5–Minute Parenting: Tips to Help You Raise Competent, Godly Kids.

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If you haven’t listened to an earlier podcast I did on “Helping our Children Develop a Biblical Worldview, ”I suggest you go back and listen to that podcast, because some of that information is foundational to help your child build a positive, godly self-image and that will go a long way in helping them stand against all the negative feedback they receive in their life.

What Forgiveness Does Not Mean:

• They won’t feel hurt or sad anymore.
• They feel all warm an fuzzy after they forgive.
• They excuse what the other person did.
• They will just forget what was done to them.
• That they have to pretend it didn’t hurt or happen.
• Doesn’t mean they have to be friends with the person.

What forgiveness is:

• Accepting that the other person hurt them and yet choosing to forgive them.
• Realizing that what the other person says about them (in the case of bullying, etc. is not the Truth.) They need to have a strong self-image based on what God says about them. That’s why it’s important to help them build that during their early childhood years.
• Choosing to keep no record of the person’s wrong doing.
• Choosing not to keep thinking and rehearsing what happened over and over again in their mind. (Every time it comes up, they ask God to help them stop thinking about it. Pray instead for the person and that’s may be the hardest but best thing to do.)
• Refusing to get back at the person who hurt them or punish them in some way.
• Not telling everyone what they did--spreading rumors about them, etc. (Sometimes it’s necessary to tell an adult if what the other person did was bullying, illegal or harmful to them or someone else.)
• Forgiving themselves for any part they may have played in the offense. If necessary, confessing it to the other person and asking for their forgiveness. Then confessing it to God and receiving His forgiveness.
• Realizing that forgiveness is not easy, but that God can help them if they keep praying about it and praying for the other person. 
• Realizing that we can’t forgive in our own strength. Only God can help us. Also, although we choose to forgive on a specific date and time, it may take a while to work through the feelings and emotions. 

Some practical ways they might help your child with forgiveness:

• Perhaps your child might find journaling helpful—recording what happened, writing scriptures about forgiveness, and writing out their prayer of forgiveness and their daily progress in forgiving.
• Writing the offense on a piece of paper and after they have prayed and asked God to help them forgive, burn the paper (with your supervision).

Check out the Questions for Kids picture book series, perfect for young readers ages 5-10! 

*Are you looking for fun, gospel-inspired merch for your family + discounted picture books for your kids and grandkids? Visit my Etsy store at KarensBooksandMore

Book 3 in the Questions for Kids picture book series is now available! Check out Guess Why God Made the Rainbow on Amazon or your favorite book retailer! 🌈

Love this podcast episode? Please leave a positive rating/review and share this episode with a friend ❤️

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https://www.sandrakaychambers.com/ 

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Parents need to help their child understand what forgiveness is and why they need to forgive others. For the Christian, forgiveness is based on God’s love and His forgiveness of us. God also commands us to forgive others. He even lists consequences if we don’t forgive others. Unforgiveness can hinder our prayers and our personal relationship with God.

Even from a worldly perspective, psychologists, counselors and social workers recognize the importance of forgiveness and the negative effects of unforgiveness. Unforgiveness can lead to bitterness and hatred that impacts our happiness and quality of life. And it causes stress and anxiety which in turn affects our physical health and well-being.

So where do we start to help our young children understand how important forgiveness is?

1. We model forgiveness ourselves.  

2. Teach them about God’s forgiveness.

3. Share scriptures about forgiveness.

4. Help them understand it’s ok to express their feelings to us and God.

5. Explain to them that forgiveness is not a feeling—it’s a choice and an action they take. 

6. Teach them that God says not to take revenge (try to get back at them, which is what we humanly want to do).

7. Teach them what they can do after they have forgiven someone. Ask God to help them with their feelings. Brainstorm  some ways together they could show kindness instead of taking revenge.

8. One practical, concrete way to demonstrate forgiveness to a younger child: Buy a helium balloon, take it outside and ask your child to pray after you or pray on their own, “I forgive ______ for_______.  Help me show kindness and love to them.” Then let the balloon go and watch it disappear into the heavens.

Scriptures on forgiveness: Matthew 5:43-44; Matthew 6:14-15; Matthew 18:21-22; Mark 11:25; Luke 6:37; Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13.

Check out the Questions for Kids picture book series, perfect for young readers ages 5-10! 

*Are you looking for fun, gospel-inspired merch for your family + discounted picture books for your kids and grandkids? Visit my Etsy store at KarensBooksandMore

Book 3 in the Questions for Kids picture book series is now available! Check out Guess Why God Made the Rainbow on Amazon or your favorite book retailer! 🌈

Love this podcast episode? Please leave a positive rating/review and share this episode with a friend ❤️

Visit our websites at: 

https://www.karenferg.com/

https://www.sandrakaychambers.com/ 

Find our books on Amazon:

Karen Ferguson: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Karen-Ferguson/author/B075SHZ1WV?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true 

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It’s that time of year where a lot of schools begin their end-of-the-year parent/teacher conferences. As both a parent and a teacher, I want to discuss some ways you as a parent can get the most out of these conferences.

Here are some ways to prepare for the conference:

1. Make a list of your concerns and questions before the actual conference. This helps you organize your thoughts and it also helps you not to forget something important. 

2. At the actual conference, allow the teacher to lead with his/her comments and concerns. Ask for clarification of anything you don’t understand. Be careful not to be defensive or combative—remember you are on the same team. You both want to help your child. 

3. When you have listened to the teacher’s concerns, then bring up any additional questions or concerns you may have.

4. Some general questions you might ask if they are not initially covered by the teacher: (These are listed in the notes.)

• How is my child doing academically compared to the rest of the class? 
• Is he/she on grade level? 
• Are their specific areas where my child is struggling?
• How can I help my child at home to reinforce what they are learning in school?
• Are there resources that you would recommend that might help my child?

(this might be a list of tutors –usually schools keep a list of tutors they know and recommend; extracurricular activities; workbooks; special programs; etc. These are especially important during the summer when kids tend to regress in learning if not challenged.

• How is my child doing socially? 
• Is he/she respectful and attentive in class?
• Are he/she making friends easily?
• Do he/she work well in groups?

If you have a special needs child who receives special educational or social/emotional resource help at school, it’s important that you touch base with their support team before the end of the school year. Many of these individuals will be included in an end-of-the-year parent/teacher conference, but if not—email or call them and ask to meet with them to discuss your child’s progress and what you can do to help them over the summer.

In general –some resources you might take advantage of during the summer to support your child include: 

1. Tutors and /or summer school 
2. Special online educational programs
3. Park & Rec programs in your community
4. Summer Camps—there are a myriad of summer camps available with a wide variety of interests and activities. Search your community newspapers or community google groups; ask other parents for recommendations; search online.

I recommend you have a family meeting to discuss summer activities with each member of the family. Ask your child to make a list of activities they would like to participate in. Be sure you include teacher recommendations as well as fun and relaxing activities.

If you’d like some more “Tips for a Great Kid Summer” download my free PDF at: https://sandrakaychambers.com/freebies/

Check out the Questions for Kids picture book series, perfect for young readers ages 5-10! 

*Are you looking for fun, gospel-inspired merch for your family + discounted picture books for your kids and grandkids? Visit my Etsy store at KarensBooksandMore

Book 3 in the Questions for Kids picture book series is now available! Check out Guess Why God Made the Rainbow on Amazon or your favorite book retailer! 🌈

Love this podcast episode? Please leave a positive rating/review and share this episode with a friend ❤️

Visit our websites at: 

https://www.karenferg.com/

https://www.sandrakaychambers.com/ 

Find our books on Amazon:

Karen Ferguson: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Karen-Ferguson/author/B075SHZ1WV?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true 

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Because I believe prayer is the most powerful thing we as parents, grandparents and Christians the can do for our children, I have decided that some weeks on this podcast, we will simply take a few minutes and pray for our children and the younger generation.

I invite you, whatever time of day you tune in to this podcast, to stop what you are doing for a moment  and join with me in prayer. Invite your friends to pray, share on social media so perhaps we can have people praying around the clock for the next generation. 

Check out the Questions for Kids picture book series, perfect for young readers ages 5-10! 

*Are you looking for fun, gospel-inspired merch for your family + discounted picture books for your kids and grandkids? Visit my Etsy store at KarensBooksandMore

Book 3 in the Questions for Kids picture book series is now available! Check out Guess Why God Made the Rainbow on Amazon or your favorite book retailer! 🌈

Love this podcast episode? Please leave a positive rating/review and share this episode with a friend ❤️

Visit our websites at: 

https://www.karenferg.com/

https://www.sandrakaychambers.com/ 

Find our books on Amazon:

Karen Ferguson: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Karen-Ferguson/author/B075SHZ1WV?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true 

Sandra Chambers: ...

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Recently I’ve read an article written by a Christian that gives a negative twist to encouraging self-esteem in our children. It says that the modern secular philosophy of self-esteem promotes unwarranted pride in self. It also states that this popular self-esteem culture has seeped into our church culture. Here are the three points the article makes:

1. Self-esteem philosophy hinders repentance. The articles says we are developing a culture of proud “Pharisees.”
2. Self-esteem philosophy promotes arrogance and confusion.
3. Healthy views of self are build on self-control, not self-esteem. 

Here is my argument for building positive, godly self-esteem in our children.

• The biblical basis for self-esteem comes from God. We need to teach our children that God loves them, and esteems them. He created them in His image and gave them gifts and talents to use to honor Him and serve others. As long as they realize these gifts and talents and successes they have in life are because of God’s blessings, they will have the correct foundation to walk in humility before God and man. 
• Yes, our children need to understand that all have sinned and fall short of God’s perfect law and that repentance is the way to salvation. It is also a daily walk of repentance that keeps us humble. So basically, what I am saying is that we can help our children build a foundation of faith, repentance and love that allows them to develop a positive, godly self- image of themselves. It really all depends on the foundation they have in God that helps them develop a positive and godly self-esteem.

Check out the Questions for Kids picture book series, perfect for young readers ages 5-10! 

*Are you looking for fun, gospel-inspired merch for your family + discounted picture books for your kids and grandkids? Visit my Etsy store at KarensBooksandMore

Book 3 in the Questions for Kids picture book series is now available! Check out Guess Why God Made the Rainbow on Amazon or your favorite book retailer! 🌈

Love this podcast episode? Please leave a positive rating/review and share this episode with a friend ❤️

Visit our websites at: 

https://www.karenferg.com/

https://www.sandrakaychambers.com/ 

Find our books on Amazon:

Karen Ferguson: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Karen-Ferguson/author/B075SHZ1WV?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true 

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In today’s podcast I’m putting on my teacher hat to share some info about reading skills. I’m sure every parent is concerned about the reported losses in academic gains due to COVID, but there are some things you can do to help you child improve his or her reading skills. 

I was a special education teacher for many years and have a Master’s Degree in Special Education. I taught kids who had learning disabilities and/or ADHD. My suggestions today will be geared more for early childhood and elementary-age students. I will also be sharing some statistics and studies about reading skills.

According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, if a child is a poor reader at the end of first grade, there is a 90 percent likelihood that, without some sort of additional help, they will remain a poor reader when they reach the end of fourth grade. And, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, 32 percent of fourth graders aren’t reading at a basic level.

Here are two simple ideas to help your child develop and improve their reading skills:

Strategy #1 Reading Aloud to Them: Reading aloud to your child is a proven way to promote cognitive development. Young children who have had lots of stories read to them enter kindergarten as much as 14 months ahead in language and pre-reading skills. While listening to stories, children pick up grammar, syntax and general knowledge. They also take in more sophisticated vocabulary.

Strategy #2—Reading Out Loud to a Dog: This strategy is geared for elementary-age students who are having reading difficulties. Research has shown that reading out loud to another person can improve overall reading performance in poor readers, but reading out loud to a dog improves reading comprehension even more! This strategy is particularly helpful because poor readers become painfully aware of people around them watching and judging them when they stumble over words, mispronounce words or stop and start frequently. The real casualty is that their self-esteem suffers and so does their motivation to read.

So how does this work?

1. Your child chooses a book at their current level of reading competency. (Your child’s teacher should be able to tell you that if you’re not sure.)

2. Your child sits and reads to their dog out loud. The dog provides a nonjudgmental and socially supportive presence which improves your child’s self-esteem and motivation to read. 

3. While your child is reading to the dog, you or another adult sits next to them and offers help if they need prompting or support with unfamiliar words. These reading sessions don’t have to be long sessions—even 15 minutes a week over an 8-week period showed positive results.

Reading scores improved by both reading aloud to an adult and a dog, but the canine-assisted reading contributed to greater gains in both oral reading and reading comprehension scores. So grab your 4-legged family member and cozy up for a reading session. (2)

Grab your FREE copy of "10 Ideas for Developing Reading Skills through Picture Books"

Sources: 

1 The Enchanted Hour: The Miraculous Power of Reading Aloud in the Age of Distraction by Meghan Cox Gurdon. (Available on Amazon.com)

2  Stanley Coren PhD., DSc. FRSC, Canine Corner, Psychology Today, 11/17/22, page 1-9.

Check out the Questions for Kids picture book series, perfect for young readers ages 5-10! 

*Are you looking for fun, gospel-inspired merch for your family + discounted picture books for your kids and grandkids? Visit my Etsy store at KarensBooksandMore

Book 3 in the Questions for Kids picture book series is now available! Check out Guess Why God Made the Rainbow on Amazon or your favorite book retailer! 🌈

Love this podcast episode? Please leave a positive rating/review and share this episode with a friend ❤️

Visit our websites at: 

https://www.karenferg.com/

https://www.sandrakaychambers.com/ 

Find our books on Amazon:

Karen Ferguson: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Karen-Ferguson/author/B075SHZ1WV?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true 

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As parents, we all desire our children to have a strong foundation of faith in God. However, with so many distractions and worldly messages bombarding them, it can be a challenge to help them understand the importance of having a biblical worldview. 

We live in a society where even young children are bombarded daily with media advertisements on TV, social media, magazines, etc. that portray success as external beauty, popularity, sexiness, etc. 

Social media platforms, such as Instagram and TikTok, have recently been under attack for their psychological and emotional impacts on children and teens making them feel they don't "measure up." 1

Before we can help our children develop a godly and biblical worldview, let’s define just what a biblical worldview encompasses.

What is a Biblical Worldview?

“It’s a way of looking at the world through the lens of God's Word, the Bible. It is rooted in the belief that God created everything and that He has a plan for His creation. 

• First, at its core, a biblical worldview acknowledges that all truth comes from God's Word. This means truth is not relative (such as whatever makes us happy; as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else, it’s ok). God’s Truth is absolute. We must rely on Scripture to guide us into truth.  We cannot simply trust our own understanding or cultural norms to determine what is best for us. 
  
  
• Second, a biblical worldview recognizes that humanity was created in God's image but has fallen into sin. This means that while we have inherent value and worth as individuals, we are also broken and in need of redemption.

How Can We Begin to Help Our Children Develop a Biblical Worldview?

1. We can begin early in their life reading Bible stories and the Bible regularly to help them develop an understanding of God. (See some resources below.)

2. As parents we can demonstrate a godly worldview in our everyday lives. Let your children see you reading the Bible, praying, and living out your faith.

3. Take advantage of teachable moments. When something happens in your child's life that relates to their faith or God's character, use it as an opportunity to talk about it together. Discuss different reactions and what reaction pleases God. Then Pray together. 

4. Prayerfully consider the best alternatives for your family as far as attending a God-centered church; sending your children to public or private school or homeschooling; and what other groups and activities might encourage your child to live for God.

1 Wall street journal, "Facebook Knows Instagram is Toxic for Teen Girls, Its Research Shows," Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021.

Check out the Questions for Kids picture book series, perfect for young readers ages 5-10! 

*Are you looking for fun, gospel-inspired merch for your family + discounted picture books for your kids and grandkids? Visit my Etsy store at KarensBooksandMore

Book 3 in the Questions for Kids picture book series is now available! Check out Guess Why God Made the Rainbow on Amazon or your favorite book retailer! 🌈

Love this podcast episode? Please leave a positive rating/review and share this episode with a friend ❤️

Visit our websites at: 

https://www.karenferg.com/

https://www.sandrakaychambers.com/ 

Find our books on Amazon:

Karen Ferguson: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Karen-Ferguson/author/B075SHZ1WV?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true 

Sandra Chambers: ...

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I think we all tend to look at our immediate situations and needs when we pray for ourselves and our children. We can be overwhelmed with all we have to do in our daily lives as wives, mothers, and perhaps in our careers that when we do to pray, our “prayer funnel” is very narrow and focused only on the urgent:

• Our child is sick and needs prayer for healing.
• Our child is not doing well in school . . .and needs prayer.
• Our child is fearful . . . 
• Our child is being bullied . . .

And on and on and on.

These urgent, daily situations are all important and we do need to pray for them on a daily basis. But we also need to widen what I call our “prayer funnel” to pray with a long term vision for our children. Perhaps that’s impossible to do daily, but maybe schedule a prayer time once a week to do this—either alone, perhaps with your husband, or a prayer partner.

The most important long term prayers we can pray for our children are that: 

• they come to know Jesus and commit their lives to Him.
• they learn to pray themselves and learn to listen and obey God.
•  they develop a godly character
• they discover their gifts and talents and use them to serve God and others.

We also need to consider the age of our child when determining what to pray for them. Every age—from early childhood to teen years, even to adulthood have different challenges and so some of our prayers will need to change and expand to meet those needs.

Here’s a link to the list of scriptural prayers you can download and print out to pray for your child.

Check out the Questions for Kids picture book series, perfect for young readers ages 5-10! 

*Are you looking for fun, gospel-inspired merch for your family + discounted picture books for your kids and grandkids? Visit my Etsy store at KarensBooksandMore

Book 3 in the Questions for Kids picture book series is now available! Check out Guess Why God Made the Rainbow on Amazon or your favorite book retailer! 🌈

Love this podcast episode? Please leave a positive rating/review and share this episode with a friend ❤️

Visit our websites at: 

https://www.karenferg.com/

https://www.sandrakaychambers.com/ 

Find our books on Amazon:

Karen Ferguson: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Karen-Ferguson/author/B075SHZ1WV?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true 

Sandra Chambers: ...

Send us Fan Mail

Trailer for 5-Minute Parenting: Tips to Help you Raise Competent, Godly Kids. 

*Are you looking for fun, gospel-inspired merch for your family + discounted picture books for your kids and grandkids? Visit my Etsy store at KarensBooksandMore

Book 3 in the Questions for Kids picture book series is now available! Check out Guess Why God Made the Rainbow on Amazon or your favorite book retailer! 🌈

Love this podcast episode? Please leave a positive rating/review and share this episode with a friend ❤️

Visit our websites at: 

https://www.karenferg.com/

https://www.sandrakaychambers.com/ 

Find our books on Amazon:

Karen Ferguson: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Karen-Ferguson/author/B075SHZ1WV?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true 

Sandra Chambers: ...