“I’m going to count to three, and if you don’t obey, you’re going to be in big trouble.” “If you don’t stop teasing your sister, you’re not going to get dessert for the next year.” “Why can’t they listen to me the first time? They only obey once I raise my voice.” Is...

"Parenting forward" (focusing on training more than correction) is a huge win for Christian parents. Last week, we talked about one of the best ways to do this: train your kids when they're NOT in trouble. Use those small, everyday moments to speak truth and life into...

Teach them diligently unto thy children… when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way. -Deuteronomy 6:7 Many parents find themselves perpetually frustrated with their kids…  “Will they ever learn?”… “Why can’t they just listen?”… etc.  They're in...

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it. -Proverbs 22:6 Last week, we talked about the importance of training over just correction. It's interesting that the verse above doesn't say to correct a child in the way he...

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it. -Proverbs 22:6 I can remember a season when we had reached a point of parenting frustration… “This kid just won’t listen!” Ever feel completely stuck in your parenting? You’re...

Since my boys were young, they’ve all helped me mow lawns over the years. They’ve learned how to cut the grass, weed eat, clean out the mowers, and change the oil, etc. But when I asked my 15-year-old son to weed-eat recently, he said, “Sure, but I’ve never done that...

What if you could relationally protect your child with just one question? Many adults have what is called a “father wound” (and/or a mother wound). That is, a pain from their past that was caused by their parents, and often, specifically by their fathers.   A majority...

“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” Colossians 2:8 Religious noise is a real problem, and kids raised in church all their lives can easily fall prey to...

"She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness."  Proverbs 31:27 I’ve watched a lot of parents over the years, and one of the defining characteristics of godly parents, as opposed to just “good” or even “Christian” parents, can be...