May 27, 2026

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

Proverbs 4:23 

Suppose you go to a parenting conference and hear it said that you need to go beyond dealing with your kids’ misbehaviors and get to their hearts instead. How do we get to the hearts of our kids and why is this so important?  

We get to their hearts by pointing them in the good direction that we want them to go.  We get our kids/teens to focus on doing what is right instead of what is wrong, by elevating the good that we want them to use rather than focusing on the bad that we see in their behavior.  When parents are more occupied with calling out their child/teen’s negative behavior versus elevating good behavior, their bad behavior will be what they are focused on instead of their good.  When parents don’t encourage their kids to work on the good things they should do, kids don’t think about the good when making a decision and as a result these decisions cause moral confusion. 

What direction are we pointing our children to?  Pointing them to the good that you want to see in them takes a bit of planning on your part.  When you are pointing them to the good, you are getting them to be focused on the Godly character that is in their hearts. For example, if your children are fighting and arguing, don’t say, “Can’t you two stop fighting?” Try saying instead, “Can you two agree to share?”.  We started seeing a real difference in the attitudes and behaviors of our children when we made this switch in our parenting. 

What good thing should you be pointing your kids to? That depends on each child. Pick something that is a Godly character that they are weak in. It is unlikely it will be the same for each of your kids. I would pick one for each kid and plan to work on it for a month. I scheduled a non-negotiable time once a week with each kid for this heart-training. I planned a Bible story twice a month on the consequences of wrong behavior, like being harsh, and twice a month I chose one on the blessings of being compassionate and caring for others. How long did we keep pointing them to the character issue we had picked for each of them? We started with a month because we wanted it to become a habit, but we stayed with it until we saw victory in how they were handling it.

What makes a car go other than its tank being full of gas? You have to put it in gear. Think of one’s heart as the gearshift for life. The choices you make are a reflection of what’s in your heart. From the foundation in your heart comes the decisions you make, good or bad. This is why you want to give your attention to working with your child to understand that what he thinks and feels comes from the biblical teaching in his heart. 

“My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, 

for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you.

Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.

So, you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make straight your paths.”

Proverbs 3:1-7

Parenting Made Practical Podcasts

#23. Summer Time Fun

It’s summer and you and your kids want to kick back and have fun. Summer can also be a time to catch up on character training your kids need to develop. In this podcast we talk about teaching your kid things like developing personal time management, increasing their level of responsibility, and more. Scheduling in time to work with your kids on character training during the summer is a great thing for both you and your kids!

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Joey & Carla Link

May 20, 2026

School is getting out soon and for most of you, your kids will be home for the summer. Bickering, arguing, whining, complaining and so forth tend to be a part of every kid’s day, especially when they are with other kids, and even more so when these other kids are their siblings.

How do you get your kids to focus on living and speaking in good ways? We called it “elevating the good”. When one of our kids was being a negative instigator with his/her siblings, I (Carla) would call this child to me and say, “How can you elevate the good”? When I got a response like “I could share my toy with my sister”, I would say “Are you willing to do that?” If my child wasn’t willing to share, he/she got to sit and do nothing until they were.

Elevating the good is pointing your child in the direction you want him/her to go. 

Instead of saying, “Stop hitting your brother!” try, “Tell me one way you can be nice to your brother.” Pointing them to the ‘good’, is to get into the habit of saying the opposite of the wrong thing they are doing.

Instead of this:                                  

Stop running in the house!  

Try this: 

Please walk in the house, you can run outside.

Instead of this: 

Why can’t you do what I tell you to do?     

Try this:                                       

 I asked you to vacuum the family room. When will you get that done?

Instead of this: 

We are late again, why can’t you get your stuff done on time? 

Try this:  

 Make a list of all the things you need to do to get ready to leave the house in the morning. Write down how much time it will take to complete each thing on the list and add up all the times. That is how early you need to get up.

Look for the good your kids are doing and encourage them by telling them you saw it, and it made yours and God’s hearts smile. Be sure and tell Dad so he can praise them too. 

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, 

so that they may see your good works

and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Matthew 5:16

Parenting Made Practical Podcasts

#98 Celebrating the Good Your Kids Do

It’s one thing to have kids, it’s another to enjoy them, especially when you get frustrated with them. Learn to celebrate what makes each of your kids unique and the good that they do instead of always focusing on the bad.

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Joey & Carla Link

May 13, 2026

A family is at a theme park with lots of roller coasters and rides. The kids are so excited, as soon as they get through the front gate, they run off to their favorite ride or the first one they see. They might have talked about where they want to go first and headed there while dad is looking at the theme park map and mom is yelling the kids’ names to get them to come back to where their parents are. If the kids don’t come back, mom grabs dad and runs after them, trying to corral them or at least catch up to where the kids are. 

This is what these parents do all day long. They attempt to placate the child who is whining because he/she isn’t getting his own way, and as soon as they do that, another starts arguing that what they gave their sibling to quiet him down isn’t fair. Nothing was good enough for the kids.

Mom brought a picnic lunch because the food at the theme park was so expensive, but the kids wanted to eat park food. They all wanted a funnel cake, but when dad got 2 of them for everyone to share, that wasn’t good enough because they each wanted their own. On the drive home at the end of the day, mom and dad looked at each other exhausted as they listened to their kids argue about what movie to watch on the way home. They gave up intervening as they had been begging them to get along all day.

At what point parents, do you stop running interference for your children and begin training them? We are so focused on other things or pressing matters of the moment, we don’t take the time to teach our children. Placating them is much easier, or so we want to believe.

Many parents don’t like the word “train” when it comes to parenting, yet it fits because that is what we are supposed to be doing with our kids. Teaching them isn’t enough. That’s mostly just passing on information. Training is a lot more involved than this. It might surprise you to know we think the children in this family that went to the theme park were trained. They were trained to do whatever they wanted to do,

for as long as they wanted to do it until someone in authority intervened. 

What does biblical training look like? Training needs to start at home with teaching. ‘On-the-spot’ training is rarely successful. So we would not have advised these parents to demand their kids obey them at the theme park unless they obey them at home. If any or all of your kids do not do what you say the way you want it done at least 75% of the time at home, then we highly recommend stepping their obedience training up this summer.

Even if they obey you 50% of the time, a pre-activity warning will most likely work for them. A pre-activity warning is asking your kids questions about how they are supposed to act before you go somewhere. When our kids were growing up we used pre-activity warnings on our way to church, the store, the park and anywhere else we went.

 Pre-activity warnings are not times for lectures. You are getting them to remember the rules for themselves, not lecturing them after they have gotten into trouble. 

1. Ask questions. “We are on our way to church. What type of people do you look for in the hallways that you need to be extra-careful around?” (Elderly, disabled, mom with little kids) “What are you going to do if other kids are running around?” 
2. Pre-activity warnings work for young children too. When our young grandchildren are visiting, before we leave the house to go to the park nearby we ask them what the “Park Rules” are. They will tell us they must hold our hands until we tell them they can run and play. If they are riding their bikes they must stay on the sidewalk where we can see them and they can’t cross a street without our permission. Keep your rules simple.

Letting your kids know what your expectations are before an activity eliminates the need for correction and your kids get the blessing of praise and encouragement.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

                                                               Joshua 1:9

Parenting Made Practical Podcasts

“Reminders, Reminders – Why Am I Always Reminding My Kids?”   

Parents get frustrated when they follow their kids around reminding them over and over to get their stuff done. Learn how you can stop reminding your kids and get them to start thinking and remembering for themselves.

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May 6, 2026

When Carla and I are teaching at parenting conferences, there are times we talk about 

interdependent and dependent families, something we first learned in the Growing Kids God’s Way parenting class. Visualize the members of your family standing in a circle, holding hands with their backs to the inside of the circle. This is your independent family. Everyone’s focus is where their interests lie, not with each other. 

Imagine everyone in your family standing in a circle again, still holding hands but facing inward. This is what an interdependent family looks like. Everyone is focused on the needs of the family as a whole. The members of an interdependent family support each other, and make each other a priority. They realize no matter what, you have their backs and they will have yours. 

How do you build an interdependent family? It is called “Family Identity”. You don’t often hear “identity” used in this context. You are probably more familiar with words such as “family unity”, or “strong family”, but in this context we want you to think of “identity”, as in “family identity”. 

What do we mean by “identity”? An online dictionary says that it means “the unique set of characteristics that can be used to identify a person or group as themselves and no one else.” Think of the things that make your family uniquely special, like everyone in the family being characterized by being compassionate towards others.

Take family trips and plan activities where you build good memories that will help your kids withstand the worst of times. 

Both you and your kids alike will sacrifice things that will come up to have nights of playing games or making ice cream, going for a bike ride as a family, or for a walk. It is not any one of these types of things that identify you as a family. It is that which is developed between you as you do them. Unlike sitting on the couch and playing computer games, these activities promote talking to each other and you can learn to have conversations where you can disagree yet stay centered on the Biblical principles that guide your family. 

Talk around the dinner table instead of shoveling food down and running to do your own thing. Joey would often start the conversation by asking everyone to share the best thing that happened to them that day. As a family, decide on a character quality like compassion and come up with one way each month the next 3-4 months you will work on it, both individually and collectively. Talk about how each family member is doing well with using the character value you picked. By the end of 3 months, it should become a habit for all.

When parents are busy with their own activities, kids will find things to do without you. They don’t care if their friends have the same values and standards you have trained them in. If someone shows interest in them and is nice to them, that qualifies them as a good friend, regardless what their personal beliefs are. Parenting is a season of your life. When your kids are adults, you will crave time with them, so spend it with them now to build a trusting relationship that will stand the test of time. 

I (Joey) learned to play Frisbee golf when our son was a teenager because it was something he enjoyed doing. Although Carla would have preferred to scrapbook by herself, she invited both our daughters to scrapbook with her and encouraged them in their efforts. We found ways to do what our kids enjoyed doing and now we do the same with our grandkids. 

As parents, we have committed many sins that have offended our kids over the years. But we have found, aside from going through the Repentance, Forgiveness and Restoration process with them, the one antidote that can cover a multitude of parental sins and mistakes is to build a strong family identity with them. 

”So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 

Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, 

but understand what the Lord wants you to do.”

Ephesians 5:15-17 (NLT)

Parenting Made Practical Podcasts

10 Family Relationship Builders

Kids can grow distant and independent from their family aligning more with friends and technology than Mom and Dad or siblings. Learn how to change this trend and how to strengthen your family identity and unity.

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April 29, 2026

When our girls were in their teen years, they had to come up with a schedule for morning bathroom time. The problem was our oldest daughter had a bad habit of oversleeping and not getting into the bathroom on time, but she stayed in for the amount of time she thought she needed which bled into her sister’s time, who was then late getting her day started.

Daughter #1 didn’t get why Daughter #2 didn’t respect she needed the amount of time she signed up for and Daughter #2 didn’t get why Daughter #1 didn’t get up on time to allow herself enough time in the bathroom so Daughter #2 wouldn’t be late for school, especially when Daughter #1 was the one who set the bathroom times to begin with. Did you catch all that?!

I would deal with Daughter #1 first, then go in to talk to Daughter #2 because understandably, her attitude quickly went on a downhill slide as she was trying to get time in the bathroom. I told her that even when someone was not kind to us or didn’t treat us like we mattered, we still have to be kind in the way we treated them. I went on to tell her that none of us were great at doing this, but we had to keep trying, and in this case, it was to seek God’s pleasure, not be upset with her sister. In Ephesians 4:32 (ESV) it says, 

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

I asked her if it said, “Be kind to one another…as God in Christ forgave you, unless your sister is being selfish and unreasonable, then you are off the hook.” The way I read it, there are no exceptions. In answering her questions, I told her when we think of “good, better, and best”, when dealing with unreasonable people, finding just a “good” way to respond in kindness would do. By saying this, I was letting her know I understood how badly her sister had continued to hurt her by continually refusing to get out of the bathroom on time.

Back to Daughter #1. When one of our kids/teens was being selfish, we would privately ask him/her “Who are you thinking of right now?” They would say themselves. When we asked them who they should be thinking of right then and they would respond it was the one they were arguing with or being unkind to. We asked this child/teen if he/she was ready to make that right which was to apologize using the repentance, forgiveness and restoration process we often talk about in blogs. If the reply was “No”, he/she was told to go sit on his bed until he was. While he is sitting, encourage him to think of one way he can show this person he is willing to put their needs above his own.

If you are consistent with quick intervention when you can tell one of your kids is have a “me, me, me” day, you will find they will just as quickly hop to it and start showing kindness to each other. 

“Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought,

but rather, think of yourself with sober judgment.”

Romans 12:3

Parenting Made Practical Podcasts

#82 Teaching Kids to Make Kindness a Habit

Kindness can be abstract to kids, but if they don’t learn to be kind, kids become self-centered, arrogant, and selfish. This podcast talks about how to teach your kids to make kindness a habit without you having to remind them to be kind.

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April 22, 2026

One of our daughters was not doing her chores so they were completely done. Minimum effort would best describe her work. When checking them one time to see how well they were done, I (Carla) asked her, “Good, better, best, which one would you say described your work on your chores today?” She truthfully told me they weren’t even done “good”. 

She had heard us use the “Good, better, best” phrase before, but on this day, I took the time to talk to her about it. I asked her why it didn’t say, “not finished, fair, good, better, best”. She laughed and said because it didn’t rhyme. I told her I thought they didn’t add other words below the standard of “good” because “good” was the bare minimum of acceptable work. She thought about it for a minute then asked if that was why her dad and I didn’t accept any work that wasn’t at least “good”, and I agreed with that.

After this, I often would look at the work they did on chores or schoolwork and just say, “Good, better, best, which is this?” Or, I might ask them, “Good, better, best, what could you do to make your work look better than good?” 

I told both my girls the actual phrase was, “Never let it rest, until your good is better, and your better is best”. You can make up a song using these words for your young kids to sing as they do their chores. 

Using Grades to Help Your Kids Evaluate Themselves

When our kids were 8 yrs. and up, we would give them an assignment back after giving them a grade and ask them if they agreed with the grade given. They usually did. I recorded the grade I gave them, but asked them what they could do to bring the grade on their next assignment up a level. They always knew what they needed to do. 

It wasn’t their intellect that was the problem. They were all smart kids. It was their unwillingness to get the work done without being sloppy, or double checking their work, or asking for help that was the problem.

If they got an “A” on an assignment we praised them for putting forth their best effort. If they got a “B”, they had to re-do the problems or questions they got wrong. If they got a “c” or lower on an assignment, they had to re-do the entire assignment. We also graded them in the same way for their work on their chores. They also got graded for what their attitude was. The follow-up question of “What can you do to bring that grade up?” eliminated lectures from us.

These are two good ways to work with your kids to step it up and do their very best on the work you give them to do.

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”

Colossians 3:23

Understanding Freedoms, Pt. 1 & Pt. 2

This 2-part series talks about what the statement “With responsibility comes freedom” should look like in your home. Are you frustrated with your children because you are constantly reminding them to do the things they know they should do? In Part 1 of this presentation you will learn what to do when your children are not taking ownership of their behaviors in attitude and action.

Part 2 of this presentation looks at how to effectively train your children in the Repentance, Forgiveness, and Restoration process. This process will turn their hearts around.

Use code APRIL26 at checkout by 4/26/26 for $4 off the Understanding Freedoms Series

Parenting Made Practical Podcasts

#25. Kids and their Work Ethic

Having a good work ethic is to do a job you are given to do the way it is supposed to be done, with your best effort. Is this the way your kids/teens do their chores and schoolwork when they would rather be doing something else? Join Joey & Carla as they share how to teach your kids how to have a good work ethic and why it matters.

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April 15, 2026

How well do your kids think of what others want or need before they think of what pleases themselves? Do they ever offer to help around the house vs. hiding out in their rooms? Are they characterized by being patient and kind with their siblings instead of ignoring them? Do they show appreciation for what they get instead of getting angry when they don’t get their own way? Do they enjoy being with the family? 

If you asked your kids (7 yrs. and up) what the word “respect” means, what do you think they would say? To be respectful is to show that you think what others feel, think or want is important enough to put them before what you want. 

When we respect someone, we’re acknowledging their good qualities and actions, regardless of whether we agree with all their opinions and choices or not. When someone doesn’t think they need to respect the needs and wants of others, they are showing their heart is full of arrogant pride. They think they are better than others and definitely more important than anyone else.

Kids aren’t naturally respectful. We are all born with a nature that tells us to put ourselves first. That’s Satan’s way to live. It is up to you to teach your kids what respect is and why they should show it to others. The first why is that it is the way God wants us to live. Matthew 7:12 tells us to do to others what you want them to do to you. This is also called the Golden Rule. 

When we respect others and feel respected in return, we feel good about the relationships we have and the people we come into contact with. Respecting others means you accept them even when you don’t agree with them. Respecting others builds feelings of trust, safety, stability and security in others and yourself as well.

What do parents need to include when working with their kids to respect others? Start at home. Teach them to ask permission to play with a sibling’s toy, or go into a sibling’s room. Teach them that being thankful for what they have is an everyday thing and they should say it without you having to prompt them. Teach them to listen to what others say instead of talking over them.

Teach them making people wait for them is rude so when you tell them to put what they will need to take to school the next day by the door to do it. 

“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind 

let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; 

do not merely look out for your own personal interests, 

but also for the interests of others.”

Philippians 2:3-4

DEALING WITH SIBLING CONFLICT (2-Part Series) 

In Part 1 of this Mom’s Notes, the difference between sibling conflict and sibling rivalry is defined and how to recognize it is clearly outlined. Ways that parents, perhaps unintentionally, promote sibling rivalry are also discussed. In Part 2, ways that parents can deal with conflict resolution among siblings are given.

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Parenting Made Practical Podcasts

#26 Respecting Siblings

Respecting a sibling is one thing, but treating them with respect is another. Learn how to deal with disrespectful siblings so they can get along when you are not watching.

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April 8, 2026

We went to a theme park with our son’s family recently. He has 4 kids who wanted to ride roller coasters. They of course want their dad and Papa to go with them, so our son and I went on the rides with them while Carla and their mom stayed behind watching and taking pictures.

For one coaster, you had to stand in separate lines to get in the seat of the car. One line only had one person standing in it. I could see out of the corner of my eye a kid who looked to be about 11 or 12 yrs. old wanting to push past our group and join that lone rider.

I didn’t have a problem with this except how the young man was trying to do it. He did not say “Please may I get by you” or “Excuse me”, he just tried to push me out of the way. Feeling disrespected, I wondered where his parents were. I then wondered if they had taught him basic respect of others. 

As these thoughts were going through my mind, he tried pushing between my son and I, which did not go well for him. Seeing an opportunity to reinforce what they have taught their kids on showing respect to others, our son asked this space invading kid,” Do you want something?” As he was now standing between two adult men, he looked at us and said, “I am trying to get to that car to ride with that guy.” My son said, “Is there a nicer way to accomplish that rather than try to push through us?” The kid said, “Could I please get by?” My son then stepped aside and said “Sure, I would be happy to move so you can get through.”

While this kid was still within earshot, our son took the opportunity to review with his 12 yr. old daughter what she would have done in that situation if neither he or I were there. Our granddaughter replied that she would have said, “Please sir, could I squeeze by you so I could ride up there where there is only one person in line?” My son commended his daughter and told her that was exactly what he hoped she would have done.

To be respectful is to show that you think what others feel, think or want is important enough to put them before what you want. Kids don’t come by being respectful naturally, so it is up to parents to teach them what respect is and how to show it to others.

This kind of teaching is what Moses gave Israel to teach their children in Deuteronomy 6:6-7 when he said,

^“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.  

Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home 

and when you walk along the road.”

“UNDERSTANDING CHARACTER TRAINING (Part 1 and Part 2)”

How do you know if you are reaching the heart of your child or teen? Do you want your kids to be kind on their own initiative? Then you have to put the need to be kind into their hearts.  This 2-part series lays the foundation for understanding what character training is and how Godly character is developed in one’s children.

Part 1 – Laying the Foundation

Part 2 – Getting to the Heart of Your Child

Use code APRIL12 at checkout by April 12th, 2026 for $4 off the Understanding Character Training 2 Part Series

Parenting Made Practical Podcasts

#45 How is Your Kids “Respect Cog”

Respect is an integral quality everyone needs, including kids and teens. There are several areas kids need to learn to show respect to and in. Joey & Carla share 4 ways to keep your child’s respect cog functioning properly.

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March 25, 2026

Spring is here and the seniors in high school, those in their final year of school are ready to be done with their studies and just have fun. If you have had a senior in your home, you will recognize the symptoms – once they get accepted to the university or college of their choice, they mentally move there. They treat their younger siblings as though they are back in the preschool years. They treat you, their parents as peers. There is a name for this, and it is “senioritis”.

We mention senioritis in our teaching titled, “Navigating the Rapids Of Parenting” (you can download it and watch the video of it here). You may still remember some of the things you did when you were a senior and recognize your teens doing them too! Realizing they are coming to the end of their time with their friends, seniors neglect their family and their responsibilities at home and focus on their friends who they fear they may never spend time with again. They don’t want to lose these last few months of experiences so they put things they need to do on the back burner so they can make the most of their time with their peers.

Seniors don’t realize the offenses they build up with their parents and siblings because they don’t make them a priority. They often aren’t keeping on top of their chores, which can take a lot of time from parents or siblings when they cover for them. There is never a time to put relationships and responsibilities on hold. When they go to university, their parents and siblings are going to miss them too. So, parents, if you have a regular Family Night, make sure you keep that up with mandatory attendance by all family members. And make sure your seniors stay on top of their chores and other responsibilities. If you don’t, your family or chores won’t be important to them when they come home from school breaks either. Instead of seeing old friends and spending time with family they will spend their time in their room texting their university friends.

When they start skipping their responsibilities, they also will likely put their relationship with God on hold too. It is God who should be guiding them at this very important stage of life when they are making life-changing decisions of where to go to school and what kind of career to be pursuing. We told our kids that before they chose a secular university to go to, we wanted them to find out if they had Christian organizations like Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, Cru or Navigators on campus and were they active in campus life? Making these decisions without having a vibrant relationship with God was not a good idea.

Senioritis will come, but you don’t have to be the caught off guard by it. You can guide your teens in and through this all-important stage and phase of life watching them transition to their young adult years more mature and wiser than many of their friends and peers.

Parenting Made Practical Podcasts

#50 Do Your Kids Have Time for God? 

Every Christian parent wants their child to grow up to believe in God, but 85% of kids don’t! Learn practical ways to help your kids grow in their faith and be in the 15% who sticks with Jesus.

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Joey & Carla Link

March 18, 2026

In Spring, we see plants and flowers popping up, making the land look fresh and bright with color. It’s also a time where our kids can start blooming in ways we may or may not be expecting or ready for. 

They can surprise you with a deeper understanding of things they used to resent, showing as a growing maturity. Or they can show you an unwillingness to grow in maturity, meaning they do have deeper understanding but just don’t want to take the responsibility on that comes with it, so they stubbornly resist that growth.

Parents, at times, tend to forget that there is still a lot their pre-teens don’t know because although they may understand the “why” of things better, they don’t yet have the experience to go with it. Understanding the “why” plus experience equals maturity. So, you need to look for or create opportunities for them to get the experience they need.

For example, we think all kids should work for someone other than you before they leave your home. They need to learn how to work for an employer under your guidance rather than try to figure it out on their own. Employers sometimes tell us they don’t hire teens anymore because they don’t have time to deal with the common excuse of “I don’t feel like coming to work today”, their consistent lateness and sloppy work habits. 

Another thing that blooms with the coming of Spring is girls’ bodies start showing curves and guys start noticing them in a different way. Dads, have you started working with your pre-teen boys (10-12 yr. olds) on how to control what they are looking at, and what to do when temptation hits them hard and fast? Moms, have you worked with your pre-teen girls on being modest in the way they dress and how to deal with changes in their bodies and what that does to their emotions? 

We are often surprised when we see photos of girls from strong Christian families in their prom dresses or bridal gowns. There isn’t a lot left to the imagination. They need to understand what the visual picture they are intentionally creating is doing to every teen male and man that sees them. Plus, in this way Christians are showing the world that they would rather live by their standards instead of God’s. 

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing 

of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is

 – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Romans 12:2

The Middle Years Transition – When your kids are 10-13 years old they are in the “Middle Years Transition” which is often the trickiest transition in parenting. This is when the world and friends are really starting to influence them and they start showing it in their attitudes and actions. If you have a preteen you’ll want to check this Mom’s Notes presentation out! 


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Parenting Made Practical Podcasts

#50 Do Your Kids Have Time for God? 

Ever Christian parent wants their child to grow up to believe in God, but 85% of kids don’t! Learn practical ways to help your kids grow in their faith and be one who sticks with Jesus.

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