Faith@Home for Parents

Kim Anderson is a Web writer for Awana. She and her husband have daughters in fifth and eighth grade. Kim has experience working with children and teens, most recently as a youth ministry leader at her church. Kim also has co-written six books on youth ministry. Ever have one of those weeks? You know the [...]

Have you ever been pulled over for speeding? I have. It’s a terrible feeling to see those flashing lights in my rearview mirror. In every instance, I knew I was wrong and deserving of a ticket. In most cases, that’s exactly what I got. But on one occasion, the police officer gave me a warning [...]

You can say “no” without giving a list of excuses. by Jill Savage “So how do you do it?” she asked. “Do what?” I replied. “How do you say no?” she questioned. “I just say no,” I answered. “No, I don’t mean like that. Do you say no and offer an excuse, or do you just [...]

My favorite activity of the day is — surprise — reading to my kids before their bedtime. We tackle a short lesson from a Bible devotional book, then do some additional reading before the girls go to bed. It’s frequently the best 10 to 15 minutes of my day, and they almost always look forward [...]

By Tim Smith Faith@Home Parents Coach #3: Multigenerational Impact “You can’t lead what you don’t live,” I said to the group of parents assembled for our Faith@Home Strategic Workshop. “Realize that what you are most likely to see in your child’s faith is a reflection of your faith. Children tend to not grow beyond the [...]

Pay attention to your body’s limits, and make physical health a priority. by Jill Savage When Anne, our oldest, was born, I was twenty years old. Mark was twenty-four. We were both young and full of energy. I could study into the night, be up with the baby and still go strong the next day. When [...]

Fall is here and our children are well settled into the school year. I am thankful for all the teachers investing in the lives of my children. I want to be the best help that I can be to them, and also thank them for what they are doing. So, I did an informal survey [...]

For many kids, February to April is their most challenging time of year in Awana. A lot of churches end their Awana ministry year in April. That means as of mid-February, their Awana students have about two months to complete their handbooks. Is your child behind on his handbook? There’s no reason to panic. Perhaps [...]

Providing a way for your child to gain all understanding of how his day will go will eliminate some of the undesirable behaviors that tend to rear their ugly heads during transition times. by Michelle LaRowe The most trying times in your parenting life are probably the transition times: mornings, drop-offs, pickups, bedtimes — basically, [...]

Homemaking is majoring in family relationships. by Jill Savage The word “homemaker” is often considered passé. It brings about connotations of June Cleaver in the 1950s show Leave It to Beaver. Today’s mom at home is known as a “stay-at-home mom,” a “mother at home,” a “domestic engineer,” but rarely a “homemaker.” However, before we completely throw [...]

Kim Anderson is a Web writer for Awana. She and her husband have daughters in fifth and eighth grade. Kim has experience working with children and teens, most recently as a youth ministry leader at her church. Kim also has co-written six books on youth ministry. Ever have one of those weeks? You know the [...]

Have you ever been pulled over for speeding? I have. It’s a terrible feeling to see those flashing lights in my rearview mirror. In every instance, I knew I was wrong and deserving of a ticket. In most cases, that’s exactly what I got. But on one occasion, the police officer gave me a warning [...]

According to the research from a variety of sources, anywhere from 59-94% of current Christian teenagers are going to walk away from the faith when they are young adults. Obviously this is not what we want and it sets up the question, why? Why are these teenagers who are involved in church programs walking away [...]

My favorite activity of the day is — surprise — reading to my kids before their bedtime. We tackle a short lesson from a Bible devotional book, then do some additional reading before the girls go to bed. It’s frequently the best 10 to 15 minutes of my day, and they almost always look forward [...]

God doesn’t expect parents to get everything right. But He expects us to keep trying! by John Blase “As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.” – James 5:11 (NIV) The Merriam-Webster [...]

God has given you what you need to lead family devotions and you need to trust in that fact. You also have two things going for you. First is the fact that chances are no one in your household has ever participated in family devotions before so they won’t know if you’re doing it right [...]

Six questions to determine what baggage you’re bringing into your role as a father. by John Fuller There are reasons you tend to think and act certain ways. Understanding those reasons is key to breaking the chain and becoming the dad you want to be. An assessment of the relationship you had – or didn’t have [...]

It’s important to demonstrate to our children how to be, and how things work, and what things are. We always set an example to our children, and we need to explain the world to them — point them in the way they should go. by John Blase “It’s not nice to point.” - Mama It’s important [...]

One of the best ways to become a better dad is to benefit from the wisdom and experience of other fathers. by John Fuller If you’ve identified some of the father chains you’ve inherited, take the next step and address those issues. For starters, I recommend you seek out a group of men in whom you [...]

Training up a child in the way he/she should go doesn’t mean ignoring their natural gifts. Take time to understand and perceive your child’s ways, so that you may guide them to be who they are meant to be. by John Blase Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old [...]