Helping your tweens derive their self-worth from God

Cultural influences can be a powerful factor in the way tweens define their worth. So reinforce that your child’s value should be grounded in God’s love.

Popularity vs. value

Encourage your tween to talk openly about how kids at school confuse popularity with a person’s worth.

• When teams are being picked at school, do you want to be picked first or last?
  
  
• What does being picked first mean? What does being picked last mean?
  
  
• Are you seen as more valuable to your teammates if you are picked first?
  
  
• Does being picked first make you more valuable as a person? Is it an indication of your popularity?
  
  
• What’s the difference between a person’s worth and her popularity?
  

Although everyone likes being popular, popularity is not the same as a person’s value.

The value of a person

• Is a person's worth determined by the opinions of others?
  
  
• Who created the standard for a person's worth?
  
  
• Why is human life valuable?
  

The value of life stems directly from the value God places on it. His great love for His people is reflected in His design, making humans in His image.

The value of my neighbour

• Why are you of value to God – because of what you do, who you know or what you have?
  
  
• Are you the only one who is uniquely special to God?
  
  
• God made human life valuable; how can you affirm the worth of people around you, such as classmates?

Encourage tweens to think of ways to value and encourage others.

Pray with your tweens: Ask God to help them find their value in Him and look for ways to affirm the worth of others.