

We all react in our own way. Some withdraw, some turn to a friend, some become more united. People need to be extremely sensitive to the feelings, emotions and pain of the people around them. The prodigal years can cause parents and families to bond more tightly or to be ripped apart…

It can be easy to slip into depression, individually, as a couple, or even as a whole family. Having a prodigal child is very much like experiencing a death in the family. In fact, it is a type of death—the termination of family life as it was known.³

HOW FIRM SHOULD YOU BE?

You may feel a bit intimidated because you’re not sure what to do, either about your prodigal or about his or her impact on the rest of your family. You may also feel intimidated because you don’t agree with your partner on what to do.

Perhaps the scariest intimidation is the risk involved in demanding appropriate behavior. You may be afraid that your action might cause your children to:

•  run away

•  drop out of school

•  fail to graduate from high school and college

•  lose their jobs

•  talk against you to significant others

•  report you to child welfare for child abuse

•  turn further away from you and toward the wrong crowd

•  get deeper into drugs

•  get someone pregnant or get pregnant

•  and so forth…

Defiant and rebellious kids become aware of your dreadful anxieties and use them against you. They will sometimes grab hold of your fears and use them as tools of manipulation to further intimidate you. They threaten to make your worst fears come true if you continue to interfere in their lives. You may be left shivering in swamps of despair.

Abused parents can be benched by the anxieties that spew from intimidation.

Abused parents are often benched by anxiety attacks. You sometimes sit with your head in your hands bewildered about what to do. You feel powerless, confused and guilty.

It’s as if you have become an invalid parent. Just think of what the word invalid means: having become incapable of caring for oneself, sick. Another meaning of invalid is non-valid, not worth anything.⁴

You do feel immobilized. We know. We felt that way during the first few months our daughter was away from the Lord.

You may feel left in the dark, not even knowing what’s going on with your child. Part of you wants all the details, and part of you is afraid of hearing the worst. In one way we were fortunate, because the lines of communication between Sheryl and us were never cut off. We usually knew what was going on, but sometimes that intensified our pain, because it heightened our feelings of helplessness.

One of my most difficult tasks as a father and husband was having to tell my late wife, Joyce (who passed away in 2007), what was occurring with our daughter. Sheryl had made an appointment to see me at the end of my office hours one day, but I didn’t know that until I went out to the desk and glanced at my appointment book. I was surprised to see Sheryl’s name written in it. I went back into my office, and she was sitting there quietly, waiting for me.

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You feel torn between wanting to do something that will work and not wanting to do anything that will make the situation worse.

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I was puzzled about why she was there, and for the first few minutes, nothing significant seemed to transpire. But then she said, The reason I’m here, Daddy, is that I’ve never lied to you and Mother before, and I’m not going to now. I wanted to let you and Mother know that I’m living with my boyfriend.

We continued to talk calmly. I told her I appreciated her telling me directly so I wouldn’t hear about it from someone else. But already a sense of weight and dread was creeping through my emotions.

We parted, and I went outside, got in my car, and just sat there for a moment. Numbness from the shock settled in as I drove home. I relived the conversation a dozen times or more. Perhaps part of the reason I went through it so many times had to do with hope. I was hoping I would discover that it was all a bad dream, that it happened and it wasn’t true. And by rehashing it again and again, I was probably delaying what I knew was inevitable—having to tell Joyce.

I started to formulate and rehearse what I was going to say to her. I wanted to postpone or avoid it. I didn’t want to inflict what I knew would be an incredible amount of pain on her. But I couldn’t escape the inevitable. When I finally broke the news, I could see the impact it had on her, and I wished again that it weren’t true and that I didn’t have to be the one to tell her.

Joyce’s response, though, was different from what I had anticipated. The news confirmed where she felt Sheryl’s path had been leading. Rather than being stunned, Joyce was hurt and sad, because she knew such a lifestyle wouldn’t bring Sheryl happiness. Joyce also realized Sheryl had made a conscious decision to step out of God’s will, so she began to firmly pray against that choice.

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For the next four years, we felt as though we were in an emotional Death Valley.

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It was the most difficult time in our parenting role apart from the time, two years earlier, when we placed our retarded son, Matthew, in a home for the disabled. We seemed to go from one crisis to another. We experienced situations that we had heard of in the lives of other families but had never anticipated occurring in our own.

CAN THIS BE HAPPENING TO US?

Who would have thought that one of Sheryl’s fiancés would turn out to be a drug dealer and physical abuser? Or that she would have to move home because of a difficult situation with a roommate who was dealing drugs? At least that time we were able to take some action by reporting that person to the authorities.

Seldom did we have an opportunity to feel any sense of control. Despite the pain, we spent many enjoyable hours with Sheryl that gave us hope for our relationship. But overall it was a time of sadness, because we saw no indication that she might