Parenting From The Source

Jesus, a master of communication, taught using parables. Prophets and teachers throughout our faith history also used stories to instruct. Stories are a great way to reach our children’s hearts and make our lessons memorable. Nathan Confronts David with a Story Nathan used a story to confront King David. (2 Samuel 12: 1-15) David had [...]

Communication with your teen fails or succeeds depending on how you respond to their words. Let’s look at how that works. Teens Whose Parents Who “Go Ballistic”  In my counseling office, students discussed a wide range of topics: pregnancy, drug use, failing grades, not making the varsity team, weight problems, eating disorders, and the list [...]

An important communication skill is the ability to pace the conversation so that it doesn’t become heated. An Example from the Bible There’s a story in the Gospel of John about the scribes and Pharisees trying to catch Jesus saying something they considered wrong. They brought an adulteress before him and said that the Law [...]

Communication is improved with kids when the parent acts like the adult: Being the Adult with Your Teen and when touch is used: Using Touch in Communication. Another important factor in communication is tone of voice. Loud and High Voices = Closed Ears In family discussions, the more sensitive the subject, the louder and higher voices can become. As pitch [...]

If our children trust us and know that we respect them, we have the groundwork for building good communication. For one way to develop trust and respect see Parenting from the Source: Communication The next step is building the necessary skills. Touch Is Our First Language of Communication Touch is a basic communication skill. It’s the [...]

Wouldn’t we all like to improve communication with our kids? I see children and parents whose battles make them view each other as the enemy. No amount of good communication skills will help until the relationship is right. And, a good relationship begins with the correct perspective. God Loans Us Our Children for a Short [...]

Four techniques will make effective communication with your kids more likely. A low voice I discovered that the quieter and lower my voice, the more likely my kids would listen to me. Kids in my counseling office told me they couldn’t stand it when their parents yelled at them. They used that amazing ability teens [...]

Teens are bigger, louder, and more persistent than toddlers, so how is it possible for a parent to outlast a teen’s rebellion? (See previous blog about persistence with toddlers: To Discipline, You Must Win the Face-Off.) The thing about teens is that they love to argue and to have the last word. The Alternative to Arguing [...]

First time obedience is a sometimes controversial subject, perhaps because it takes discipline on the part of parents to enforce it. Why First-time Obedience Is Important For reasons why it’s important, see my article in the Hale Center Insider.   http://www.sallyandterrywright.com/Story01-31-12_CAROLE_BELL_3REASONS.php. There’s another reason why it’s essential. If children have been trained to respond the first time [...]

I recently looked for an image on one of the stock image websites that would portray a parent talking to a child. Interestingly, most of the ones I found pictured a mother bending over her child shaking a finger in his face. That’s not exactly what I had in mind. Why do we always think [...]