Resource Highlight: Parenting Adventure

Within the last couple of years, LifeWay Research has identified that most American families are raising their children based on their own personal experiences.  The Bible? Sitting on the shelf to collect dust.  Moms and dads are struggling with the idea of raising kids for a meaningful lifetime with God. What if we turned the tide and focused our efforts to push kids toward true greatness?

I highly recommend The Parent Adventure by Rodney and Selma Wilson. The study is full of research and lays out a simple but profound biblical approach to raising kids.  Another valuable piece to this study, besides the research and parenting challenge, is a church challenge which lays out a plan to partner with parents in the spiritual formation of their children. Check out the Podcast with the authors!

The Parent Challenge: Parenting can be fulfilling and frustrating. Parents find great joy in their children, but they also want to improve their parenting skills, to do their best in raising their children.  Let’s go to God’s Word for the truth in parenting which offers clear principles that all parents can apply in their own parenting adventure. 

The Church Challenge: Parents are responsible for the faith development of their children, but that is not a role we as parents have to do on our own. churches have the privilege and opportunity to partner with parents in spiritual formation. When churches equip parents, those parents are better prepared in turn, to teach their children. Leaders, let’s start taking a deeper dive into the relationship between the home and church.

Research: Dads, Be Proactive!

Interesting new study shows that teenagers whose fathers are more involved in their lives are less likely to engage in risky sexual activities such as unprotected sex.  The more attentive the dad — and the more he knows about his teenage child’s friends — the bigger the impact on the teen’s sexual behavior, researchers found. While an involved mother can also help stave off a teen’s sexual activity, dads have twice the influence.

Rebekah Levine Coley, the studies lead author and an associate professor at Boston College said “It could be because it’s less expected for fathers to be so involved, so it packs more punch when they are.”

MSNBC has the full article on Devoted dads being the key to reducing risky teen sex.

Anger – 1 letter away from Danger

I can remember vividly as a child watching my parents handle anger in several situations.  It wasn’t until recently that I noticed how similar my approach to anger is to my parents. It makes perfect sense.  Kids emulate their parents.

Modeling healthy behavior is very important because your kids are watching how you handle your anger.  It won’t be too long before they start emulating it.  Parents who display positive changes toward their own anger will soon see their children improve how they handle their personal anger.  Guide your child through anger episodes: listen, take their feelings seriously, and help them deal with the issues and find a resolution.  Parents have the final word on what will be done, but the child should recognize that you think their feelings and thoughts are important. A positive model, unconditional love, and non condemning instruction are powerful approaches to teaching your children positive anger management.

 “In your anger do not sin” Ephesians 4:26a

Protecting Children from Internet Predators

How do I protect my child from Internet predators? Is it okay for him/her to surf the Internet unsupervised?

Great answer by Kevin Leman… click here –> teens and the internet