Conversations That Matter
And Great Parent Resources for Kids!
One of the blessings of being in a Christian school community together is the ability to help sharpen one another “as iron sharpens iron” and strive with each other toward the common goal we share of pointing our children to Christ. While we know it is the work of the Holy Spirit to apply these truths in the hearts and lives of our children, we want to be faithful to commend His Word to them and to teach them to think biblically. I’m so appreciative of those who have recommended excellent things to me and excited to pass them along today!
Sammy and His Shepherd is a walk through Psalm 23 from the perspective of two different sheep – one who has the Good Shepherd and one who is discovering her need of the Good Shepherd. The book brings to life the rich promises of Psalm 23. It’s divided into chapters so it’s easy to read one per day during family devotions or at a meal, bedtime, etc.
Recommended ages: Elementary
Voice of the Martyrs produced a “Torchlighters: Heroes of the Faith” series which includes several true stories of Christian martyrs over the centuries. Many of these are available to watch for free with Amazon Prime or available for purchase here.
Recommended age: Elementary and Middle School
This talk by Jen Wilkin on “Raising An Alien Child” discusses parenting children who are learning to think and live differently than the world. She talks about activities, speech, possessions, entertainment, and friends. A great jumping-off place for discussion with your teens about these important topics!
Recommended ages: Parents and teens
Wanting to hear more than “fine” or “good” about your children’s day at school? Here are 50 ways to ask your kids how their day was, without asking “How was your day?” Great conversation starters for K4-12th!
Are you wanting to connect with your pre-teens and teens in a deeper way? Here’s another helpful resource from Jen Wilkin and The Gospel Coalition – “How to Teach Your Teen to Study the Bible”
Are your kids struggling with anxiety, fear, or worry? Here are two great resources – one for teens and one for elementary-aged children.
I recommend including the following Bible verses when working through the elementary-aged book with your children. Some would be good for memory or meditation or for use throughout the various activities that the book suggests.
- Psalm 55:22
- Proverbs 12:25
- 1 Peter 5:6-8
- Psalm 23:4
- Hebrews 13:5-6
- Psalm 56:3
- Romans 8:38-39
- Philippians 4:6-7
- Matthew 11:28-30
- John 14:27
- Colossians 3:15
- Matthew 6:25-34
- Proverbs 3:5-6
Ever wonder whether a movie or TV show is appropriate for your children and their individual make-ups? These two resources have been useful to many parents who are trying to figure out what their child will be viewing and whether it seems like a good fit for their individual hearts and minds. Parents and teens can use these sites to review the content of movies and TV prior to consumption.
Links: pluggedin.com and commonsensemedia.org
Good Pictures Bad Pictures (and the jr version) is a helpful tool for discussing pornography with our children. It covers, in age appropriate ways, what pornography is, why it is harmful, and how to handle being exposed to pornography and reject it. These are great to keep on hand and discuss every few weeks or months as a part of ongoing communication around these topics.
Recommended ages: The JR version is recommended for ages 3 to 6; The original version is helpful for ages 7-12
Here is a helpful blog post from CCEF on talking with your children about death. This powerful quote has stayed with me:
If it is the time God has chosen for you to die, you can drown in a thimble; if it’s not, then you can survive for days in the open ocean.
Is everyone working on study strategies as we transition back to school? Check out this post from Learning and the Brain on How to Study Less and Learn More. Do your kiddos insist that they need their music to help them study? Are they right or wrong? Here is another great article on Music and Memory: A Learning Strategy?