Parenting From The Source

Bible stories speak to each person at his or her developmental level. By the time my grandson was two years old, he wanted my daughter to read his Bible story book more than all his other books. His interest made me think about the power of Bible stories. How wonderful that God inspired those events [...]

Respect for authority is becoming an old-fashioned behavior. I recently overheard a boy about five years old say to his mother, “If you don’t let me have that, I’ll slap your face.” Working in the school system, I watched societal changes evidenced in the way young people speak to their parents and people in authority. [...]

“HUGE Victory! The ABC series “GCB,” which is known for its controversial title and nasty portrayal of Christians, has been canceled!” This is the opening sentence in an article about the success of a campaign by One Million Moms to get the show canceled. Together We Can Make an Impact Their success is proof that [...]

Biblical stewardship is something we want our children to learn. (For more on teaching stewardship, see Allowance and Stewardship.) Perhaps more than any other area, children watch their parents closely to see how they handle money. We Must Be Living Examples To teach Biblical stewardship, we must follow these principles in our own lives. Our [...]

Jesus said, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:19-20. Christ’s final words are our marching orders, our commission from our King. Teach the Great Commission [...]

When we let the culture raise our children, the result is casual sex, substance abuse, eating disorders, truancy, failing grades, and lack of respect for authority. Since the problem grows each year, what will the next generation of teens face? Because it is so enticing and easy to set aside Biblical truths to answer the [...]

“Should I give my kids an allowance?” This is a question frequently asked by parents of children and teens. Teaching money management is part of what we do for our children, and an allowance is a tool for those lessons. Allowance for a Preschooler Let’s begin with a preschooler. Give your child a certain amount [...]

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 [...]

To teach spiritual lessons, the first step is establishing good communication. The second step is good teaching based on open discussion and godly instruction. Good Communication Techniques Suppose you know and use the techniques of good communication: responses that empower rather than shut down, pauses in the conversation to set the pace, the right tone [...]

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 [...]