MONTHLY ARCHIVES: May 2011

99 Thoughts on Parenting Teenagers

Posted by Phil

At Ridgecrest Summer Camps, we know that being a parent isn’t always straight forward. As you do your best to raise your campers, we want to supply you with a wide variety of resources. With that in mind, check out this book… The Truth on Raising Teenagers From Parents Who Have Been There by Walt Mueller

If you’re the parent of a teenager, you need all the help you can get. How do you help your children make wise choices? How do you give your teenagers freedom to make their own choices while still providing a guiding hand? How do you invest your time and energy in ways that make an eternal difference in your children’s lives?

Walt Mueller delivers the goods in 99 Thoughts for Parents of Teenagers, a no-holds-barred look at the good, bad, and ugly aspects of parenting teenagers. Drawing on his experience as a parent of four children who have passed through their teenage years, Walt shares wisdom, thoughts, insights, and suggestions for making the teenage years count.

If you’re a parent, you’ll want to read, devour, and absorb the dynamic truths in this book. And if you’re a youth worker, you’ll want to get this book into the hands of parents in your ministry to guide them, encourage them, and give them insights on fulfilling God’s great call to raise children who pursue a Jesus-centered life.

Click here to download an excerpt.

…Center for Parent Youth Understanding.


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Parenting with Trust and Faith

Posted by Phil

A little girl disappears without a trace. A 3 year-old drowns when he wanders off from a family reunion. Hardly a day passes without hearing tragic stories like these that make you shiver as the unthinkable flashes through your mind.

Becoming a parent is not as simple as entering other stages in your life. Parenting is more like being engulfed by a violent tornado and flung into the land of Oz. Everything is foreign and frightening. Once you are a parent, the world, along with its possibilities, offers unlimited dangers.

Parents want to protect their children from danger. God wires parents to be protective of their children.

Last year as my daughters and I were emptying one of our compost bins, I inadvertently hit a mouse’s bed with my shovel. As five pink baby mice fell to the ground, their screeching mother bravely darted in and out of the bin to rescue each one. She need not have bothered; I was far too queasy to harm either her or her squirming offspring. But it was a vivid example of how mothers will sacrifice themselves for their children. As you become a parent, you instinctively wrap your arms around your children and hold on tightly.

Read More…


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Family Connection, More Than Words

Posted by Phil

As you continue to connect with your kids by talking with them and asking them questions, try to connect with them in a different way…

Another way is to be involved in a project as a family. Here are some suggestions:

Volunteer at a food bank or homeless shelter. Contact the organization in advance as many require appointments.

In many communities, families of children who receive free or reduced lunches during the school year struggle during the summer. Find out if there is a way your family can minister to these families during the summer months.

Giving Jar – Put an empty jar in a prominent place in your house and let your kids help decide in advance what organization will be the recipient of the money. As you add loose change to the jar talk about needs of people and pray not only about how you, as a family, can meet those needs but for the people receiving help.

Did you try it? Share what happened with us right here in the comment section. You may end up helping another parent as well…


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