Blogs for Feb, 2009

New Faith-Based Parenting Research

I came across some recent research on parenting and faith that I thought was interesting.

Among other findings:

Most American parents feel their parenting skills and family life are pretty good, but they are reluctant to describe their homes as peaceful, relaxed or joyful and their daily family time consists mostly of eating dinner and watching television, according to a new study from LifeWay Research. While most parents are trying to improve their skills, far ...

Parenting - Wisdom & Doubt

Just about two years ago I was invited by the Director of Social Services here in Mansfield to apply for a position as coordinator of an underage drinking prevention project. I was intrigued but intimidated. I loved working with community groups that wanted to make the world a better place for families and kids. But having just recently survived the twilight zone of my daughter’s adolescence and that of several other young people I loved, ...

If it’s not my child and it’s not your child… so who is it?

Moderator - John Boiano - iParent Chairperson, peaceful activist and independent consultant to school systems on creating and sustaining a positive and supportive culture.

What do you think of when you think of a bully… who are they, where are they, who are the victims and who are the perpetrators? School systems seem to think that it’s the parent’s fault and parents tend to think the blame lies at school. In fact, both are correct!

It Takes A Village...

As a young boy growing up in Huntington, Long Island in the 50’s and early 60’s, I was guided and nurtured not only by my parents, but also by many of their friends in the neighborhood. My parents’ friends became my adoptive “aunts” and “uncles,” who all knew how I was doing in school, who came to all of my high school football games, and who were clearly invested in me as I developed from ...

Of Substance

As I was watching the Super Bowl, and realized that this is a great opportunity to talk about the impact that advertising has on our attitudes towards alcohol use. We all know that the Super Bowl provides one of the greatest television advertising opportunities of the year, and many of us look forward to the latest Budweiser commercial (remember Spuds McKenzie and the singing frogs?). While I appreciate the entertainment value of those ads, I think we need to consider the impact that they have on the millions of youth who watch them along with us.

Where Are We Going?

Parents who passionately care about their kids are also a bit overwhelmed by the task of parenting. This can be especially true when it comes to the intersection of faith and parenting. Do I force my teen to go to church? Temple? At what age do they make that choice? How do I share my own faith – doubts and all – with my children? What role does faith and faith community play in parenting? These are all questions I hear a lot and will try to address in the coming months here.

Parenting In A Connected World

Parents tell me they are so overwhelmed because kids seem to understand technology better than most adults do. Because they are so connected to each other today, it has become very difficult to effectively parent our kids. After all, when was the last time one of your kid's friends actually called your house to talk to your son or daughter and you got to answer the phone and actually hear who was calling? Most kids today have cell phones, email accounts, Facebook or My Space pages and a slew of other ways of connecting to one another in ways that basically shut parents out of the loop. Am I right? It's time we mount a challenge to that by getting smarter about how all this technology works! B As Cnnctd As Ur Kids R! I'll try to help you understand the power of what has become known as Web 2.0 and how to embrace it. It's not going away.