Your Emerging Adult Child

Senior Celebration Sunday (May 28th) marks another spiritual milestone for our church and some of our families. This event celebrates our high school seniors as they move into young adulthood.

We should celebrate these seniors for graduating high school and for entering a new phase of life full of new challenges and exciting possibilities. However, they still need guidance from their parents and a community of believers as they navigate this unfamiliar territory.

As parents, it's important to understand that you can no longer simply tell your emerging adult children what to do. They need you to show interest in their life, ask questions, and provide support without judgment. Although they may appear to be adults on the outside, their brains are still developing and won't be fully mature until their mid-20s. This is why they need their parents to guide their decision-making.

As parents of three adult children, my wife and I have learned to ask questions first and listen. Just like Phillip, who heard the Ethiopian reading the prophet Isaiah aloud and posed the question, "Do you understand what you're reading?" (Acts 8:26-30, CSB), our emerging adults need us to respond in love and be ready to ask questions that will help them grow as adults. The hope is that, like the Ethiopian, your emerging adult will be receptive to what is said and learn from wise counsel.