E3 Parents » Parenting

Suggestions To Make your Family Time More Effective

Sam — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 14:11:44 +0000

Awesome post on how to make your family time more effective here.

Dads…

Sam — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 15:37:14 +0000

I came across this very short post today about how dads can make their words count. This has been an issue I’ve been thinking about and praying through on a personal level this week and wanted to pass the article along to you.

Dads, Five Ways to Make Your Words Count

Keeping Our Kids Safe on Mobile Devices

Sam — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 21:04:37 +0000

I wish I could personally hand this article to every parent of every teenager in America. Take a look here:

7 Tips to Keep Your Kids Safe on Mobile Devices

Moralistic Parenting

Sam — Sat, 28 May 2011 14:51:23 +0000

Excellent post here. I would say one of the biggest enemies of the Gospel is a parent who raises “good” kids instead of godly kids. Thoughts?

“99 Thoughts” Give-A-Way

Sam — Tue, 17 May 2011 18:39:10 +0000

This is a shorts, easy to read book with 99 simple, practical, biblical, thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for parents of teenagers. The topics include culture, media, communication, friends, spiritual issues, and many more! I’ve read this book and will definitely keep it within arms reach as a youth pastor and as a parent of a soon to be teenager.

If you are a parent of a teenager, I want to give you a copy of this book! And I want you to be able to give away a copy of this book to another parent you know who could use it.

Here’s how you can win both copies (one for you, one for a friend): Simply submit a comment on this blog post and share what is the most difficult thing about parenting teenagers for you. At noon on Thursday (central) one name from everybody who left a comment will be randomly selected using random.org. I will contact the winner via email on Thursday afternoon.

Becoming a Life Giving Parent

Sam — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 17:18:21 +0000

Some days I don’t read all the articles that come through my computer and find their way onto my screen. Actually, most days I just sort of skim them. But this one caught my eye because I know there are some people who give life and I know there are some people who suck life away. I hope I’m the kind of person who gives life. And after reading this article, I pray I’m the kind of parent who gives life to my kids. Definitely worth a read! What do you have built in to your life on a regular basis that energizes you and gives you life so that you can continually be giving life to your kids?

Parenting Daughters

Sam — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 18:39:24 +0000

If you have a daughter you really need to take a couple of minutes to read this. All I can say is “Wow!” This is right on and such a great encouragement and lesson for me as a dad of a daughter. I really love the idea of verbally saying that as a dad I am her pastor, her protector, and her provider. Seriously, go read it!

And if you have a son you ought to read it also! We need to teach our sons to become pastors, protectors, and providers for our daughters…for MY daughter!!!

How to Make Your Kids Hate Church

Sam — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 13:32:56 +0000

I came across this article titled “5 Ways to Make Your Kids Hate Church” over the weekend and shared it on Facebook, but it definitely is worth another post here on the blog. Please read and share with other parents you know. Share your thoughts here on the blog.

The 5 ways include:

1. Make sure your faith is only something you live out in public
2. Pray only in front of people
3. Focus on your morals
4. Give financially as long as it doesn’t impede your needs
5. Make church community a priority…as long as there is nothing else you want to do

The Songs Your Kids Are Listening To This Week

Sam — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 13:34:54 +0000

I’ve been a student of Youth Culture for a long time. One of the biggest arenas of youth culture is music. It doesn’t take a student of youth culture to figure this out. Just take a look at your teen’s Facebook page (and if your teen has a Facebook page, you need to have a Facebook page). Your teen and most, if not all, of their friends have been quoting popular song lyrics in their “status updates.” Music is not only a part of youth culture, it lead, shapes, and directs youth culture. And I promise you, your teen is not exempt. That’s why it’s so important for us as parents to be aware (and stay aware) of the music that is filling the ears, the minds, and the hearts of our kids.

This morning there was an article in my email inbox that didn’t surprise me…but definitely alarmed me. The article listed the current top ten songs played on Top 40 Radio. Take a look. This is the stuff that your kids are listening today!

We can’t extract our kids from youth culture. But we must talk openly and honestly with our kids about their world and lead them and teach them how to navigate their world using a biblical worldview. Yeah, it’s awkward (especially if you’ve never attempted this before). But it’s got to be done. Mom’s and Dad’s…it’s time to step up! You don’t have to be a biblical scholar. You just have to make sure you are growing closer to God personally, you are staying informed about what’s going on in youth culture, and you are talking to your kids regularly (without fighting with them or lecturing them).

Here’s a great place to make sure you are staying informed. And here’s a great place to keep up with the latest top 10 songs.

Preteen Rhythms

Sam — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 16:55:45 +0000

I’m halfway there with my daughter and I’m already a little nervous about the preteen years. This is a great article about how to respond to your changing preteen.