I'm delighted to have none other than my own brother and sister-in-law on the blog for today's teen-themed post! Colin and Carol have two boys (aged 17 and nearly 16), and are my go-to for … [Read more...] about SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRITUALITY: 6 WAYS TO ESTABLISH A CONSISTENT BIBLE MESSAGE FOR YOUTH
Parenting
Parenting is such a challenging role! And there are so many people telling us how we should do it.
I am not one of those people. But I hope that by sharing my own - often highly flawed - experiences, I can offer reassurance and empathy to others going through similar challenges.
CHRISTIAN PUBERTY EDUCATION: TALKING TO OUR TEENAGERS ABOUT SEX, RELATIONSHIPS AND THE BIBLE
This week, we're focusing on raising teenagers, with a new post each day. We've looked at communication, and what happens if our teens go off track, and today we're looking at - well, we couldn't really ignore it, could we? - how we teach our teens about sex, relationships and what the … [Read more...] about CHRISTIAN PUBERTY EDUCATION: TALKING TO OUR TEENAGERS ABOUT SEX, RELATIONSHIPS AND THE BIBLE
WHEN FLEDGLINGS FLOP: WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR TEENAGER IS OUT OF CONTROL
Every day this week I'm focusing on raising teenagers, and today I'm delighted to have fellow author Gail Gritts join us. Gail is a mum of 5 - now all grown-up - and has a powerful testimony of how two of her children hit rock-bottom. Read on... When the mother bird pushes her fledglings out of the … [Read more...] about WHEN FLEDGLINGS FLOP: WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR TEENAGER IS OUT OF CONTROL
HOW TO TALK TO TEENAGERS (AND HOW TO GET YOUR TEENAGER TO TALK TO YOU)
This week on the blog we're focusing on raising teenagers, so I'm thrilled that writer and editor Nicki Copeland has joined us today to talk about that biggie: communication. How do we talk to our teenagers effectively? And how can we get them to talk to us? Over to … [Read more...] about HOW TO TALK TO TEENAGERS (AND HOW TO GET YOUR TEENAGER TO TALK TO YOU)
PARENTING TEENAGERS: WHERE DO I START?
This week on the blog we're talking teens - how to communicate with them, how to discuss the tricky issues, how to nurture their faith, and what to do if they go completely off the rails. Today I'm delighted to welcome freelance writer Ruth Leigh to share with us some encouragement as we embark upon … [Read more...] about PARENTING TEENAGERS: WHERE DO I START?
WHEN NATURAL CONSEQUENCES DON’T WORK (THREE EXAMPLES)
As an adoptive parent - and, you know, reasonably sensible, logical human being - I'm a big fan of natural consequences when it comes to behaviour management. This is simply allowing your child to reap the consequences of the action they've taken, with no/little additional input from you. You … [Read more...] about WHEN NATURAL CONSEQUENCES DON’T WORK (THREE EXAMPLES)
WHEN YOU CAN’T BE THE PARENT YOU DREAMT OF BEING: THERE IS HOPE
From the emails I've received from lots of you - as well as my own parenting experience - I know that many of our parenting struggles have, at their core, a root problem: We haven't met our own sky-high expectations. We went into parenthood with images and ideas … [Read more...] about WHEN YOU CAN’T BE THE PARENT YOU DREAMT OF BEING: THERE IS HOPE
A FAMILY ADVENT: TWO CHRISTIAN WRITERS SHARE THEIR FAMILY ADVENT TRADITIONS
My friend Amy Scott Robinson is one of the deepest, most poetic Christian storytellers and writers that I know. She's the author of the marvellous Gladstone Tales, the first of which I reviewed right here. And guess what? She and I have both released Advent books this year! … [Read more...] about A FAMILY ADVENT: TWO CHRISTIAN WRITERS SHARE THEIR FAMILY ADVENT TRADITIONS
CHRISTIANS AND HALLOWEEN: HOW CAN FAMILIES APPROACH HALLOWEEN WITH INTEGRITY?
Around this time of year, I start to get fidgety. Just as I'm starting to think about Christmas, Halloween goes and plonks itself right in the middle of autumn - something I'd rather ignore, but know that I can't. My kids start getting excited, then realise I'm not, then start to ask difficult … [Read more...] about CHRISTIANS AND HALLOWEEN: HOW CAN FAMILIES APPROACH HALLOWEEN WITH INTEGRITY?