Why Do Children and Teens Misbehave? (Part 2)

Because They Are Human and They Sin Too. Many parents prefer to blame themselves. They try to put themselves in the place of the individual sinner and take responsibility for their kids' wrongdoing. Proverbs 22: 15 states, "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child." The offspring of human parents misbehave because they are born with a sin nature. We short-circuit our children's growth and our parental authority when we refuse to let them take responsibility for their misdeeds.

Because They Learn from the Parents. Children misbehave because of parents' mistakes and bad example. Though just one of the reasons, children do show only in their misbehavior what they have learned or seen from their parents. Look closely. While the inclination to misbehave is inherent, the style or way of expression is very likely learned from Dad or Mom or both. Ouch!

Because They Are Exposed to Worldly Influences and Corruptions. Errant behavior and mistakes will be made by our children because of the reality of the world we live in. The world teaches and exposes our kids to wrong values on a daily basis. It's natural for parents to be upset when children make wrong choices. But then, children won't learn the consequences of their mistakes and choices if parents "refuse" to let learning happen. Many kids learn life's lessons the hard way - and they may only be learned from failures, mistakes, and struggles.