Boundaries Archives - Trace Embry | License to Parent

Rebellion is just part of our child’s nature, right? No! If your child is rebellious, sneaky, argumentative, or seems to be lying about just about everything, then this episode of License to Parent is for you.

Wouldn’t it be such a relief to see a total transformation in your child? Image feeling empowered as a parent to see a true and lasting change that positively impacts your entire family. It’s possible.

Today we speak with expert Kimball Lewis on the emerging issues we see in our children today. While some of this information is practical, you’ll be surprised that it feels like a brand new revelation!

Kimball Lewis is an executive who spent his career using research and technology to improve the lives of individuals and businesses. He began his career as a health, welfare, and child policy researcher for a leading public policy think tank in Washington. He then served as a technologist and executive in his series of successful healthcare start-up businesses before joining empoweringparents.com.

He began as the CEO there in 2017 as he continues the work of James Leeman offering practical advice to parents struggling with some of the most challenging child behavior issues. Mr. Lewis resides in Florida with his wife and two teenage sons of his own.

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Michael P. Farris is a lawyer and founder of the Home School Legal Defense Association and Patrick Henry College. He is the former President & CEO of Alliance Defending Freedom, which he served from 2017 until 2022. Michael is also an author. He’s written several titles on homeschooling and parenting.

Trace Embry, Michelle Hill and guest attorney, Michael Farris from Alliance Defending Freedom discuss the importance of standing up for family’s religious convictions and liberties. Michael claims that the government is overstepping its boundaries and imposing its power on parents, particularly in the realm of education.

He believes that parents should have the right to direct the upbringing of their children, especially in terms of their moral and religious beliefs. He also discusses the issue of critical race theory and critical gender theory in public schools, arguing that these theories are promoting a form of systemic racism and undermining parental rights.

Michael Farris encourages parents to consider alternatives to public schooling and to fight back against these issues through litigation.

Episode Highlights:

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Richard Cohen, M.A. is the founder and executive director of Positive Approaches To Healthy Sexuality, or PATH, a psychotherapist, educator, and author. He travels the world teaching on such issues as healthy sexuality, marital relations, communication skills, parenting skills, gender identity, and sexual orientation.

He has authored seven books, and also does consultations and speaking engagements at colleges and conferences.

Trace Embry, Michelle Hill, together with guest Richard Cohen, M.A. discuss the changing dynamics of the parent-child relationship in our American culture. They argue that children today have more influence and authority in their homes than previous generations, which some view as progress, while others see it as potentially harmful.

Richard Cohen, M.A. shares about his book “Healing Humanity: Love, Time, Touch, and Talk.”  He emphasizes the importance of healthy touch in parenting, arguing that many people in Western culture are oversexed because they are undernourished in terms of healthy, non-sexual touch.

He suggests that parents should introduce healthy touch incrementally and always inform their children before implementing a new parenting skill. Cohen also discusses the importance of parents modeling healthy touch and emotional connection in their own relationships.

Episode Highlights:

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Dr. Kardaras is an Ivy-League educated psychologist, a well known speaker and addiction expert. He is also the CEO and Chief Clinical Officer of Maui Recovery in Hawaii and Omega Recovery in Austin, Texas.  Dr. Kardaras is the author of the book titled “Glow Kids.”  Please visit his bio page to learn more about his amazing accomplishments.

Trace Embry, Michelle Hill, and Dr. Nicholas Kardaras speak about the dangers of excessive screen time for children and its impact on their emotional, social, physical, and spiritual health.  They highlight the importance of face-to-face interaction and the role of parents in setting examples for their children.

They also discuss the influence of digital technology on the mental health of young people, particularly the addictive nature of devices and the impact of social media influencers.  They suggest that the excessive information and lack of critical thinking skills can lead to mental health issues, self-destructive behaviors, and even suicide.

They advocate for delayed access to devices, regulation of screen time, and avoidance of social media and gaming to protect children from the harmful effects of digital technology.

Episode Highlights:

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G. Craige Lewis has been ministering for over 30 years. He’s been pastoring Adamant Believers Council in North Richland Hills, Texas for over a decade, promoting the message of Christ and fighting against the secularization of God’s church.

Lewis also leads and is the founder of EX Ministries; established to share God’s Truth to the body of Christ and others, and to expose the deception of the enemy. He is often called on to speak about the hip-hop sub-culture, as he authored the “The Truth Behind Hip Hop” series. 

Trace Embry, Rich Roszel and G. Craige Lewis discuss the impact of music on children and teenagers. They share that the music young people listen to can shape their identities and influence their behavior!  To a higher degree, certain types of music, particularly rock, rap, and hip-hop, can have a negative impact on young people, potentially leading them to engage in harmful behaviors.  They all stress the importance of parents being intentional in their parenting and being aware of the music their children are listening to.

G. Craige shares his views on the spiritual nature of music and its effect on human behavior. He argues that music can bypass a person’s moral code and influence them in ways they may not be aware of.  He also emphasizes the importance of being filled with the Holy Spirit to discern the spiritual nature of music.  Rich expounds on this and shares a personal story about how music touched his soul.

Trace expresses this;  “I think we’ve got too many people claiming the name of Christ who want to live like hell and expect heaven for a reward.  It just doesn’t work that way.”

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Dr. Joshua Straub is the Co-Founder and President of Famous at Home, a company that equips others with relational connections and emotional intelligence.  He is also an author and speaker.  He is passionate about helping others lead; he is a marriage and leadership coach, and is a Fellow at the Townsend Institute for Leadership and Counseling.  He takes most pride in his role as husband and dad.  He and his wife Christi host the Famous at Home podcast.

Michelle Hill, Trace Embry and Dr. Joshua Straub discuss the importance of emotional safety in raising children.

Together, they also highlight the importance of showing up for children, both physically and emotionally, and the role of a biblical community in child-rearing.  Dr. Straub suggests that parents should regularly check in with their children to understand their needs and feelings and to show them grace and wisdom.

Both Trace and Joshua share stories about their own fathers.  Joshua also gives pointers how he parents his own children as he and his wife homeschool and have family weekly meetings.

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In this episode of License to Parent, Trace and Michelle continue their discussion on the impact of sexual perversion and the LGBTQ+ movement on society and the church. They mention how the normalization of these issues are causing a moral decline and confusion among young people.

They also discuss the importance of parents having open and honest conversations at a young age with their children about sexuality, and setting clear boundaries. They emphasize the need for parents to guide their children based on biblical principles and to always affirm their love for them, even when they make choices that go against these principles.

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Trace and Michelle approach the sensitive topic of individuals identifying as LGBTQ+ that is often left undiscussed among families.  They recommend and offer this disclosure for today’s program audio:  (If you have younger kids in the room, you may want to distract them from our conversation today, or hit the pause button and listen to this when they’re out of the room because this is kind of a delicate subject).

Trace attributes the increase of Gen Z members joining the LGBTQ+ community with regard to a combination of factors; including the removal of God from daily life, the conflation of love with lust, and the misuse of freedom.  Trace remarks that the LGBTQ+ community is not about love, but about sexual lust without moral restraint.

He also suggests that the acceptance and celebration of sexual perversion in society is leading to a rise in sexually transmitted diseases. Trace and Michelle both agree that we need to return to God’s definition of love and sex within the bounds of traditional marriage.  They also discuss the dangers of other sexual behaviors including; narcissism, addiction, delusion, autism, and OCD.

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Our guest, Karen Whiting, is a mother of two daughters and three sons, and that includes rocket scientists. She’s a grandmother of 15 and her late husband served in the U.S. Coast Guard, so they raised their children from Hawaii to New York and Michigan to Florida. She is the author of 27 books, an International speaker, certified writing and marketing coach, and a former television co-host.

Trace, Michelle and Karen discuss the importance of peace within families and how to cultivate it.  They share their thoughts on the current state of the American family where internal conflict and anxiety are prevalent due to the complexities of modern life.  They suggest that genuine peace can only be achieved through faith in God. The conversation also touches on the role of parents in guiding their children through life’s struggles, emphasizing the importance of setting boundaries and allowing children to experience failure as a means of growth.

Karen shares her approach to fostering peace within her family through devotions, prayer and active listening.  She gives great examples of how this approach helped her children have love and compassion for each other.  She also discusses the negative impact of permissive parenting and the overuse of digital devices on children’s mental health.

At the end, Trace and Karen differentiate between peacekeeping and peacemaking and explain which they think is a long-term solution that sometimes requires conflict, and use the example of Jesus in the temple in Matthew 21:12-17.

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If you haven’t already done so, be sure to listen to Part I of our two-part series with Kimball Lewis.

Let’s get into the nuts and bolts of teen and parent interactions. Do you feel stuck? Is your teen rebelling against you? Are you at the end of your rope? If you don’t know how to handle what’s going on in your home or feel that you have lost the power in your home, then this message is for you.

Kimball Lewis is an executive who spent his career using research and technology to improve the lives of individuals and businesses. He began his career as a health, welfare, and child policy researcher for a leading public policy think tank in Washington. He then served as a technologist and executive in his series of successful healthcare start-up businesses before joining empoweringparents.com.

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