Parents have a lot of influence over their teenagers. One of the biggest areas of influence is their religion and religious practices.
Teenagers and their parents have a lot in common. A new Pew Research Center survey finds 44% of American teens say they go to religious services at least once a month, almost exactly the same as their parents or guardians who say they do. Pew finds if the parents don't worship, their children don't tend to either.
Jonathan Saenz is the President of the nonprofit Texas Values, which promotes faith, family, and freedom.
“We have an important role as parents and responsibility. We hope that the things that we teach our children, the values and principles that are timeless will carry on to them. Often times they do, and that continues to be important to them,” Saenz said.
However, Pew says many teens only attend because of their parents, or at their parent’s behest. They tend to be less religious in private.
Saenz says that’s why parents’ instilling values early is so important, so those values will be adopted personally by the child.