A survey by a British Magazine for teenagers suggests teens may not be as rebellious as most people think. Bliss magazine asked 5,000 young people, with an average age of 15, to take part in a study examining social and political attitudes of teenagers across the country.

The survey found the average young person believes in traditional values. The magazine survey found that 92 percent of the young people say they hope to get married. Most expect the right age to get married is around twenty-four. Though 23-percent of the kids said they had taken drugs, 70 percent of the young people do not want marijuana to be legalized. Over two-thirds of the youth said harsher punishments should be given to young people committing crimes, and 84-percent said most adult sentences are too soft, and 40-percent support the use of the death penalty.

The magazine's editor Helen Johnson said, "Young people like tradition and have passionate beliefs about the society they want to live in. They want a society they can trust." She added, "This survey is an indictment of the damage caused by the lax attitudes of adults inflicted on children."

—Reuters, Teenagers crave old-fashioned values, March 11, 2004, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

The survey suggests something we would never think. Adults are the real rebels! Our children learn it from us.

Ephesians 6:4 NIV "Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."

Employers are begging for workers. Workers are taking on extra hours and second jobs.

More money is earned. More money is spent. More things are bought. People are piling up possessions and everyone is happy. Right? Maybe.

Along with more things comes less time. Overtime and second jobs mean less time for family, friends, household chores, reading, reflection and sleep. Less time means more stress.

A Gallup Poll revealed that a nationwide survey of parents of children ages 7-12 found that shared family time has decreased since 1976. The percentage of respondents who engaged frequently in attending religious services together decreased from 38 percent in 1976 to 29 percent in 1997. The percentage who engaged frequently in watching television together decreased from 54 percent to 42 percent. The percentage who engaged frequently in sitting and talking together decreased from 53 percent to 42 percent. The percentage of respondents who frequently have the main meal together on weekdays decreased from 72 percent to 58 percent—and the percentage who take a vacation together decreased from 53 percent to 38 percent.

The only family activity that increased in frequency was - surprise, surprise - shopping. In 1997, 31 percent of the families polled said they shop frequently together. This was up 7 percent from 1976.

Of course, work is not the only thing competing for family members' time. School activities, sporting events, dance/music/art/athletic classes, volunteer efforts, etc., are all pulling parents and children in many directions.

There are enough books and magazine articles about time management and parenting to fill a small library… and little time to read them.

They're not talking about "quality time" anymore. They are revealing what I started suspecting years ago when my four kids were little. The one thing in life kids want most is more time with Mom and Dad.

Kids want fewer organized activities away from home and more time just relaxing and doing things like playing cards or board games with their parents.

The booming economy is good news. But we need to make it work for us. That means setting limits on how much extra work we take on and thinking twice about how much we spend and how many activities we add to our lives.

When we realize that time spent with family is priceless, our lives become richer. Just ask your kids.

— Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Grace Witwer Housholder, author of "The Funny Things Kids Say Will

Brighten Any Day." For more information, go to: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0966300602/fm082-20

In an article entitled "My Baby Swears," Michelle Slatal, tells about her struggle when her two-year daughter started swearing. She dismisses options like stop swearing around the baby and turning off questionable cable shows, instead she applauds her husband for the way he handled the situation. He told the two-year-old, "Words are like colors and swear words are fluorescent, so save them for when you want to make a big impression."

Somehow, I can't hear my Dad saying that to me. The only "big impression" my parents would have sought was one with a bar of soap.

James 3:13 KJV "Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom."

In her book, What Kids Really Want That Money Can’t Buy, Betsy Taylor cites studies that show:

* 31% of children between the ages of 10-17 reported having seen a pornographic website.

* The average parent spent 40% less time with their children in 1985 than they did in 1965.

—AOL Time Warner press release, February 2003, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Mark Tabb

Titus 2:4 NASB “that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,”

For more information on What Kids Really Want That Money Can’t Buy, go to: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0446529648/fm082-20

In the bestselling book, "She said Yes!" Missy Bernall tells the story of her daughter Cassie, one of the students killed at Columbine High School. Cassie grew up in church, she came from a nice family, had friends and a nice life.

When Cassie entered high school (not Columbine), she changed peer groups. She became friends with some teens who were into Satanic Rituals and other destructive behaviors. Soon Cassie and her friends we praying to Satan for a teacher's and their parents' death. Life at home with Cassie became unbearable. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong, until it couldn't get any worse. And then it got worse.

Missy, Cassie's mom, found some letters between Cassie and her friends describing their plans for murdering their parents. When they confronted Cassie, all 'hell' broke loose. Grounding her didn't help. Cutting her off from the phone didn't solve it. In fact, telling the police and getting the families together only made it worse—Cassie's parents became the target of blame.

Life with Cassie and her friends got so bad the family decided to break off all relationships with her friends and moved across town. The home they bought shared a fence with Columbine High School. Scared and dazed, Cassie's parent's decided that Missy should quit her job so she could be home when Cassie came home.

In the midst of the trial, their church supported them, encouraged them, prayed for them and counseled them. Finally while attending a youth retreat with her youth group; Cassie gave her life to Christ. For the next year Cassie's life changed slowly, but soon, she would have the strength to stand up for herself, for her God.

Then one of the gunmen at Columbine pointed a gun at her and asked her if she knew Jesus. And she said yes!

For more information on "She said Yes!" go to http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0874869870/fm082-20

In the late 70's, the novelist and critic John Gardner suggested that modern fiction ought to be pulling a heavy ethical and didactic load. There was, in contemporary literature, he wrote, “too much flash, not enough representation, not enough morality.” He went on to say that if the artist could find no pleasure in what happy human beings have found good for centuries - children… peace, wealth, comfort, love, hope and faith - “then it is safe to hazard that he has not made a serious effort to sympathize and understand. Gardner admonished us not to give sustained attention to the morally weird - Gardner called them freaky - because to worship the unique, the unaccountable and freaky is, if we're consistent, “to give up the right to say to our children, Be good.”

—New York Times, January 2001 Have parents in our relativistic culture given up a moral focus that is faithful to the deeper and sustaining truths of life to pursue the peculiarity of the individualistic? As Christians, in our lives and in our families, we are challenged to lift up and to live the deeper and wider moral values of forsaking idolatry, of honor, of charity, of acting faithfully. Then we the moral authority to say to our children, "Be good."

Ezekiel 18:1-9 "The word of the LORD came to me: What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, "The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge"? As I live, says the Lord GOD, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. Know that all lives are mine; the life of the parent as well as the life of the child is mine: it is only the person who sins that shall die. If a man is righteous and does what is lawful and right— if he does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor's wife or approach a woman during her menstrual period, does not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge, commits no robbery, gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment, does not take advance or accrued interest, withholds his hand from iniquity, executes true justice between contending parties, follows my statutes, and is careful to observe my ordinances, acting faithfully—such a one is righteous; he shall surely live, says the Lord GOD."

On May 8, 1999, Dana Plato died of an overdose of prescription drugs. You might remember her as "Kimberly Drummond" on the hit television show "Different Strokes" that ran during the late seventies and early eighties. Her co-stars, Gary Coleman, who played "Arnold," and Todd Bridges, who played "Willis," have also had brushes with the law.

Some people think there is an inherent danger for "child stars." They believe the system pushes the children into moral failure. Danny Bonaduci, a radio talk show host, who played Danny on the Partridge Family, appeared on the Today Show shortly after her death. He said the remedy for the problem is "Stronger parents who teach their children right from wrong." He may be on to something.

Deut. 6:6-9 NIV These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. [7] Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. [8] Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. [9] Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Promoting good mental health and morality may be as simple as sitting down to dinner with the family. According to Dr. Elena Compan Poveda, "Union rituals (such as sharing meals) serve to transmit belief systems and norms of behaviour [behavior]." Her findings are based on a study of 259 youths from mental health clinics who were compared with 177 youths from the general public. Those in the group suffering from mental health problems ate fewer meals with their parents and were less likely to celebrate holidays with their families than their peers.

According to the authors of the study, "Sharing daily meals with the family constitutes a union ritual that promotes adolescent mental health."

—http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20020117/hl/meal_1.html Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

Acts 2:42 NASB "And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."

When Basketball giant, Charles Barkley was asked how he would handle his 12-year old daughter's future boyfriends, he replied, "I figure if I kill the first one, the word will get out."

Of course Barkley was joking, at least I think so, but his comment resonates with parents everywhere that want the best for their children and will do anything they can to insure a bright future.

Did you hear about the man who noticed a emperor moth struggling to emerge through a small hole in its cocoon and decided to assist it? He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the cocoon. The moth emerged easily, but it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. The little moth spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly. Later the man learned the struggle required for the moth to get through the tiny opening were God's way of forcing fluid from the body of the moth into its wings so that it would be ready for flight. By depriving the moth of a struggle, he deprived the moth of health.

The parent who never allows a child to suffer the consequence of his or her actions will never develop the character that comes from trials.

In her book, "Who Put the Cat in the Fridge?", Rhonda Rhea writes, "A commercial came on for one of those facial cleansers promising clear skin. From the other room I heard Jordan say, "I don't want clear skin. If I had clear skin, everybody could see my guts!" That did it. What could I do but shove the computer aside for a little laugh fest? Ah, therapy! Sometimes when I'm feeling overwhelmed, the best medicine isn't doubling up duties by finding a clone to make dinner. It's doubling over with laughter! The funny things our children say and do are great solace to our busy spirits."

Christian Smith, co-author of Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers says, "We asked teenagers in interviews, what thing would you most like to change about your family, if anything? The most common answer was "I wish I was closer to my parents." When asked, why aren't you closer?, they said, "I don't know how to do it." There is genuine interest. I think parents often misread signals."

—http://www.christianitytoday.com/bc/2005/001/4.10.html Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

Colossians 3:21 (NASB) "Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart."

After conducting a nationwide survey of parents, George Barna discovered some surprising insights into parenting. "You might expect that parents who are born again Christians would take a different approach to raising their children than did parents who have not committed their life to Christ—but that was rarely the case," Barna explained. "For instance, we found that the qualities born again parents say an effective parent must possess, the outcomes they hope to facilitate in the lives of their children, and the media monitoring process in the household was indistinguishable from the approach taken by parents who are not born again."

—http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdateNarrow&BarnaUpdateID=183 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

Deut. 6:4-9 (NLT) "Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. [5] And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. [6] And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands I am giving you today. [7] Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are away on a journey, when you are lying down and when you are getting up again. [8] Tie them to your hands as a reminder, and wear them on your forehead. [9] Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."

In her book, "Carolyn 101", Carolyn Kepcher writes about her climb to the top of the Trump Corporation. The book gives plenty of business advice and shows how she balances work and home. She writes "This wasn't going to be a day at the beach. Sometimes, I knew, I was going to feel wired, tired, frazzled, and torn. Between my husband of six years, my boss of eight years, and my son of two hours, I could feel confident that at any point of my day and night, one if not all of these guys would be posing demands on my time and attention that would make accommodating it all without friction seem like a pipe dream. But today, nearly five years, two golf courses, and one lovely little girl later, I can safely say that, like so many difficult challenges I've faced in my life, one of the great things about striving to strike a reasonable balance between work life and home life is how amazing it feels when—once in a blue moon—you finally sense you're getting it right!"

1 Timothy 5:8 (HCSB) "Now if anyone does not provide for his own relatives, and especially for his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."

Parents usually want to give their children things they never had as a child. But as it turns out, the parents who often heard the word "no" may be better off in the long run than their children who hear the word "yes" too much. William Damon, director of the Stanford Center on Adolescence at Stanford University says, "The risk of overindulgence is self-centeredness and self-absorption, and that's a mental health risk."

A recent study of adults who were overindulged as children suggests that they have more problems coping with disappointments than their peers who weren't overindulged. "They also have a distorted sense of entitlement that gets in the way of success in the workplace and in relationships."

Who knew? Saying "no" to your children today may be the best way to teach them the valuable lesson of contentment and set them up for a bright future tomorrow.

Philippians 4:12 (HCSB) "I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret [of being content]—whether well-fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need."

In her book, "Who Put the Cat in the Fridge?", Rhonda Rhea writes, "Trying to be the mega-clones, super-human, perfect parent can lead to disappointment and guilt. Guilt is a joy robber that clouds judgment. It aggravates the blues that can rob you of time and productivity you can't spare. Don't expect more of yourself than is possible for a non-genetically-altered human. We have some successes. We have some failures. Come out of the lab and join the rest of us in the real world of fallible parenting where we rarely get it all done." "We celebrate our successes; we deal with our failures. Remember the good news that when we make mistakes and we handle them correctly and humbly, we can teach our children even more than if we had done it the Super Parent way in the first place."

2 Cor. 4:7 NASB "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves;"

Davy Barry says, "A perfect parent is a person with excellent child-rearing theories and no actual children."

I've come to believe that a good parent is one that gives his/her children opportunities to do the right thing. We can never insure that they make the right choices, but we can insure that they are presented with the opportunities to do the right thing.

1 Thes. 2:11 (NASB) "just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children,"

In her book, "Who Put the Cat in the Fridge?", Rhonda Rhea writes, "As my kids grow, I find I'm out of the driver's seat in lots of new ways every day. Raising kids is a series of instances of letting go. It's a progression of giving over control. Parents who don't gradually give their kids control of their own lives find themselves caring for adult children who can't make even the smallest decisions for themselves."

Proverbs 22:6 (ESV) "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it."

In his book, Being a Good Dad When You Didn’t Have One, Tim Wesemann gives his readers a two-word piece of advice: “Lighten up!” He says that adults laugh an average of 15 times a day while children laugh 400 more times. “Somewhere between childhood and adulthood, we lose 385 laughs a day! That’s a great loss!” Wesemann says, “Maybe we need not only the faith of a child but the funny bone of one as well.”

— Being a Good Dad When You Didn’t Have One p. 65-66 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

Eccles. 3:4 NASB [There is] “A time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance.”

For more information on “Being a Good Dad When You Didn’t Have One,” go to http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/083411951X/fm082-20

Some parents who wouldn’t dream of beating their children, don’t think twice about yelling at them. A recent study out of Copenhagen suggests that verbal abuse may be as damaging to a child as physical abuse. In the words of one boy, “scolding is when somebody beats you with his voice.”

Erik Sigsgaard of the Danish Center for Research in Institutions suggests that parents should tell their children their opinion in a normal voice without shouting. “Parents who want to keep a close relation with their children should not scold too much, or they will soon be alone. It's silly because we are pushing away what is dearest to us,” Sigsgaard said.

—http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=594&e=3&cid=594&u=/nm/20021001/hl_nm/kids_words_dc Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

James 3:5-8 NASB So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. Behold, how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! [6] And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. [7] For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed, and has been tamed by the human race. [8] But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.

A strong parent-child relationship has enduring effects, and helps promote intimacy in adulthood.

Sharon Risch of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, who worked with a team of researchers surveying 800 Maryland 16-year-olds and their parents, explained it this way, “Boys who share close relationships with their parents are getting a different message about relationships, They're being taught to be close to people. And so this effect is being repeated in their attitudes about marriage and divorce in later life.”

—http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010615/hl/dad_1.html Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

One of the most important aspects of being a parent is spending quality time with the children. The child defines quality time. You can spend all the time you want with the child, but if they don’t get some satisfaction out of it, it was probably not quality time.

Philip Rivers, Quarterback for the San Diego Chargers said it well. “The things our kids hunger for is our time. And believe me, I have to fake it real hard that I care about Barbie dolls.” His daughters will be the winners over time of his willingness to get down on the floor and play dolls with them.

--Sports Illustrated, February 23, 2009, p. 20. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Proverbs 22:6 (HCSB) “Teach a youth about the way he should go; even 1when he is old he will not depart from it.”

PARENTING

Country music star Brad Paisley has sold more than 7 million albums and recorded 14 number one singles. Despite his success, Paisley says he has still owes his father money. Paisley says when he was first getting started at the age of 12, he would go out and sing five songs, tell jokes, and come home $55 richer. He calls his dad his “first roadie.” Looking back, he says, “My dad never asked for a cut. Not even gas money. I still owe him money!”

Paisley is now married and the father of two children. He has more respect for his father adding, “I relate to him in a different way.” Paisley’s father Doug is proud of what his son has become. The elder Paisley says, “He’s a great dad and a good husband. I feel I’ve been that…I gave up (weekend) military service because it gave me time with him.”

--Brad Paisley reveals he’s in debt to dad;http://www.theboot.com/2009/10/09/brad-paisley-reveals-hes-in-debt-to-dad/; October 9, 2009; Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Most people owe their parents more than they could ever repay. Most parents wouldn’t think of ever asking for anything in return, except maybe that their kids will take care of their grandkids the way they took care of them.

Ephesians 6:1-4 (CEV) “Children, you belong to the Lord, and you do the right thing when you obey your parents. The first commandment with a promise says, (2) "Obey your father and your mother, (3) and you will have a long and happy life." (4) Parents, don't be hard on your children. Raise them properly. Teach them and instruct them about the Lord. “

An Alaskan couple has proven they take their passion for parenting seriously. In 2000, Kathy and Tom each had successful careers, two houses, cars, and motorcycles. They were also raising three kids. Instead of adding family dinners and game nights to their schedule, the family sold everything and lived at sea for seven years. They shared life together in a boat, named Nueva Vida, without the comforts of television and cell phones.

Kathy told reporters the family decided to live in a cabin the size of a min-van because she and Tom wanted a real relationship with their children. She said,” I wanted to really know who they were…to know them and they to know us, not the baby-sitter, or the nanny.” She said while many teens focus on their social lives, their children learned every day, in each of the more than 20 countries they visited. Along with relationships and education, the family focused on work, rotating chores such as mending, fishing, and other tasks required to keep sailing. Both Tom and Kathy said one benefit of the time together was a lack of family fights. Despite seven years of five people living in such tight quarters, Kathy said, ”We don’t fight. We don’t raise our voice. There’s just no tolerance for it.” Tom added, ”I can’t tell you there was ever one fight between the kids”

Family of Five on Shore After Seven Years at Sea, http://www.gnn.com/article/crafton-family-of-five-on-shore-after/1204219;August 6, 2010. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

This family illustrates what it really takes to teach our children; explanation, experience, and example.

Deuteronomy 4:9 (NASB) "Only give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and your grandsons.

The day comes when all parents must recognize that their children have grown up and allow them to make their way in the world. Some parents have often trouble letting go.

For the clingy type parents whose children are attending a Chinese university in Wuhan, the college is helping. They are providing a “parents dormitory” for overprotective parents to live in at the college. “The college spokesman explains, “The new parents’ dormitory will at least ensure that clingy parents have a place to wash and eat.”

--The Week, October 1, 2010 p. 18Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Proverbs 22:6 (NIV) Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

Since the late 1990s, Florida has worked hard to improve the scores of students in the state’s schools. Many of the approaches involve testing, and fears have risen that teachers spend too much time preparing students for standardized tests, instead of actually teaching. Other legislative moves have tried to link a teacher’s pay to their student’s achievement. This has also lead critics to claim this shifts the focus to testing over teaching. Recently, legislatures are proposing new laws that would give teachers the opportunity to grade parents as well as the students.

Teachers agree that parental involvement is crucial to a child’s education, but they are not sure grading parents is the answer. The new proposal suggests parent’s grades would be based on getting their child to school on time, prepared to learn after a good night’s sleep and good breakfast. They also propose parents make sure their child has completed homework assignments, and are prepared for examinations. Finally, the grade would be based on regular communication taking place between parents and teachers. Legislators working on the proposed legislation say the intent is not to tell parents how to raise their kids. Representative Kelli Stargel added,” We have student accountability, we have teacher the parent and making sure the parents are held accountable.”

-- http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/01/26/florida.grading.parents; January 26, 2011. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Deuteronomy 6:5-7 (CEV) So love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul, and strength. (6) Memorize his laws (7) and tell them to your children over and over again. Talk about them all the time, whether you're at home or walking along the road or going to bed at night, or getting up in the morning.

A young 18-year-old from Connecticut would do well to remember the fifth commandment. When his mother insisted he clean his room, he cursed her. When things got out of hand, the police showed up and arrested him. His response was to tell the police, “I have rights.”

--The Week, October 14, 2011 p. 6 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

The fifth commandment, to Honor Father and Mother is often broken, even though Ephesians 6:2 reminds us that it is the only commandment with a promise. “That your days may be prolonged,” is a significant promise.

Exodus 20:12 (NASB) "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you.

While Ronald Reagan was president, a thirteen year-old boy sent him a letter requesting disaster relief funds because his mother asked him to clean his room. Recently, an Internet blogger rediscovered the letter and reposted it. In the original request, seventh grader Andy Smith from South Carolina wrote, “Today my mother declared my bedroom a disaster area. I would like to request federal funds to hire a crew to clean up my room.”

Using his usual wit and diplomatic style, President Reagan told the young man that the person or authority who made the declaration must request funds and he reminded Smith that funds were in short supply because there had been a number of hurricanes, floods, forest fires, and earthquakes that year. The President suggested a unique solution to the teenager’s problem. He said the government was sponsoring an initiative asking people to practice more volunteerism in local settings. He wrote, “Your situation appears to be a natural. I’m sure your mother was fully justified in proclaiming your room a disaster. Therefore you are in an excellent position to launch another volunteer program to go along with the more than 3,000 already underway in our nation – congratulations.” In closing, the President added, “Give my best regards to your mother.” No one knows if Smith took the President’s advice or not.

--Funny letter from Ronald Reagan to seventh-grader resurfaces, http://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/-/world/13731001/hilarious-president-reagan-letter-resurfaces ; May 18, 2012; Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Ephesians 6:1-3 (CEV) Children, you belong to the Lord, and you do the right thing when you obey your parents. The first commandment with a promise says, “Obey your father and your mother, and you will have a long and happy life."

Children are precious. Our responsibility as parents is to rear them in a way pleasing to God. Jenna Krehbiel certainly taught her three-year-old daughter one lesson she remembered. She was with her parents at a Kansas circus when one of the big cats escaped its handlers and entered into the ladies room.

Moments later Jenna entered the restroom not knowing of the escape. As she walked it the big cat met her, walking towards her. She quickly turned and left. The cat was captured and returned to its cage.

When Jenna told her daughter that she had encountered a tiger in the bathroom, the girl asked, “Did the Tiger wash its hands?” Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Proverbs 22:6 (CEV) Teach your children right from wrong, and when they are grown they will still do right.

Parenting does not begin at birth. It begins many months prior.
“Previous studies and anecdotes suggested unborn babies are able to learn sounds while still in the womb. Research has suggested newborn babies find sounds from other languages unfamiliar, with babies of English-speaking parents reacting differently to vowel sounds they don’t recognize. Newborn babies have also been found to recognize the theme song from their mom’s favorite TV show.”
In the research, babies who heard the specialized CD “in utero responded with significantly more brain memory activity than the babies in the control group. ‘These results indicate that the shaping of the central auditory system begins before birth,’ the researchers concluded. They also found the babies had learned the patterns of the alternating vowel sounds and emphasis, which indicated a genuine ability to learn while still in the womb.” —Jim L. Wilson and Randy Langham

http://www.worldmag.com/2013/08/new_scientific_study_proves_we_are_fearfully_and_wonderfully_made

What a great opportunity for parents to begin shaping the spirit of the child. When parents speak to the child and even read Scripture passages the child will be more receptive to the voice of the parents and of God.

2 Timothy 3:15 (CEV) Since childhood, you have known the Holy Scriptures that are able to make you wise enough to have faith in Christ Jesus and be saved.

(Little Kittel (759) notes the word for childhood, brephos, can include the sense of “embryo.”)

Dr. Paul White, father of teenage twin sons, says that parenting isn’t just about training your child in biblical principles, but it also involves getting them ready for the real world. One day his sons came home from school and told him and his wife that they no longer wanted to do chores. Their schedules were too busy. He and his wife acknowledged the boys thoughts but explained to them that they were a family and that everyone must work together to make the house run smoothly. If their train of thought prevailed, it meant that everyone must take care of their “own” things. The boys would have to do their own laundry, wash their own dishes, cook their own food, etc. Along with preparing them, the burden of paying for them would now fall on the boys because it was “their” stuff.

After their discussion, the boys quickly changed their minds. “As parents we must prepare our children to be able to function in the working world.” –Jim L. Wilson and Eric Gibbs

Proverbs 22:6 (HCSB)“Teach a youth about the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

Parenting

In 2013, Ethan Couch killed four people and seriously injured two others while driving drunk. In his defense, a psychologist testified that Couch was a victim of parents who never set limits for him and coined the word “affluenza” to describe what happens to a child who grows up without proper parental discipline. Prosecutors asked for 20 years behind bars, but the court sentenced him to ten years of probation.

I’m not an attorney and certainly don’t understand the nuances of the law, but one thing appears clear to me about in this case, the court acknowledged that the young man’s privileged upbringing did not prepare him for responsible adulthood. He would have been better off to have parents who would discipline him set appropriate limits for him, then to have lenient parents who gave him plenty of things, but did not give him the most important thing—discipline. –Jim L. Wilson

Proverbs 13:24 (HCSB)“The one who will not use the rod hates his son, but the one who loves him disciplines him diligently.”

“Ghost apps” allow users to conceal photos, video, and information in plain view on their phone. While they appear to function like other smartphone apps, when users enter a password, they reveal hidden photos, emails, messages, and other items. Frequently minors use these to hide their activity from their parents. Over 100 students in a Canon City, Colorado school used them to send naked photos of themselves and classmates.

One man reacted with weeping because he thought he was a failure as a father. He just could not believe his 12-year-old daughter would be sending out inappropriate naked pictures of herself. One authority told him, “You’re not a failure, our environment is failing our children, not just from us as parents, but our environment as a whole.”

Parenting may be more challenging than in the past, but Parents must be diligent in working to protect our children from evil. –Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/11/07/how-colorado-teenagers-hid-a-massive-nude-sexting-ring-from-parents-and-teachers/

Deuteronomy 6:6–7 (HCSB)“These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. ⁷ Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

Jenny Anderson, senior reporter for Quartz commented on the rising trend by writing, “My daughter just turned 11. A friend with older kids recently offered this advice: ‘Hold off on giving her a phone as long as possible. Once she gets it, you lose her.’”

When a parent gives a child a Smartphone is a decision they must weigh carefully. Certainly it creates positive possibilities like increased opportunities to interact with grandparents. But it also allows another avenue for pop culture to influence them during their tender developmental years. This is one of the choices parents face as they fulfill their parental responsibility of instructing their children in the ways of the Lord. —Jim L. Wilson

“Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates.

One of the main responsibilities inherent in rearing children is protecting them from harm. In Oregon, a father was molesting his daughter. At a men’s accountability group in his church he confessed to a group and was willing “to repent of his sins.” A member of the group alerted police, who charged the man. After trial the judge and sentenced him to 15 years in prison.

Most people believe, and the laws in most states say, that the church member did the right thing in making the report. What happened next is beyond belief. His wife is suing the church for informing the police. The woman wants $9.5 million to compensate for her husband’s lost earnings, “companionship society, love, and affection.” –Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

“See to it that you don’t despise one of these little ones, because I tell you that in heaven their angels continually view the face of my Father in heaven.