General Conference Notes About Parenting: My Perspective!


Parenting is my passion. So, every Conference I find myself listening for good parenting counsel from the leaders of the church. In recent years, strengthening the family and building good relationships has been an important Conference topic. We live in the last days, when Satan is attacking us where it really matters. In our homes. He encourages us to be selfish and short tempered. He sets our hearts on worldly projects instead of eternal ones. During these difficult social and economic times we can find peace and joy by focusing our best efforts on our eternal family relationships.

Here is what I learned from Conference, about parenting, this year:

Sister Jean A. Stevens
Jean A. Stevens told us to learn from the children. She reminded us that children are born good and usually exemplify good characteristics naturally such as humility, compassion, and believing hearts.

We need to trust in that goodness as we parent. If we trust that our children want to do good, then we can stop ourselves from judging their behaviors and actions. When we judge our children harshly it is usually because we are being selfish. A selfish parent cannot change the heart of a disobedient child. Parenting is really about connecting parents and children on a heart to heart level. Continue reading

Unrated vs Clean: It’s Time to Demand Choose-Your-Own-Rating DVD Options

[Cross Posted from Sixteen Small Stones]

A few years ago a film came out that my wife and I had wanted to see, but we didn’t get around to seeing it in the theatre. So when it came out on DVD, I stopped by a local video rental and picked it up. In our family, we don’t watch R-rated films. Since I knew that this particular film had been rated PG-13, I hadn’t bothered looking at the rating on the DVD when I rented it, I just hurriedly found the title and picked it up.

Even though we both wanted to see it, my wife ended up watching the movie without me while I was at work. She called me, shocked, because the film contained a scene full of gratuitous nudity and explicit sexual activity. Embarrassed, I double checked that the film had been PG-13 using an Internet search. A closer look at the DVD container showed that the DVD contained an “Unrated” version of the movie. We had fallen for a bait-and-switch! The theatrical version had been rated PG-13, but it was not available to be rented on DVD. You could only rent the “Unrated” version.

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Relationship Repair Work

It is garden time at my house.  I really love putting in a garden with the family!  We spent a good amount of time today in the garden pulling weeds and planting new, good seeds.  

Raising children is similar to gardening.  We have to keep nourishing, and planting new seeds to strengthen the garden.  Keep your relationships with your teens, and other children alive and growing by having lots of good talk together, play together, and work together time.  

We can all think of long lists of things we need to weed out of our child’s garden, but if our nourishing relationship isn’t being worked on then the weeding will not work as well as you hope for.  

Focus your best efforts on Continue reading

Teenagers vs. Youth: “I am Not a Teenager!”

If you are tired of teenage attitudes and problems this is something you will want to know.  http://www.iamnotateenager.com/has a free book preview written by youth for teens. The book shows teenagers there is a different way to be.  They can be “youth” instead.  There is a difference. 

Have you noticed that the brethern of the church refer to people ages 12- 18 as “youth” or “young men and  young women?”  They don’t call the “young adults” teenagers.  Teenagers are a different kind of person than a youth.  Youth want adult responsibilites and strive to live adult like.  They value family relationships and are engaged in purpose filled learning.  Teenagers want the “perks” of being older, but don’t want the responsibilities or the study. 

Each week I teach a class for youth ages 12-16 Continue reading