From the Momo Challenge to the Mannequin Challenge, internet stunts can be funny -- or completely frightening -- for kids. By Christine Elgersma 2/27/2019 It's a tale as old as time: We see a lot of people wearing/doing/saying something and we want to try it, too. Back in the day it was saying "Bloody Mary" … Continue reading 13 Online Challenges Your Kid Already Knows About – And You Should Too

  Listen more, talk less. How good of a listener are you with your teen? Even when you are right and they are wrong? Listening is the language of love. The easy route is scolding and lecturing but the results are often not the same or as powerful with listening. Sometimes kids just want to … Continue reading Tips for Better Communication with your Teens

Teenagers really like their phones and social media. Maybe you've noticed. 😉 Whether it is Instagram, Facebook, or the new "social media app" du jour, teenagers are looking at screens of some type for more than 7 hours daily. That means that for the majority of the time that they are awake, they are peering … Continue reading Do Students Need to Detach from Social Media?

Getting your teenagers talking can be quite a challenge. You’ve probably had a conversation that went something like this: Parent: Did you have a good day? Teen: Yeah. Parent: What did you do? Teen: Nothing. Parent: Did anything exciting happen? Teen: No. Parent: Any plans for the weekend? Teen: Not really. Some of the challenge … Continue reading Discussion Questions to Get Your Family Talking

A month ago at our Empowerment retreat, the youth were asked to go without their smartphones for the entire retreat.  At the end of the period, we saw the biggest difference in our girls.  They admitted that they were relieved to have been without the pressure of their phones and having to check them all the … Continue reading Life Without a Smartphone

On Monday nights when our girls were growing up, Cathy and I would take them to the Golden Spoon for frozen yogurt after dinner. The weekly yogurt run was part of our family identity --- part of what made us who we were. Even the neighbors knew our routine and sometimes shouted to-go orders as … Continue reading Celebrate Your Family Identity