Parenting Resources for your survival needs
Authentic Faith
Technological Responsibility
Empowering Parents
Technological Responsibility
Here’s some great perspective for TODAY.
Don’t Miss the Moment | Technology Tip for Parents with Jon Acuff – Parent Cue (theparentcue.org)
Here’s some great perspective for the future. Raising kids with technological responsibility is a marathon, not a sprint.
PCL 11: Technology Through The Phases – Parent Cue (theparentcue.org)
Make screen time wholesome! Downloading this app is good place to start.
The Jesus Storybook Bible is full of quality stories, so the time spent on screen is also speaking to young hearts. Try searching for video recordings like this one when your kids need to be on a screen. The Jesus Storybook Bible Vol #3 on Vimeo
Our friends at Parent Cue have great content about navigating technology with your kids. Here are some good places to start.
PCL 93: When is the Right Time to Give My Kid a Cell Phone? – Parent Cue (theparentcue.org)
Sometimes this age group can feel that it’s easier to connect online than in person. A great way to bring balance between online and in person connection is to ask questions that help you understand who they are and what they like.
- What’s the most fun you’ve ever had with family?
- What’s the grossest milkshake flavor you could make?
Check out this great website to get the inside scoop from experts. You’ll find reviews of books, movies, apps and games to see if they are appropriate for your children. Visit Common Sense Media
As your student gets around this age (10-11 years old) they might have: computer, tablet, cell phone and/or video game system.
We have found this helpful tool that allows you to create a Family Media Plan for your children! This will allow you to set rules and boundaries regarding where it can be used, how much time is spent on it and limitations of what sites they can be on. We hope this will give you a great outline to use in your household!
This resource will give you age-based media reviews for parents for games, apps, books, tv shows and movies. This resource also provides some alternatives that are age appropriate for your child!
As your student uses technology, it is important to have frequent conversations about what they are doing and what they have seen online.
This document from the Cyberbullying Research Center outlines questions that you should ask your children. They range from general tech use, cyberbullying, sexting, safe technology use, etc. We hope these questions will help you have open communication about technology in your family!
Questions Parents Should ask about Technology
Our friends at Parent Cue had a discussion about technology through the phases of your children’s life and how to raise technologically responsible kids! We hope this podcast can give you some insight and direction for your kids.
Technology Through The Phases Podcast
When it comes to High School, technology is a part of their social life and there is no way avoiding it! Our friends at Parent Cue have written article about the 8 do’s and don’ts of interacting with this age group on social media to help you navigate this next phase of their life!
8 Do’s and Don’ts for Interacting with High Schoolers on Social Media
There are so many social media apps that your teen uses that it sometimes can be overwhelming on what you need to look out for when it comes to them using a certain app. Connect Safely has made parent guides for popular social media apps that they may have on their phone (Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat). They also have guides about cyberbullying and cyber security.
Sexual Integrity
Yes, sexual integrity can be addressed with infants and toddlers! It all starts with getting to know your body and learning how it works. Having these types of interactions now, makes the more awkward conversations a little easier and more natural to have later. Here is a fun song to sing with your little ones to teach them about their bodies:
It’s not too early to talk to your kids about sexual integrity. At this age, you teach them about their bodies- how they are made and how to take care of them. This book gives you a resource to share with your preschoolers.
Talking to your kids about sexual integrity includes the truth of sex and where babies came from. Now’s the time to have that conversation. Here is a book to help you out:
As your child grows up, it is so important to have an open conversation with your child about healthy sexuality especially in a culture where there is so much they may see online or their friends might share with them. We want to help you with these conversations that can be uncomfortable! This book has expert advise on the questions you and your child may have around this topic with the goal to help your child make godly decisions when it comes to sexual integrity.
At this age, most likely your child has a cell phone and we want to help make sure that we can equip you the best way we can about becoming the go-to person to talk to about sex versus having them search on Google for answers. Jonathan Mckee wrote not only a book for parents but also a book for your child to read about why sex matters!
More Than Just the Talk: Becoming Your Kids’ Go-To Person about Sex
Sex Matters – A book for your teen to read!
At this age, your teens start getting into relationships and begin to create a digital footprint in social media. The conversation around sexual integrity continues to be important in this phase of their life! We have found a book on raising teens in a hyper-sexualized world. It covers what culture is saying to teens and pointing it back to what God says about sexual integrity. We hope this will help you guide the conversation with your teen!
Authentic Faith
Here’s a bible for kids that changes lives. Reading it aloud to your kids will build connection and lay a strong foundation for following Jesus. The Jesus Storybook Bible – Sally Lloyd-Jones (sallylloyd-jones.com)
Here’s a bible for kids that changes lives. Reading it aloud to your kids will build connection and lay a strong foundation for following Jesus. The Jesus Storybook Bible – Sally Lloyd-Jones (sallylloyd-jones.com)
Check out this Bible App for a fun way for your kids learn about and engage in God’s word.
Small conversations over time make a big difference.
Letting your kids watch you follow Jesus is the best kids ministry.
Here’s a conversation guide with easy tips on how to inspire authentic faith in your Elementary age kids. (#bereal We know the link title says Preschool, it DOES lead to Elementary.)
Growing with your child’s faith and making it an integral part of the household can be messy at times! Sometimes you may feel like you don’t know all of the answers, and that is okay! Parent Cue has written an article about it’s okay to not know all of the answers and has a podcast about how parents faith should be personal, not private! Your values will affect what your child’s values will become! Another resource is a book by Dr. Kara Powell all on sticky faith in the family.
Be Okay with saying I Don’t Know article
As parents you may ask, what are the things my kid needs to develop with their faith as they become a teenager? Parent Cue has laid out 7 tips to help you out with that!
7 Tips to Help Your Teenager Develop Faith Skills
Creating strong prayer habits as a family is a part of your teens faith journey! Here are some tips on how to best model that in your family!
It is known that as your teenager becomes a young adult, that they may fall out of their faith. As a parent you may wonder where do you go from there? Andy Stanley does a podcast with Parent Cue on how to help you navigate when they lose their faith in God.
What To Do When Your Kid Doesn’t Believe in God Anymore Podcast
There are so many resources out there that end at when your child graduates High School and doesn’t continue about how to be a part of their faith journey going in their young adult years. “Growing With” is a parent guide book that goes from age 13-29 giving advice based on research from over 100 families!
Healthy Habits
Without having to do a lifestyle 180, we can be purposeful in leading our kids through moments that already occur throughout the day!
Meal Time – Parent Cue (theparentcue.org)
Healthy habits at this age are learned by example. Here are some resources to guide you into being the best leader you can be. You got this.
2021 Mental Health Goals for Every Parent – Parent Cue (theparentcue.org)
Learn healthy habits from a pediatric nutritionist here!
Then check out her website for more resources: Jill Castle
Small steps in the right direction are the only way to sustain a healthy habit. Take a small step with your family and pat yourself on the back!
4 Ways to Fit Fitness Into Your Family in 2021 – Parent Cue (theparentcue.org)
Find more joy this year. Mental health is an important part of self care. Here are some tips for you AND your family!
Help Your Child (and Yourself) Find More Joy This Year
Five Ways to Cultivate Emotional Resilience in Your Kid or Teen
Fitness is so difficult during a pandemic and nutrition is a foundation of your child’s overall health! Here are some articles about how to integrate fitness into the household and nutrition tips for tweens!
Promoting Physical Activity as a Way of Life
Top 5 Nutrition Mistakes Every Tween Makes
If you are a parent and need additional support with a kid or teen struggling with anxiety or depression, consider the resource Seen: Healing Despair and Anxiety in Kids and Teens Through the Power of Connection.
As your Middle Schooler is going through the phases of puberty, not only do they change physically but they also change emotionally! Here are some tips on teaching good hygiene and how to help them manage their emotions through this phase of their life.
Healthy habits is not only about physical health but your teens mental health as well! Here is a podcast from Parent Cue with Dr. Chinwe Williams, a licensed professional counselor to help show you ways to recognize and address teen depression and suicide.
How to Recognize the Signs of Teen Depression and Suicide Podcast
Here are some indoor physical activities for your student to keep them active during winter and during a pandemic where they might not have that option at school!