PODCASTS

Tag: #parenting

Issues in Education – Unruly fans, Rushed cafeterias – 10/02/23

Issues in Education – Unruly fans, Rushed cafeterias – 10/02/23

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“Issues in Education” — A weekly Family Life news feature

Are schoolkids getting enough time to eat lunch?

What is the proper role for cell phones during school hours?

How is the new “3 Strikes & Your Out” policy working at scholastic sporting events?

Education watchdog Ralph Kerr offers his insights on this week’s school and classroom topics.

 

Dr. Kerr is founder and president of the Teaching and Learning Institute. More information on their take on education and school-board topics is available here.

Issues in Education _ 4-Day Weeks, Homework, E-Buses _ 09/18/23

Issues in Education _ 4-Day Weeks, Homework, E-Buses _ 09/18/23

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“Issues in Education”

What is happening affecting students, families, educators and taxpayers in Pennsylvania’s and New York’s school districts?

Education watchdog Dr. Ralph Kerr joins us on Mondays during the Family Life Noon Report for our “Issues in Education” feature. In this week’s interview:

  • As some business and labor interests push for shorter work weeks, should public schools which to a four-day week?
  • Does homework serve a purpose anymore?
  • With the push to go toward 100% all-electric vehicles, what does that mean for school bus fleets in the decade ahead?

Ralph Kerr, following a 30-year career as a school administrator, now leads the Teaching and Learning Institute headquartered in Houghton, New York.

 

Family Life Interview – Too much screentime – Cleveland Clinic – 09/14/23

Family Life Interview – Too much screentime – Cleveland Clinic – 09/14/23

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A Cleveland Clinic pediatric psychologist cautions parents that too much time on social media and video games can harm children.

Dr. Michael Manos says teens can experience multiple harmful consequences if screentime overtakes their life

  • they often lose sleep, if they take their phones to their bedroom
  • they lose the ability to empathize with real people, because in-person interactions are more complex than online connections
  • creativity drops off, because video games are scripted and pre-programmed without real-life spontaneity

The staff psychologist at Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Pediatric Behavioral Health says the implications apply to everyone of every age. He also quotes some challenging recommendations from national pediatricians’ groups: Children under age 5 should have no more than one hour of screentime per day, and toddlers under age 3 should never have phones or tablets.

He also says adults’ own interactions with devices matter, for themselves and as role models for their families. In this Family Life interview, Dr. Manos also offers his advice about what should happen with televisions in your family’s sleeping areas.

 

Real Answers – Parents ARE their children’s primary educator – 09/13/23

Real Answers – Parents ARE their children’s primary educator – 09/13/23

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As another school year begins, parents cannot just “hand off” the education of their children to schools and teachers.

So says professional counselor Christopher Anderson, who offers practical advice on “Real Answers“, the Family Life news feature which addresses big issues facing Christians and Christian families.Anderson emphasizes that parents are their children’s primary educator, especially on faith training and values awareness. In this conversation:

  • Developing confidence, when a parent is uncertain whether they are “up to the job”
  • Christopher Anderson’s take on parental roles, amid changing social and cultural standards
  • Why many are switching to home schooling, and considerations if you might be pondering that
  • The vital role of parents and families for students who are in public schools
  • How to guide teens in ethical behavior, even if a parent faltered on sinful behavior when they were growing up
Hometown Heroes – Chad Kurtz – Truth in Nature (dads) – 09/12/23

Hometown Heroes – Chad Kurtz – Truth in Nature (dads) – 09/12/23

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:34 — 7.6MB)

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Family Life’s “Hometown Heroes“

Chad Kurtz of Brookville, Pennsylvania, saw the challenges boys face in childhood and their teen years, when a father or father figure is not prominent in their lives. He directs the local chapter of “Truth in Nature”, a ministry which matches responsible Christian men with young people who need that kind of positive male influence.

Truth in Nature reaches out in response to a Biblical mandate to care for the fatherless. The need is great, with 18.5 million fatherless boys in the United States. Kurtz tells Family Life that real-world statistics show young people have very prominent incidents of imprisonment, homelessness, running away, suicide, and self-esteem issues. Of 27 recent mass shootings, 26 of those were committed by someone who did not have a dad at home.

Not all situations are dire, and single mothers do amazing work, and this ministry provides support to them too. For the boys, male teens and even those of college age, Truth in Nature provides experiences, advice and encouragement how to grow up as a healthy and respectful man. Activities include camping, learning to hunt, how to fold clothes, how to shave, and spiritual teachings.

Truth in Nature started in Georgia in 2009, and recently opened chapters in Pennsylvania and New York. Kurtz and others from Brookville are available to speak at churches and civic organizations.

 

 

Inside Out – Are you a Parenting-centered couple, or a Couple-centered couple? – 09/06/23

Inside Out – Are you a Parenting-centered couple, or a Couple-centered couple? – 09/06/23

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:00 — 38.5MB)

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Parents can be tempted to make the children the family’s highest priority. But giving our children the best of our time and attention is not actually what’s best for them, according to Dr. Greg Smalley.  

Smalley is an author and speaker who serves as vice president of Marriage at Focus on the Family. He says that your children benefit when you make your marriage the priority.    

“When our marriage is healthy, everybody wins,” Smalley says. 

Giving the marriage priority status means taking the time to stay up to date on your spouse’s hopes and feelings.  “We have to continually be rediscovering our spouse,” he says. 

It also means making a habit of talking through the times you hurt each other along the way.   “We have to repair when we have arguments and when we have conflict and when we hurt each other,” Smalley says. “We’ve got to be willing to repair.” 

Everyone in a family benefits when spouses commit to the work of deepening their marriage.  “I think if couples are pursuing each other, keeping current and re-discovering each other and then repairing when those conflicts happen, man, those two things alone are going to take us so far as far as staying connected in our marriage,” he says. 

Learn more about Dr. Greg Smalley here and here.

Special Feature – Safety, Social Media, and Child Trafficking

Special Feature – Safety, Social Media, and Child Trafficking

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:46 — 7.9MB)

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“the Dark Side of social media”

It goes without saying: parents would not intentionally toss their children into a swimming pool filled with sharks.  The presenters at an upcoming seminar, though, say that is essentially what we are doing when we allow children and teens access to much of social media.

Lisa Hansen(from Power over Predators) and Joseph Sweeney (from the Asservo Project) invite families to their workshop this October. On our Monday Noon Report, Terese Main shares important insights from Lisa Hansen who delves into the dark side of social media, discussing the physical dangers and potential exploitation. The United States has 500,000 online sexual predators — half a million people who are a potential danger to your children and their friends.

 

“Lisa believes our children are our most vulnerable and valuable treasure—begging to be cherished and protected. She is convinced that every life matters, and every story deserves the chance for a happy ending.”

This is important information for parents, grandparents, teachers, church leaders and law enforcement personnel to have. It is important motivation for all of us to have.

Further resources :

https://www.familylife.org/events/the-dark-side-of-social-media-seminar/

Faith Under Fire – Bipartisan Culture Battles – 08/24/23

Faith Under Fire – Bipartisan Culture Battles – 08/24/23

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Family Life’s “Faith Under Fire”

A new conversation with a parent-rights advocate Randy Thomasson, who is among a throng citizens who oppose proposed California legislation which would insert support tor transgender-transition advocacy into the state’s child custody battle. The founder of SaveCalifornia.com expands that theme to the national level battles which are happening around gender and other social contentious social issues.

Thomasson says mainstream positions are gaining momentum in many places. That continues, as people with traditional values — be they Democrats, Republicans, or Independents — step forward, speak out and act. He offers advice specifically for Pennsylvania and New York parents.

 

Update on California Bill AB-957: Thomasson also spoke with Family Life earlier this summer as this bill was being debated in the California State Assembly. This week (August 21) the state Senate there approved moving the bill forward to a floor vote for final approval. You can listen to, share or download that earlier conversation from our News Podcasts page.

Faith Under Fire – Parental Rights and Children’s Gender Identity Laws – 07/20/23

Faith Under Fire – Parental Rights and Children’s Gender Identity Laws – 07/20/23

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:46 — 8.0MB)

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Family Life’s “Faith Under Fire”

A parents-rights advocate says proposed laws are putting children and teen at risk. Randy Thomasson of SaveCalifornia.com updates us on a proposed California law now up for amendments and a vote this month (July 2023) in their state senate. This, he says, opens dangers for underage children in every state.

The legislation seeks to place a parent’s affirmation of of their child’s preferred gender identity among the criteria considered in child custody cases. That would mean in a case of a divorce or when a child or teen runs away (even from outside of California), judges would consider a parent who disagrees with the child’s announced gender role, the health and safety of the child could be considered “at risk” with that parent.

Thomasson tells Family Life’s Greg Gillispie that hundreds of California parents (from both sides of the aisle) showed up in the capitol building during hearings, strongly opposed to the proposed change in the law. He predicts it will pass and get the governor’s signature.

There have been similar pushes for such laws in New York and other states. Thomasson offers advice for families everywhere, in how to protect their own children and teens amid the current culture wars.

More on the California legislation, and its potential effects elsewhere:

  • Many lawmakers in Sacramento support Assembly Bill AB-957,
  • Lobbying by SaveCalifornia.com.
  • Multiple thousands who had body-altering procedures, while they were underage, are now regretting that choice. Some want to reverse the surgery or hormone treatments.
Issues in Education – Teaching burnout, Trade schools, and LGBTQ curricula – 06/05/23

Issues in Education – Teaching burnout, Trade schools, and LGBTQ curricula – 06/05/23

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:17 — 7.3MB)

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“Issues in Education”

High Schoolers are ditching College for Blue-Collar Jobs…

Going Woke in the Classroom in NY and PA…

Dr. Ralph Kerr of the “Teaching and Learning Institute” equips Christians on how to engage with their local public schools.  Listen for more about what trends and issues are happening in YOUR local school.

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