supporting parents in an online world
If I have to smile at one more person I might throw up.
I waited for the church service to begin, an emotional mess from my son’s recent confession. He was still watching pornography.
A still small voice. You can do this.
“Good morning. How are you?” Smile. Nod. Laugh. Direct them to the coffee area. Repeat.
Continue reading “A Focus Shift is Healthy”
It’s my privilege to introduce Dena Yohe, award winning author of You Are Not Alone: Hope for Hurting Parents of Troubled Kids. I met Dena at a writers conference and was immediately attracted to her calm, warm demeanor and soothing voice. Dena has been a hurting parent and runs a ministry designed to comfort hurting parents. I’ve learned much from her words of wisdom, and I pray you glean some understanding from her post.
We live in a broken world full of hurting families. This reality hit hard several years ago when my peaceful Sunday morning was harshly interrupted by tragic news. A mass shooting had occurred the night before at a local downtown night club called The Pulse. 49 people were reported dead, 53 wounded. When I heard about the incidence, I was still reeling from more sad news I’d heard twenty-four hours earlier. Christina Grimmie, a young Christian singer (a recent participant on the television program, The Voice) had been shot and killed by a fan following a performance. My thoughts were immediately drawn to the bereaved parents of all these victims.
Continue reading “6 Truths to Comfort Hurting Families in a Broken World and a GIVEAWAY!”
In recognition of Human Trafficking Awareness Month, let’s look at the link between pornography and human trafficking.
Porn fuels human trafficking and human trafficking fuels porn. Let’s explore this statement.
Human trafficking is modern day slavery. It’s buying and selling humans. It’s objectification. Traffickers turn people into products or commodities—not just in countries “over there,” but in the states also!
Right now, TODAY, people—men, women, and children—are illegally traded. They are recruited, controlled and used through deception, force, and coercion. You may be thinking: How is this possible? And Why should I care? Before I answer these questions, let’s look at some facts.
Continue reading “Porn Fuels Human Trafficking”
I’m so excited to introduce Melody Bergman. I met Melody about six months ago and was immediately drawn to her beautiful smile and upbeat attitude. Melody is a fellow mom working to fight against pornography and its draw, especially in this new climate of digital parenting. She’s worked in this arena for years and knows her stuff. I love her writing style. I was hooked at the first paragraph of this piece and couldn’t stop reading until the end. I hope you find her words of wisdom encouraging and supportive.
Dim the lights. Here comes Mom, walking into a silent room where everyone’s faces are lit by the glow of little screens. The TV is on, but no one is watching. Handheld devices click and ping through the darkness. Mom starts talking, but no one hears. They are totally absorbed.
Does this sound familiar?
Continue reading “Where is the Village? A Shout-out to Moms in the Digital Parenting Arena”
“I keep trying to hold back the anger I’m feeling.” Susan’s lower lip quivered. We sat on my back porch drinking coffee and watching the sunset. This wasn’t the first conversation we’d had about her child’s porn use.
She leaned in and whispered, “I know I shouldn’t be angry.”
I looked her in the eye. “I don’t think that’s true. Of course, you’re angry. That’s a perfectly acceptable response to the situation in your home.”
“Really? You think so?”
Continue reading “Should Your Child’s Porn Use Anger You?”
It’s a privilege to have Chris McKenna from Protect Young Eyes as a guest author. He is my go-to guru on all things tech-y. He loves kids, has an upbeat attitude, and is a walking encyclopedia of knowledge, keeping up with the latest gadgets, devices, and apps available. If you have a question, he has the answer. In this post his answers the question, “Why can’t kids stop clicking?”
This article is printed with permission from Protect Young Eyes.
Parents, this blog post will require around 7 minutes of your time – 7 precious minutes that will give you understanding that you’ve never had about your children.
Key take-aways: if your child looks at porn, it’s probably not their fault. And if they admit it, give them a high-five.
Continue reading “Why Kids Look at Pornography (It’s not their fault)”
Until a few years ago, I almost never used the word “pornography” or “porn.” When I found myself needing to refer to it, I whispered and practically choked on the word as it exited my mouth. I didn’t want to talk about pornography.
If I needed to refer to pornographic images, I said “inappropriate pictures” and assumed those around me knew what I meant. Even then, I typically lowered my voice, spoke to the ground, and blushed. I found it uncomfortable.
Continue reading “How Do We Talk About Pornography?”
I’m excited to introduce Christy Bass Adams. We met recently at a writers conference. When I told her I was writing a book for parents of children struggling with pornography, she said, “I was that kid.” I immediately knew I wanted her to guest post here for us. Even though Christy grew up in a different era, I believe hearing the thoughts and trials of the addicted child is helpful. Christy says her addiction was a safe rebellion. I hope her insight gives us some perspective from the other side so we can be better parents. And, mostly, I hope her recovery as an adult reminds us our children’s stories are not over. They can still heal, even if it’s not in our timing. ~ Barb
I was 12 years old when I first viewed pornography at a friend’s house. The curiosity only grew from there. A child of the 80’s and 90’s, the internet wasn’t really a thing yet, so late night cable programming, printed material, and email spam were the easy avenues to seek it out. Thankfully I lived in a safe home where my parents monitored TV programming and everything else we did. So it remained only a curiosity for a long time.
Continue reading “A Safe Rebellion”
Ouch. My toes have been stepped on. And I hope the pain causes a change in me—and in you.
I read this on Collin Kartchner’s #savethekids website: “Smart phones and social media are the new drug of choice in homes. They hooked parents, disconnected them from their kids, distracted us from who is truly important, and taught us that “likes” = self-worth—and now our kids are modeling us. Kids need our eyes and our love and validation more than ever before. Showing your kids you love them is 2% effort and 98% just putting down your phone.”
Continue reading “Collin Kartchner of #savethekids Leaves A Timely Message for Parents and Kids”
I recently heard someone say, “Send your child to church. They will quit misbehaving. The youth group leaders will teach them right from wrong.” I wanted to spit out my drink–even though I wasn’t drinking at the time. I managed to swallow my, “Yeah, right!” sarcastic response. But my next thought was: The church can’t fix our children.
Continue reading “The Church Can’t Fix Our Children”