Parenting From The Source

Johnny Cash sang “A Boy Named Sue,” a ballad about a man who grew up tough because he was teased for having a girl’s name. Ima Hogg and Redd Rose surely suffered their share of teasing about their names. What were their parents thinking? Choosing a name for your baby is important. Consider the following [...]

God’s Word says, “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. (Exodus 20:12). If we are divorced, we can’t just ignore that commandment because we don’t like the father or mother of our children. There are three things we can do to make divorce easier for the [...]

Because our culture stresses equality, we forget to teach our children respect for elders. In public schools, there’s a decline in the respect kids show their teachers which may mirror disrespect for parents. Respect naturally flows from honoring the wisdom of older people. The Israelites were taught to honor their elders:  “Rise up in the [...]

Use Story of Noah’s Ark to Talk to Teen When talking to your teen son about peer pressure, read the story of Noah and his family. (Genesis 6-8) Then, say to your son, “Think about having to build an ark on the high plains of Texas, an area much like the Holy land. How do [...]

I had friends who celebrated their seventy-third wedding anniversary. Listening to them talk about their life together reminded me of the old adage that the best thing a father can do for his children is love their mother. A New Baby Is the Center of Attention When a new baby enters a family, it’s easy [...]

Recently, someone compared life to a football game. Teams often put extra effort into the second half to reach the goal of winning.  He said many people, after reaching the midpoint in life, redouble their efforts to leave a legacy.  It shouldn’t be the concern of that generation alone. Looking back, I know I could [...]

Do we punish our children, or do we discipline them? Or, do we do both? I hear the words used in interchangeably. “Punish” comes from the root word punier meaning to inflict penalty or pain for an offense. Both “discipline” and “disciple” come from the root word discere which means to learn. Christ’s disciples learned from him and [...]

The Marines made the news this week for reasons less than honorable. I have a high opinion of Marines. They embody the best of the best. This week four of them (actually five since someone took the video) did something less than honorable. There will be consequences that leave a lasting mark on these young [...]

Communication can be difficult between teens and their parents.  How do we correct without angering?  Suppose that your daughter breaks a family rule.  Without calling, she arrives home an hour past curfew. You’re worried and angry – worried that something happened to her and angry that she is disregarding your curfew.  Because emotions are involved, [...]

Lack of respect, violence, casual sex, no work ethic, irresponsibility – these are the words I hear from frustrated parents as they talk about teens. The pain is real for parents dealing with one of these issues. Fear paralyzes those who have not yet experienced a teen crisis, but see the possibility lurking around the [...]