Hello everyone, sorry to bump my old thread (I've not been on here for a while due to familly life being so hectic) but I thought I'd give an update as to what's been happening, hope nobody minds!

Well, it's been a difficult few months, but I think I've finally turned the corner with her.  I took peoples advice on board and took a long hard look at my relationship with my daughter and came to the conclusion (as people said on here) that the "balance of power" was completely the wrong way round.  I made it clear what I expected of her, and with the help of my church youth advisor we really seem to have made good progress.  She even went to see him on her own without me making her a couple of times!

She still sees the local muslim boy, but has admitted to me that he was never her "boyfriend" and that she had been deliberatly trying to wind me up over that.  She still has the odd late night out but is coming to church with me on Sundays, and no longer comes in smelling of cigarette smoke. I know she's not perfect, but for now that will do

So, good news overall, many thanks for all your prayers, they clearly worked!



Now, all I need to do now is stop my younger son playing his quite horrendous music so loudly, but I'll bore you all with that problem another time!

Well, that was (another) very trying weekend

I had told her she was grounded for the weekend, this was simply ignored, she stormed out on saturday lunchtime and didn't come home until late.

She refused to come to church with me on sunday, when I got back she had gone out again, and didn't come home until around 6pm.  She has refused to tell me who she was with.

Both times she came home she smelled of cigarette smoke

I'm at a loss as what to do.

I keep trying to put myself between her and that "burning log", but she keeps stepping round me.

I've tried to get her into various youth programs but she simply isn't interested, how can I make her see what she is doing is wrong?  I understand that she may want to be friends with people of other faiths, and while I am dubious of this (15 is still an age where she may be open to hearing things that will take her away from a christian path, no?) I understand that it's hard to avoid.  But viewing a muslim as her "boyfriend"?  That can't be right, surely?  Or is she just testing me?

And what about music, TV and every other temptation the world has to offer?  How can I protect her from them?

Hello everyone,

I've been reading these forums for a month or so and finally registered becuase I need advice, apologies if this is in the wrong forum, and more apologies for what might be a long winded first post.

I'm 32, and from the UK, and 2 beautiful children whom I love dearly.

However, it is one of my children that has brought me here for advice, specifically my eldest, who is 15.

I have alwasy tried to bring them up well, in accordance with good christian teaching, which as we all know can be extreemly hard in this day and age with all of the temptations that are placed in kids way, and I believe I did a good job in this.  But I've reached my wits end with her, as over the course of the last year I feel that I've begun to lose her, in spite of everything I do.  She is becoming more and more detached form me, listens to music that is quite frankly obscene (I try and prevent this but she simply gets copies from her friends) and is seemingly walking further and further away from a christian lifestyle with every step she takes.

The last straw is that she has become very close friends with a muslim boy at school, to the point where I think she views him as her "boyfriend".  I've let her know that this is unacceptable behaviour, but I know she is still seeing him at school.  I even think she may be doing this simply to try and "test" me, as I find it hard to believe she could have genuine feelings for a muslim boy.

So, does anyone have any advice to give, or has anyone been in a similar situation?  My faith is strong and absolute, but a teenage girl can surely test the strongest of believers!

Bea