Addiction begins with the hope that something ‘out there’ can instantly fill up the emptiness inside.” – Jean Kilbourne Do you think addiction can’t happen to your child? As a substance abuse counselor, I have seen many individuals from “good homes” with “good parents” who started down a bad path with drugs/alcohol during their teen years.…
There is so much information out there on how to parent—or how not to! The question we often ask ourselves is, “Are we doing enough?” I would dare say we’re doing too much. In my work with older teens (ages 16-19) and young adults (ages 20-26), I would say we could all use some assistance when it comes to…
Choosing right from wrong is difficult sometimes, even for adults. For children who are surrounded by kids at school and in their neighborhoods with different values from their own families, making the correct decisions can be extremely hard. But for households that are involved in a consistent faith-based teaching environment at church and at home, the biblical…
The sultry glances were brief, but often. With fluttering eyelashes and a slightly demure smile, there was no mistaking her intentions—to capture the attention of that handsome guy sitting nearby. A normal display of romancing? Absolutely! A common age for such conquest? Sometimes. The flirtatious female in the scenario above was only in fourth grade. Yes, true story. I…
I had a moment recently with one of my teenagers, but it wasn’t exactly one of those heart-warming talks that you see between parent and child on the Hallmark™ channel. We had this particular “convo” (aka “conversation” for those of us over 30) because there were some patterns I was seeing her demonstrate that I wanted…
Working with kids during the teen years is difficult for even the most patient and understanding parents. It’s simply a challenging time of development for this age group which makes communication vital but tough in most cases. So, what’s a parent to do when their teenager is going through an especially problematic phase? Set boundaries Communicating…
If you’re hoping for growth in more than vocabulary and math this school year in your kids, here are five areas where small shifts will create big differences. Car rides Conversations may normally happen face-to-face, but if you really want to get the words flowing, drive your kids somewhere and you’ll be amazed at what you learn. Either…
Every child goes through various stages in life when they explore, grow, and develop into who they are supposed to be. During this time, children are learning about themselves—their likes and dislikes—as well as their hopes and fears. But what if you begin seeing your child’s personality change to where her fears outweigh her hopes?…
Schooling options took a wild turn during the pandemic. Parents who never imagined homeschooling their children were suddenly forced into the learning curve to do just that. But whether you were thrust toward it or have considered it casually for a while, the question still remains if it’s the right choice for every family. For some parents, of…
As parents, we spend years training our children to be fully functioning adults by the time they’re ready to fly away from the comforts of their childhood home—aka “the nest.” At least, we think we should be guiding them toward this big event. But is this parent-to-child training time something of days gone by? Is it…