The Village Blog

It’s no secret that kids live in a different world than their parents. They have their own subculture, and that subculture has its own host of subcultures within it. Increasingly younger kids have their own private, electronic lives ranging from Facebook accounts, Instagram profiles and Twitter feeds. All of these are unique to the child, and in many ways parents can be kept at arm’s ...

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Summer is fast approaching! For many of you, the next few months will be filled with travel, adventure and increased opportunities to spend time together as a family.

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“Mom, Dad, I really need a cellphone.” If you haven’t heard this statement, it’s coming. Recent stats reveal that 75% of teens (12-17) have cellphones. The teenage years seem to be the prime age that parents give their children a phone. When will you give your child a cellphone or another mobile device? Have you thought about this question? Have you considered how you will answer and ...

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When I was a boy, my dad asked me, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” To which I frankly answered (quite adorably no doubt), “A daddy.” When my relentlessly realistic dad informed me that no one would pay me to be a father, I told him that I would gladly pay myself.

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What more can we do to guide our children toward godly contentment in a consumer culture? Squelch Stupid Comparisons. Around age 6, children become aware of the purchasing patterns of others. They begin to ask for things that their peers are wearing, playing with or bringing in their lunchboxes. The child asks: “Can I have light-up sneakers like so-and-so has?” The parent hears: “Don’t ...

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Whether we like it or not, our children are consumers. Parents may be slow to recognize this truth, but marketers certainly are not. The hotbed of spending potential created by suburban affluence places your child in the crosshairs. Without the maturity to filter marketing messages, children take their claims as fact.

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We moved to the suburbs, like most young families, because they were affordably safe. No danger of gang violence, drive-by shootings or (gasp) low standardized test scores at neighborhood schools. Not even the danger that our neighbor might paint his trim blue or park his F-150 on the front yard. Affordable safety – what could be better?

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In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus instructs His disciples to be people of their word. He teaches that our “yes” and “no” should be words of integrity. He instructs us to do what we say we will do so that our words carry unquestionable credibility. This is a foundational concept for Christian parents. We want our children to trust our words. Cultivating that trust begins at an early age ...

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