Parenting Archives - HOPEFUL MOM

April 7, 2025April 7, 2025

5 Steps to Talk to Your Kids About Porn

Greta Eskridge It's Time to Talk to Your Kids About Porn

Greta Eskridge is here! What a privilege! Greta’s recently released book, It’s Time to Talk To Your Kids About Porn, quickly became a best seller. Her topic is timely and essential. And, like most of you who’ve been here at Hopeful Mom know, one I’m passionate about. I recommend Greta’s book and listening to our discussion How Do I Respond When My Child Sees Porn? on her podcast. For those who’ve learned their child has seen pornography, I recommend the following downloadable booklets in the My Child Saw Porn series: You Are Not Alone and What Do I Do Now? And please be sure to subscribe for the FREE PDF: 7 Steps After Your Child Sees Porn.

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. —Psalm 34:18

It’s what every parent dreads and the message I get every week: “My child has been exposed to pornography. I feel sick. I am devastated. What do I do?” The details vary—confessed or discovered, accidental exposure or sought out, at a friend’s house or at home, younger child or older teen, on an unlocked device or fully protected one—but the end result is always the same: devastated, heartbroken parents and a struggling child.

This doesn’t have to be the end of the story. There is hope and healing available for your child, and it starts with you. Your posture in this moment makes a tremendous difference in how your child will process this event.

March 17, 2025March 14, 2025

You’re Making a Difference!

International Women’s Day is in March. To be honest, I didn’t know that was a thing until recently. I received an email from Defend Young Minds, an organization devoted to developing tools to help raise screen-smart kids, saying they “wanted to recognize the amazing women leading the charge in child safety, advocacy, and education.” They listed me as one of the 20 Inspiring Women Dedicated to Making Life Safer for Kids. They thanked me for the impact I’m making in this space.

My jaw hit the floor. Really. Because, while I know Kristen Jenson, Best Seller Good Pictures, Bad Pictures and Founder of Defend Young Minds, her influence is far, far (far!) greater than mine. And when I read the list of women, I saw pioneers who paved the way for people like me. They lead the charge against big corporations. They fly to Washington DC to lobby for our children’s safety. They make a difference!

I hadn’t thought of myself as one of those women. One dedicated to making life safer for kids.

March 3, 2025March 3, 2025

What Screens Aren’t Teaching

What important life skills are our children not being taught by screens? My friend, Christy Bass Adams, answers that question in this guest post. Christy’s compassionate heart comes through in this message to parents and those of us who spend a significant amount of time on our screens.

Our church recently hosted a workshop entitled, Are You the Screen Hero Your Child Needs? with speaker Barb Winters. She shared the dangers of unmonitored online access to kids and teens and the unhealthy habits and dynamics created in their lives. She also highlighted dangers and possible predators waiting to devour our children.

It’s easy to write these things off, especially when we are distracted or singularly focused. We need our kids quiet and entertained, so we put screens in front of them. They eat breakfast, lunch, and supper in front of screens. Everything revolves around keeping them entertained and engaged. Who actually knows what their minds are taking in?

What does this teach our kids?

More importantly, what are screens not teaching them?

February 17, 2025February 16, 2025

The Impact of Betrayal Trauma on Parents

Healthy relationships thrive on trust. When one person betrays the other, that trust breaks and the relationship’s solid foundation crumbles. Betrayal trauma may follow.

Several years into my son’s ordeal, I read about the effects of betrayal trauma in Dr. Sheri Keffer’s book Intimate Deception. She states, “Trauma is a reaction of our bodies, minds, and emotions to a deeply distressing event. . . . Like a death, earthquake, or car crash, the event happens suddenly and changes us without warning, causing us to feel shock, denial, agony, terror, or helplessness.” Keffer explains that these reactions can be ongoing if the deception (betrayal) is ongoing.[i]

The description rang true. I can’t enumerate all the ramifications of my son’s deceit, but I remember the sting of being lied to. At the time, I could not have imagined this child ever lying to me.

February 3, 2025January 31, 2025

From Trafficking Victim to Advocate: Kelley’s Journey of Triumph and Transformation

Trafficking Victim, Kelley Frenchko-Gordon

When I first met Kelley, her smile and energetic disposition lit up the room. I would not have guessed her past. Her enthusiasm and zeal for life is contagious and inspiring. I’m certain you’ll find her message insightful. practical and full of hope.

It’s safe to say we are living in strange times, and sanity of mind is a hard thing to come by these days. Up is down, left is right, evil is good, good is evil, and we’re just trapped in the whirlwind of it all. But I’ll begin by posing this question: are we actually trapped or were we intentionally placed here for such a time as this? To speak truth louder than the lies and to shine forth a light in the darkness. To shake things up. To disturb things. To flip some tables. To raise up a generation who will not be silenced. A generation who will lead in boldness and power, authenticity and humility. A generation built by confrontation, having learned to stand in the face of opposition and fear. I believe wholeheartedly that we are called to just that, and if you’re reading this, I’ve got a feeling you do too.

January 21, 2025January 21, 2025

Choices That Lead to Your Best Life

Choices. We make them all day long. Should I have cereal or eggs for breakfast? Should I wear the black shoes or the navy? Should I brush my teeth today or not? . . . Wait! You don’t stop to think about that last one? . . . Come to think of it, neither do I. I automatically brush my teeth each and every morning. That’s a decision I made in middle school. A done deal. Or is it? While I concluded during my adolescent years that brushing my teeth daily is an absolute must, I can still walk away from this beneficial habit today if I want to. Hmmm. Nope. I think I’ll stick with it.

January 10, 2025January 10, 2025

Opening My Eyes to the Realities of Sex Trafficking

January is Human Trafficking Awareness month. I met Jessica Brodie last fall and learned of her passion to educate others about the sex trafficking issue plaguing our society. Jessica offers insight and wisdom to us in her post.

Like many people, I used to make a lot of assumptions about sex trafficking—I assumed it only happened in “those” neighborhoods or to “those” kinds of kids—girls who didn’t know better, or whose moms were in the sex industry. I assumed the girls knew what they were getting into and simply made a choice—a bad one, but one they made with eyes wide open.

December 27, 2024January 9, 2025

Self-Care for the New Year

As December turns to January, tradition dictates that we reflect on the past year, shed unhealthy habits, and resolve to live a healthier lifestyle. A fresh start.

Easier said than done. Parenting never ends and doesn’t make room for reflection or renewed routines.

If you think life’s too busy to take care of your physical, emotional, and mental health, you’re not alone. According to 2023 data, “48% of parents say that most days their stress is completely overwhelming compared to 26% among other adults.”[i]

December 9, 2024December 4, 2024

Victors in the Battle for Sexual Integrity

I’m thrilled to introduce Teri White, an incredible advocate for sexual risk avoidance education. Teri works directly with schools, equipping students with tools for healthy decision-making, and has also developed a curriculum to help parents teach their children about sexual integrity. I had the pleasure of meeting Teri in person at a homeschool conference and was immediately drawn to her warm and engaging personality. As two retired homeschool moms now dedicated to guiding students toward healthier choices, we share a deep passion for this work. It’s an honor to share her insights in this post.

E. Stanley Jones wrote, “Sex has produced more happiness and more unhappiness than any single thing in life. It all depends on what you do with it.”

These words crafted by Jones are on point. The battle for sexual integrity has been fought since the beginning of time by all individuals, young and old alike. Every person born on earth will, at some point, make the decision to live to the highest of moral standards about their own sexual behaviors or avoid it all together. Because this is a battle of great magnitude, it is imperative that individuals are prepared and equipped to face the struggle without fear. But how? How does one become combat ready and equipped to engage in the battle?

November 11, 2024December 6, 2024

Benefits of Parenting with Gratitude

“The root of joy is gratefulness… It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful.” ― Brother David Steindl-Rast[i]

Parenting is fulfilling. But it’s also relentless, scary, and full of disappointments. Days are long. Tasks are repetitive. Problems are nonstop. If we’re not careful, months pass without a pleasant thought, and our mental health spirals. Add a child who makes unhealthy choices, and we can collapse into a trance-like state pretty quickly. We squash our lofty goals into one: simply making it through each day.