My adult kids are just NOT living for the Lord.

This is tough. There’s nothing more heartbreaking than watching your adult kids fail spiritually. I know first-hand. You feel like a failure, even though you KNOW it’s not your fault. Many of us believe our kids are saved, but just have fallen away. Perhaps, though, we should start treating them and praying for them as we do non-Christians. As we w…read more

Why can’t I get good grades like Cassie?

Sibling rivalry can be debilitating for kids. They’re constantly reminded by their perceived failure at every report card or sporting event. Frankly, it can be difficult for parents, too. What do I mean? I know a family who has three boys. The first two were top of their class scholastically. But their youngest wasn’t—but excelled on the basketball court and the baseball field. Mom and Dad were beside themselves why Junior didn’t ace every class. Parents, we should never compare our kids. Each one isn’t only unique in appearance and attitude, but in intellect and drive. The way we handle these uniquenesses can be the difference in either encouraging our kids or crushing them. Parents, your testimony as Mom or Dad can point your kids to Christ, or push them away.

Turn to the Old Testament book of...Hezekiah?

There are a lot of kids out there who don’t know anything about the Bible. Guess what? There are a lot of church kids who don’t know anything about the Bible, either. The reason? First, since the United States is now a post-Christian nation not very many adults are even talking about basic Bible stories. Secondly, many Christian parents are so busy they’re not taking the time to spend time in the Word as a family. And, thirdly, kids are being lured away from the Word by computer games and new media. What’s the answer? Reengage. Spend some time as a family reading the Bible. Too daunting? Download the new Keys for Kids mobile app that will help you lead family devotions.

Kids are suffering. How do you help your kids pray?

A lot of us want to protect our kids from the tragedies of life. It’s hard watching our kids process bad news for the first time. “Can flooding happen here? Are we going to have a hurricane?” You’re going have to adapt your response depending on where you live, perhaps, but the reality is we need to be honest and remind our kids that only God knows the number of our days. Disasters and tragedies can happen anywhere. The question is: are we helping our kids process it when it does, or insulating them from thinking about it? Bad things do happen to good people. But God can use the bad to make something good.

You’re not wearing those shoes—they have holes in them!

When have you EVER heard THAT come out of your child’s mouth? Believe it or not, a friend of mine posted a picture of some tattered gym shoes with the following: “So, parents...say you have a son who’s in 3rd grade who has a ton of shoes but has one pair that he absolutely loves. That pair is totally beat up. But he gets irrationally upset at the thought of not being able to wear them to school, to the point where he’s crying and throwing a fit. Do you let him wear them?” The answer? Yes and no. If you’re saying no because it “looks bad,” then yes—let him wear them. Now, if your son is just doing it to be disobedient and it’s a pattern of misbehavior, then no. See? Worn-out shoes can be lessons for kids AND adults.

Why are you hanging out with adults?

That’s a frequent question my daughter gets when her friends discover how much time she’s spending with adults. Why does she do it? First, she seems to enjoy the attention these ladies give her. Secondly, a few of these gals are mentors—providing wisdom she can’t get from any teenager. And, thirdly, I think she values them as sounding boards. Fortunately, all of her adult friends are close friends of ours—so they keep us in the loop if needed. The downside is sometimes she tends to value their opinions over ours. If your son or daughter is spending a ton of time with an adult, make sure you know them well. Communicate with them regularly. And, make sure these adults are helping and not hurting.

Don’t forget, your family wants to see you, too.

Our kids’ high school days are FULL of activities. Athletics, clubs, student council, music, and the list can go on and on. At church, there’s youth group, small group, worship team, babysitting, and more. It’s easy to lose those intimate moments with our kids. Let me suggest scheduling family time. Some teens don’t like it. Others crave it. But unless we’re intentional about it, our kids can turn into people we don’t even recognize. Sometimes they’re influenced for the good AND the bad. Time in God’s Word, talking about events of the week, and not letting them get away with saying one-word answers will go a long way in influencing our teens. Oh, and don’t worry, your teens will grow out of this stage.

He just won’t listen. What am I going to do?

I sat in the back of church one Sunday and watched a family struggling. One of their boys was being defiant at EVERY turn. He was told to stand while singing with the rest of the church. He wouldn’t. Finally, Dad intervened and, with anger in his eyes, PHYSICALLY made him stand. The wobbly-legged, defiant child was standing, but then he fell to the floor. Mom and Dad had about had it. Been there? Me, too. I remember getting so angry, not because they were sinning, but because they were disrespecting my authority. That’s more of an idol in our life than disciplining our kids to be Christ-followers, right? Their defiance is sin—sin separates us from God, which is why we need a Savior. Explain that to them.

Kids need to know Jesus. Do yours?

There’s something ALL Christian parents are called to do: lead our kids to Christ. Today, there are a lot parents who really aren’t actively pointing their kids to Christ. But, why? There are a lot of reasons. Maybe they’re not confident. Maybe they’re afraid of not being able to do a good job—and then leave it to the local church. Do you want to do a better job? We have a tool that will help you have devotions every day with the kids in your life—our brand new Keys for Kids mobile app. Do you struggle teaching about anger? Keys for Kids can help there. Do struggle with describing saving faith? What about tough topics? We have true-to-life stories that will help point kids and families to Scripture. It’s free at the Google or Apple app stores. Get a free one-year subscription to the Keys for Kids print devotional here: https://www.keysforkids.org/subscribe Download the free Keys for Kids app here: https://www.keysforkids.org/Apps

It’s green. I ain’t eating THAT.

There are a lot of finicky kids … and adults, too. I was kind of picky when I was a kid, too, and I still have a hard time eating anything green. How do we get our kids to try new foods? Well, there’s bribery. Or there’s leading by example. I’d suggest once in a while—maybe once or twice a month—find something YOU’VE never tried before and make it a part of your lunch or dinner and call it “Try-Something-New Tuesday” (or something like that). Be honest, though, about your opinions. “Oh, I don’t really care for that.” Or, “Wow, that’s a lot better than I thought it would be.” Or, “I want THAT again.” Training kids to try new things is more than just putting it in front of them. Modeling that behavior can make all the difference.

My daughter is an amazing singer. But she knows it.

Humility. That can be difficult to teach sometimes. A lot of times the lack of it is a learned behavior. False humility can also be wrong. How can we teach our kids that it’s okay to be confident with their talents and abilities God’s given us and yet be humble about it? The Bible’s the best place to start. 1 Peter 4 reminds us that we should use our gifts to serve others. James says every good and perfect gift is given from God above—and it’s not our own. And Paul tells us in Romans that we shouldn’t think of ourselves more highly than we think of others. When they understand that they’re nothing without God, humility will be a byproduct.

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