supporting parents in an online world
I sat down with Candice Dugger of Bullied Broken Redeemed to talk about revenge porn. The following is a summary of our conversation. To watch the entire interview, visit this link.
Candice Dugger is mom to two. She transitioned her children from public school to home school after almost losing her oldest son to suicide due to horrific in-person bullying at school, cyberbullying, and game bullying at home.
Continue reading “What is Revenge Porn?”
I’m privileged to welcome Mandy Majors as a guest author. I love Mandy’s down-to-earth, matter-of-fact, easygoing way of addressing hard topics. She is passionate about creating a culture of open communication and honest conversation in homes, churches and schools to keep kids safe in a digital world – and this attitude is reflected in her podcast and writings. Her popular podcast, nextTalk, is a must-listen for today’s parents.
One morning as we were getting ready for school, my daughter asked a question I wasn’t prepared for. It was highly sexualized. This was not a “where do babies come from” question. I didn’t know this “thing” existed until I was a nineteen-year-old college student. She was NINE!
Continue reading “Learning to Respond Differently to Pornography”
A few conversations I’ve had recently, along with my last post written by John Fort, caused me to think about my past, my thoughts on sex, and the connection between pornography and sexuality. Is one connected to the other? (Spoiler alert: Yes!) If so, how has pornography affected my views on sex and sexuality, and how does watching pornography affect my child’s views?
Before we can help our children and the choices they face, we need to analyze our views and thoughts on our own sexuality. Understanding our hang-ups and the reasoning behind them, and our current viewpoint and basis for those beliefs help us have clearer, deeper, and honest, albeit difficult, conversations with our children.
Continue reading “Pornography and Sexuality”
It’s my privilege to introduce John Fort, my guest blogger. I met John at a Safeguard Alliance meeting and love his message and his heart. I read his book Honest Talk: A New Perspective on Talking to Your Kids About Sex and was challenged to have more direct, specific conversations with my children especially regarding God’s design for sex. The feelings charts, conversation guides, and activities in the book are extremely helpful. I love his direct approach and think you will find this post a great resource.
Explaining God’s design for sex to our children can be a scary proposition. Few of us feel confident with the subject, and many fear it may strain our relationship with our child. However, when done with empathy, these conversations usually draw our kids closer to us.
Continue reading “Explaining God’s Design for Sex to Children & Teens”
I saw photos of my daughter and me moving my son out of his dorm room a year ago. They reminded me of the sadness and uncertainty I felt.
As we pass the anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic declaration and walk through other anniversaries – quarantining, masks, intimate Easter celebrations at home, ordering groceries online, and learning the full meaning of Zoom meetings – it’s only fitting to reflect on how our households have changed in regard to technology and our response to everything online, as well as the dynamics within our homes. How have we grown? How have we regressed? And what about pornography in a pandemic?
Continue reading “Pornography in a Pandemic”
It’s my pleasure to introduce you to Lisa Frost. I recently read the book she and her husband, Jason, wrote, and was impressed with their extensive knowledge and research. I appreciate their input and insight to today’s digital age and how it affects teens. And, I’m sure you’ll glean some information from the following post. Be sure to read to the end to find out how to enter the drawing to win their book, The Glass Between Us.
“Saying no to porn is not just a choice; it’s a statement of who I am and where I am going.”
Jason Frost
Who turned the gravity up on this generation? I remember when two of my freshmen students, Ben and Jenna, nervously approached my desk. They struggled to find the right words, but they had courage and spoke up. Ben went first, “I told Kerry I didn’t want to see those pictures!” What was he getting at, I wondered? What pictures? Ben stammered, “I really didn’t want to look at them, but it’s so hard when they are right there on my phone.” Kerry had been sending nudes. You could see the weight on Ben’s face. He was deeply burdened. Jenna went on to share that Kerry, their classmate, was not well. She was severely depressed and if things got bleak enough, she told them she had something in her purse to end it all.
Continue reading “The Fallacy of Neutrality — and a GIVEAWAY!”
Who has time for self-care when their child is struggling? As parents, we tend to put everyone else first, neglecting our own well-being. We take on guilt and lose our individuality. We assume we’ll have time to take care of ourselves after the crisis has passed. But while we’re frantically patching up the problems on the outside, our insides are deteriorating.
This week, I join Marilyn Evans at ParentsAward/Media Savvy Mom on a podcast to talk about the importance of self-care, especially when our child is in a crisis. Head over to the podcast here and listen to us discuss the importance of self-care. The show notes are listed below to give you a taste of what you’ll learn.
Continue reading “The Importance of Self-Care”
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”