When Your Child Leaves God

by Jim Lee Many of you parents who will read this, know by experience the horrific impact this circumstance can have on you. In the past, I have often sympathized and grieved with other brothers and sisters who have gone through the heart-wrenching experience of seeing a child of theirs turn their back on God,…

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My sixteen-year-old is becoming violent and I don’t know what to do

Question: I have a sixteen-year-old son that has had trouble in school specifically with grades over the past couple of years. His mother and I were divorced when he was nine but still communicate on a regular basis. Lately, he has become more physical while with her. He has been punching and kicking things for…

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I’m worried that my son will be too short

Question: I don’t know exactly what I need, but I definitely need help. Before getting back to obeying Christ and attending a church of Christ, I was out doing what I wanted to do and ended up pregnant. The baby’s father and I ended up getting married a few months after I had the baby.…

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I think spanking leads to more aggression

Question: I think spanking a 14-year-old young man is unreasonable and will lead to more aggression.  My parents spanked me with the belt and left bruises.  It left scars on my soul and was not focused on loving correction. I am very conservative in my theology and think this Scripture did mean spanking when younger…

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Expect More Out of Your Kids

by Matthew Allen Earlier this week, I participated in a discussion concerning alcohol and advertising. The debate was over whether alcohol companies target youth in their advertising. There is very strong evidence to suggest that the alcohol companies do in fact target adolescent audiences even though such persons are under the legal age to consume alcohol.…

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Because It Is Right

by Jim R. Everett Reward incentive motivation permeates our society. People respond to rewards just like little puppies do. Some parents think only in terms of rewarding their children, and, they even reward them for being bad. When a parent says to a little child, “If you will quit throwing a temper tantrum, we will…

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How do you change when you made a mess of raising your children?

Question: How do you change things that have gotten worse?  I am a single mother of four all by different fathers. I have always known the Word but refused to follow it, all along knowing I was making the wrong decisions. It’s no wonder why my 14-year-old is where she is at this point. I…

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Should I let my children go over to my worldly family’s homes?

Question: Hi! I have a question about people that I and my children associate with. Most of my family are in second marriages, some don’t even believe in God. I have a (female) friend who is married to someone who is divorced. She said that his ex-wife cheated on him, I do not know what…

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My nine-year-old is lazy and nothing seems to work

Question: I am having issues with my nine-year-old son.  He has such a bad and lazy attitude about school, school work, and homework (and most things he is told to do).  He has the ability to do the work, but he seems to don’t care.  He has been like this since kindergarten; so I know it’s…

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How do you prevent sibling rivalry?

Question: I was reading some thoughts shared recently by those who are finishing up their years of homeschooling their children.  One thing that struck me, in particular, was one mother’s mention of how she enjoyed her children’s teenage years.  That is really something!  My five daughters currently range in age from 1 year to almost…

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Questions about spanking, privacy, and clothing choices.

Question: I have three boys who are actually not my stepsons yet.  Their mother, who is widowed, and I are going to be married in about two weeks. We are maintaining a biblical relationship. However, I am a teacher, so I am free to handle childcare over the summer, where she is not.  In order…

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Parents: Consistency is a Key!

by Greg Gwin All godly parents are concerned about bringing up their children to be good, God-fearing people. In fact, we are commanded to do so (Ephesians 6:4). There are lots of negative influences in the world that make this an increasingly difficult job. We worry about the impact of the schools, peer pressure, wickedness…

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Is Love to Blame?

by Steve Klein Have you ever known parents who claimed that they loved their children too much to spank them?  Ever known someone who tried to justify having sex outside of marriage because they loved the person?  Ever known a Christian who would not rebuke and correct religious errors because they loved others too much…

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How to Raise a Heartache

by Edward O. Bragwell, Sr. via The Auburn Beacon “The rod and rebuke give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother” (Proverbs 29:15). Though I have been a father for many years and a grandfather for a few years, I still do not claim to be an expert on child-rearing. I…

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Does Spanking Cause Lower IQ in Children?

by Sam Stinson “He who withholds his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him diligently” (Proverbs 13:24). I like to think that most scientific studies are not politically motivated. However, when I read about studies like the following, I’m forced to rethink this belief. A study recently presented by the International…

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Dad’s Nine Rules for Living

by Frank Walton Upon the occasion of his daughter’s high school graduation. via Biblical Insights, Vol. 7, No. 8, Aug. 2007. 1. Put God First We exist for His glory and then to enjoy Him forever (I John 17:3). “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One…

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The Children

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/2007Fall5TheChildren.mp3 by Scott Smelser The Family

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Parenting Mistakes

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/2007Fall4ParentingMistakes.mp3 by Scott Smelser The Family

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Discipline

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/2007Fall3Discipline.mp3 by Scott Smelser The Family

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Rearing a Second Family

by Jim Sasser In our local paper last Sunday and Tuesday there were different articles and statistics concerning children that are being basically reared by their grandparents. This means that they are rearing a second family. I am fortunate enough to have 20 wonderful grandchildren. If an emergency should arise, even though my dear wife…

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His Parents Were Too Strict

by Boyd Sellers Have you ever heard that statement? You’ll see some scraggly kid who cares about nothing and nobody, who has long ago left the Lord (though he may have been faithfully “going to church”), and who has literally broken his parents’ hearts. You ask a friend, “What happened to him?” And he answers,…

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Family Time Together Is Essential

by W. Frank Walton in Biblical Insights, Vol. 5, No. 8, August 2005 Time together is the bonding mortar that binds family members together before God in love Giving Thanks Psalm 107 “Hear, my son, and accept My sayings and the years of your life will be many. I have directed you in the way of…

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Our son started doing poorly in school

Question: I have a serious problem with my oldest son who is 17. My wife and I have raised him in church and he attends a Christian school. This past semester, he led us to believe he was doing all right in school. I received his report card and he has two failing grades. My…

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I think I’m being too controlling

Question: My being too controlling on the kids is generally directed toward my eldest. He is a great child: very respectful, wins awards for citizenship, and all the teachers adore him and praise him. My problem is I snap at him for anything. Instead of being able to let it roll off, I have to…

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How do I punish a child who is now bigger than me?

Question: I have been struggling with the issue of discipline with our older two children. Traditionally, in our family, when a child reaches age twelve it is generally assumed that they are too old to be spanked and other punishments, such as grounding, are used. Our son is sixteen and beginning to show tremendous disrespect.…

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How do I appropriately discipline my sons?

Question: First, let me say that I’m glad I found your site and I appreciate your parenting advice. I am a widower with two teenage sons – 17 going on 18 and 14 going on 15. I’ve to come to the point where I need to make some decisions about discipline in our household and…

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When should a teenager start buying his own toiletries?

Question: When should a teenager start buying his own toiletries? Answer: When a teenager has cosmetics, soaps, shampoos, shaving cream, etc. that he wants of a specific brand and desires to use exclusively, then it is time to start purchasing them on his own. For example, if he uses the same shampoo that most of…

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