My friend Dr. Jim Burns speaks often of his goal to be a “Transitional Generation” in his family. Both he and his wife experienced areas of significant dysfunction in their families as they grew up, and Jim and Cathy have made it their goal to be the generation that changes direction and does not pass on a number of dysfunctional elements...
TikTok, the highly popular social media platform, recently introduced new parental control features through “Family Pairing” which allows a parent to link their own TikTok account to their teen’s, where they are able to activate content and privacy features. According to a blog post from TikTok, parents can now select from a suite of controls, including:• Search, where parents can...
When is the last time you discussed money with your teens? I’m guessing unless it was them asking you for money, it’s probably been awhile. Or maybe it’s never happened. Did you know that money is mentioned over 800 times in the Bible? Jesus talked about money more than faith and prayer combined. It’s a big deal! Money, and especially the love of money, has...
Recently, I recorded a series of parent trainings for Facebook. The first one was called “The Technology Takeover”, and addressed the ways that technology is taking over our lives during this COVID-19 pandemic. From school and work calls on Zoom to Facetime conversations with grandparents, we are all spending much more time on technology than we were before the coronavirus outbreak. The...
During this time of social distancing and the COVID-19 Pandemic, we are feeling the need for community more than ever. We miss the encouragement of gathering together to worship and serving side by side with friends. It seems like it’s been forever since we’ve had people in our home to share a meal and talk. It is so evident that...
During this time of social distancing and more time at home, one thing our family has been doing is watching movies. With Disney Plus, it’s easy to gather everyone together and pick something to watch. Recently, we decided to pick an older movie that the kids haven’t seen. I gave them a few choices, and Katelyn, my 8-year-old, excitedly chose “Old Yeller” because...
Do you spend too much time on your phone? As parents, it’s easy to look at our kids or teens and stress over the amount of time they spend on their devices. However, it’s important to keep in mind that the amount of time we spend on our phones is an issue for everyone in our families, not just the kids....
Do you want to help your kids use technology wisely? Me too! Do you know how to do that? (Crickets…) Keep reading, and you’ll have a place to start! Here are 4 ways to get you started in helping your kids used technology wisely. Manage the device, train the heart. Of all the advice I’ve given to parents about the area of technology, this...
Years ago, when the girls were young, Steve attended an out-of-town conference for a few days, and before he left home he posted several sticky notes around the house for our girls and me to find. Prominently displayed on the inside of my bedroom door was a note that read, “Sara, you are an awesome mom, and you are going to...
How will Engage help parents to tame technology? The world of technology is an ever-changing one that terrifies many parents. Keeping up with the latest hot app, the most popular music, and wondering what their kids are really doing on their smartphones is a scary proposition. According to Barna research, 65% of parents rate managing technology as the number one most difficult...