Teen suicide is on the rise and parents need to get engaged in the lives of their kids to know if they’re at risk.
Talking Points:
- Suicide is a growing problem among teens. It’s now the third leading cause of death among teenagers- girls attempt more but boys are more successful at it.
- The frontal lobe of the brain is the last to develop and it’s where we develop the ability to make decisions, assess risk and weigh the consequences of actions.
- If we want to know how our kids are really doing, start having meaningful conversations. We need to ask our teenagers how they feel about life and what’s going on with friends. Creating a trusting environment that invites our kids to talk with us in an open and honest way will help us to sense danger or concern. Proverbs 22:6
Discussion:
- Initial reactions to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- Why do you think suicide is on the rise among teenagers?
- How does understanding brain development give you insight into your teen?
- Have you seen any signs of depression or risk of suicide in your teen? Explain.
- On a scale from 1-10, how open do you think your teenager is with you right now? Explain. How can you improve as a parent?
- Read Proverbs 22:6. How can meaningful conversations help you to train up your kids? What are some topics you feel like you need to cover with them?
- Is there a step you need to take based on today’s topic?
