• Books
  • Articles
  • Podcast
  • Kari
  • Speaking
  • Video & Press
  • Kari’s Viral Posts
  • Columns
  • Connect

Join Kari’s email list and enjoy free printables

Join 20,000+ parents now!

Dear Teens, You’ll Make Mistakes–But What Will Your Recovery Be?

Posted by dataperk on August 31, 2020

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Subscribe to Blog via Email.

0 Comments

  • Kari on Instagram

    Happy Golden Birthday to my Marie Claire, born 19 Happy Golden Birthday to my Marie Claire, born 19 years ago today!! 🎂 From the beginning, she’s been a joy, and as the funny bone of our family, she is the one we look to for laughter, entertainment, peace, and calm. Marie Claire, you are kind, compassionate, smart, joyful, intuitive, chill, content, and beautiful inside and out. I love being your mom, and your daddy and I are so proud of the young woman you’ve become. May your last year as a teenager be your best one yet!!! Always stay close to God and never lose that little girl inside of you who was always pulling pranks, laughing hysterically, and dancing around the house. You are a GIFT to your family and friends, and we love you more than you’ll ever know!!!
    It’s a good day in Tuscaloosa when cigar smoke f It’s a good day in Tuscaloosa when cigar smoke fills up Bryant-Denny Stadium. Proud of our team!! Roll Tide!
    A fun Friday night for Camille and Harry, getting A fun Friday night for Camille and Harry, getting to escort his baby girl at Mountain Brook’s 2025 Homecoming.💛💚 Congrats to our amazing queen, Polly Albritton, and all the girls on hoco court. It was a terrific group of girls and parents, and we will treasure these memories forever. Thank you to everyone who made this week special!!! Also, on a side note, I’ve gotten lots of messages asking where we found our dresses. The struggle is real! We found Camille’s silver dress (from the dance Wednesday night) and this pink dress at @effieshomewood. Highly recommend!!! My friend @paigebandrews has found me multiple dresses that I wouldn’t have even tried, yet they were perfect. Effie’s also has a store in Tuscaloosa @effiesinc. Start early if you can…we found Camille’s silver dress in July while shopping for Rush outfits for Marie Claire. I’ve learned that when you see a dress you love, go ahead and get it. It will save you some stress down the road🤍
    What a fun day watching Camille and Hannah (one of What a fun day watching Camille and Hannah (one of her very best friends!) do 10th grade homecoming court together💚💛 Back in 2nd grade, when they did First Communion at church, we tried to force a friendship, but they were both so shy it didn’t work. Well, they found each other in middle school (last slide) and haven’t looked back since! We love you, Camille and Hannah, and we thank God for you two!
    First Mountain Brook Homecoming for Camille and th First Mountain Brook Homecoming for Camille and the sweetest 10th graders you’ll ever meet💚💛 My baby’s growing up and finally getting her turn after years of being dragged around and supporting her sisters on their big days. I love this class, what a joy to celebrate them!
    Guess who enjoys an awkward conversation even less Guess who enjoys an awkward conversation even less than you do? Your child! That’s why YOU must take the lead, because they won’t. My new book for moms covers this and more. Many have told me their favorite part is the “25 Talking Points for Hard Conversations” designed to help you be proactive. Comment READY and I’ll send you the link to #isyourdaughterreadybook. Also, as I say above, give yourself grace with this learning curve. You won’t nail it on your first try. Shout-out to you firstborns who are always the guinea pigs for your parents. There is great truth in the saying “The oldest child gets the best of the grandparenting and the worst of the parenting.”😅 It’s a miracle that you turn out as awesome as you do!!! #parenting #intentionalparenting #girlmom #parentingteens
    One thing I know about my readers is that you love One thing I know about my readers is that you love prayers 🙏🏻 And many of you have really enjoyed this prayer for a daughter that I shared last week on my Substack. This article is temporarily free, and if you comment PRAY, I’ll message you the link. Make sure you subscribe to my Substack to not miss a post. Paid subscribers can also access a printable of this prayer - as well as the archives, which now has categories for raising girls, raising boys, friendship, middle school, college, raising teens, dating & marriage, prayer & faith, motherhood, struggling kids, and printables. This makes it easy to find the topic you want when you want it❤️
    Have you ever wondered why so many young people ar Have you ever wondered why so many young people are scared to death to fail? Why they believe one misstep will ruin their life forever, or why anxiety, depression, and hopelessness have hit epidemic levels? Well, one reason is that the world expects perfection – and nothing less. There is no grace or room to be human, and from cancel culture to the mentality that you can never recover from a big mistake (or bring good from it through repentance), it’s all anti-Gospel. Thankfully, God’s ways and thoughts are higher. While He certainly sets a high bar, calling us to live like Jesus, He also knows we’ll miss the mark repeatedly. He’s aware that our rock-bottom moments open the door to his mercy. His kindness when we least deserve it (or expect it) helps turn us away from sin. It convicts us in life-changing ways. As Father Joseph Corpora says, “We think that we are saved when we get it right, when we stop sinning, when we become perfect. But the exact opposite is the truth. God saves us through our sins, through our imperfections, through our faults, through our failings, through our weaknesses. God saves us as sinners, not as saints.” Your child won’t learn about mercy from a merciless world, so teach at home. Share the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Emphasize God’s grace. Walk with them through a fallout. Admit your mistakes and tell them how God carried you through your darkest times. Criticize poor behavior or poor choices but not your child as a person. Ask them how they’d handle a situation if they could do it over. Most importantly, remind your child that who they’re BECOMING matters more than who they’ve been in the past. Through Jesus, we become new creations. Your response to your child’s mistakes can deepen your relationship or destroy it. Even when discipline is needed, you can present it in a way that builds hope and trust, taking your cues from a God who loves us unconditionally and gives all of us more than we deserve🤍 #loveherwellbook #parenting #motherhood #Sundaytruths
    My first trip to Austin was one to remember!! Very My first trip to Austin was one to remember!! Very grateful to @regentsschoolofaustin and Kirk and Shelia Avery for hosting me! The night event at @austinridgebible brought together 500 girls + moms. And the morning event at Regents introduced me to an amazing group of mothers and a school that is super-impressive through its classical Christian education. The motto of Regents is “A good man speaking well”, and essentially they help each student find their unique voice and articulate thoughts respectfully and logically. Every senior presents a thesis in front of a panel of judges…and heads into the real world knowing what they believe and why. Especially in this age of AI, where so much communication sounds generic and flat, these students will be well-equipped to lead and use their voices for good, thanks to the character and spiritual formation too. Also, fun fact, the morning carpool line at Regents is run by dads. They come before work, and it’s a way for them to serve. I can only imagine how much the kids enjoy seeing them! A huge thank you to everyone who joined us, and to Sheila Avery for being a most gracious host along with this team: Regents School of Austin, NCL, Austin Ridge, Katherine Jones, Angie Risher, Angela Gottschalk, Casey Martin, Sarah Garrison, Joelle Beisner, and Emily Anderson. I loved being with all of you!!
    Follow on Instagram

  • ©2025 Kari Kampakis. All Rights Reserved.
    Designed and Built by DataPerk

Join 20,000+ parents in my email community!

 

You’ll hear Kari’s news first + get meaningful content and printables.
Join now and receive 3 free downloads.

 

Sign me up!