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.…

Read More

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…

Read More

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…

Read More

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…

Read More

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…

Read More

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…

Read More

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…

Read More

How do we teach against bad language?

Question: How do we teach against bad language with easy steps for rectification? Answer: The number one way to prevent bad language is for the parents and anyone else involved in the training of the child not to use bad language. Children imitate what they see and hear around them. That is their primary way…

Read More

I’m not certain if we are ready to raise children

Question: I have just spent some time reviewing your site and it is incredible. I am having some issues right now and was hoping you could help me, not sure where to turn because I don’t want anyone in my church to think horribly of me. Anyway, here goes. My husband and I met six…

Read More

How do we undo the bad parenting we did in the past?

Question: My 10-year-old son has had a hard past. We, his parents, fought the first seven years of marriage; however, now we are in the process of planting new godly seeds into him. But now we are having to deal with the seeds of disobedience, disrespect, and complaining. We want to uproot the bad seeds…

Read More

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…

Read More

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…

Read More

Can you make some recommendations for a computer for a 14-year-old?

Question: I am hoping someone can help me sort through a lot of questions I have. First, my 14-year old son would really love to have a computer in his own room for Christmas.  We are in need of a new computer anyway and since this is something he has wanted for several years, we…

Read More

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…

Read More

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…

Read More

The Children

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

Read More

Parenting Mistakes

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

Read More

Discipline

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

Read More

Should a child be warned about bad adults?

Question: Should parents explain to children that there are adults out there who may have bad reasons for wanting to spank them (even though the adults may tell the child it’s punishment for something bad he or she did)? Is so, what’s the best way to address the subject so that they’ll be aware and sufficiently…

Read More

Should families with small children sit in the back pews?

Question: Recently a congregation I am familiar with had an article concerning those who have small children. The preacher stated in the article that it would be best if those that have small children sit on the back pews due to children sometimes being noisy and having to be removed from the auditorium. In fact,…

Read More

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…

Read More

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,…

Read More

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…

Read More

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…

Read More

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.…

Read More

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…

Read More

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…

Read More

What should be the punishment for breaking a window accidentally?

Question: I have two twin boys, both aged 15. My wife and I both agree that the right way to parent is to spank when necessary with the rod. Recently they have been getting into a lot of trouble together, and yesterday they broke a window (whilst playing ball inside — forbidden in the house…

Read More

My daughter is moody and depressed

Question: I am in desperate need of information to help my teenage daughter. She is struggling with self-esteem issues and the like — all of your normal teenage troubles. Now she is showing some signs of depression. She is 13. I have just spent the last two hours talking with her, and I thought it…

Read More