How can parents help their preteens or ‘tweens’ on their road to adulthood? Children need to know what it means to be an adult with strong character and values. 12 Tasks will guide you on how to create a rite of passage for your emerging adult. The book tells the story of where 12 Tasks began 30 years ago among some families in Kenya. It traces the history and importance of rites of passage in traditional culture. Then it offers a clear how-to for designing your own version of 12 Tasks for your child – including ways to assess your child, choosing the tasks, completing and then celebrating at the end. 12 Tasks is not an easy journey, but it will help deepen your relationship as a parent with your child and it will help you guide your son or daughter in their transition toward adulthood.
This book was written by two fathers who are passionate about helping their children and grandchildren make a successful transition from being youth to being adults. 12 Tasks offers a personal and practical path for parents with the same passion to help their children on the journey to adulthood.
Meet the Authors
Jack Taylor
Learn more about Jack and his other books.
Shel Arensen
Learn more about Shel and his other books.
Check out our 12 Taskers blog for stories and experiences of parents who have done or are doing the 12 Tasks with their kids.
What if my Child has a Setback during 12 Tasks?
A lot of things can happen in the course of a year. Both for you and for your son or daughter. You can do your best to lay out a strategic plan for the 12 Tasks with one task a month or with a series of progressive challenges carefully spaced out. Then, something...
Running for Your Heart
My grandson Anderson and my son Richard just ran a half marathon in the heat of Portland for one of Anderson’s 12 tasks. Richard had tried to practice in Rwanda during his month-long teaching time there but he was clearly dragging as they passed the 12 mile mark....
In The Steps
A few days ago, I stood at the wailing wall in Jerusalem watching devout worshippers bobbing and chanting before the last known remnant of Herod’s Temple. Jews and Gentiles alike stood in this place and contemplated how faith ought to be expressed to gain approval...
The Mountains Around Us
I had to smile when I heard the young preacher from the prairies talk about his sense of coming into my area of the country. He had come from a place where you could see a dog running fifty miles away. Now, he stood gazing up at whitecapped peaks which tickled the...
Four Things for Grace-based Parenting
I am a fan of grace. There are times in my life when I knew that talking about grace wasn’t going to be enough. Grace is undeserved favor and nothing I could do in a given situation was going to change the way I’d blown it. I’ve needed grace with my wife, my...
Setting Traditions as a Family
We all have traditions. They may not look like anyone else’s but we have them. Whether it’s the Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years or Easter festivities – we know where we’re supposed to meet and what we’re supposed to do. One of our family traditions is to go camping...