Dear Mattsons with Jeff and Terra

Divorce is hard, and having a support system for you and your child is so important. Join us as we talk through ways to help your children process grief, the importance of keeping routines consistent and how to guard against meeting your own needs through your children.

Check out these similar resources: 

• Helping your kids when the home is splintered: https://www.christianparenting.org/articles/helping-your-kids-when-the-home-is-splintered/

• Seven ways children react to grief: https://www.christianparenting.org/articles/seven-ways-children-react-to-grief/

• Our kids are struggling too: https://www.christianparenting.org/articles/our-kids-are-struggling-too-heres-how-to-help-them/
  
  
  

Dear Mattsons is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

Discussing puberty and sex is a nerve racking conversation for every parent but having those conversations as a single mom presents its own unique challenges. Join us as we remind you that talking openly with your son about sexuality and the body takes shame out of the picture. It is great to pull a dad or male figure into the conversation if one is available, but don’t be afraid to engage your son just because you are a mom.

Check out these similar resources: 

• When should I start talking to my kids about sex?: https://www.christianparenting.org/articles/when-should-i-start-talking-to-my-kids-about-sex/
• How do I talk to my child about sex? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfNaE1jLpKU&list=PLdPzQ_cUwCbRc-MQ40KL3a6ze06CiY38l&index=11&t=102s
• Good Pictures Bad Pictures: https://www.amazon.com/Good-Pictures-Bad-Porn-Proofing-Todays/dp/0997318732/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3L7B34EBRSHO5&keywords=Good+Pictures+Bad+pictures&qid=1674590594&sprefix=good+pictures+bad+pictur%2Caps%2C492&sr=8-1

Don’t just talk about being thankful, teach your children how to serve others. Join us as we talk though ideas on how you can teach your kids to use the gifts that God has given them to serve others in your community. The experience of serving others helps curb entitlement.

Check out these similar resources: 

• Teaching kids to love their neighbor: https://www.christianparenting.org/articles/teaching-kids-to-love-their-neighbor/

• Raising generous kids who see others: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjaemZ9tcMk
• Raising grateful kids: Three ways to practice gratitude https://www.christianparenting.org/articles/raising-grateful-kids-three-ways-to-practice-gratitude/

Introverts need more time and space to articulate their feelings. They enjoy the quiet spaces of the world, and if we want to connect with our introverts, we need to join them in those spaces. We will encourage you to figure out what your child is into, be curious, and join them in their passions. And remember silence is ok.

Check out these similar resources: 

• How to thrive as the parent of a sensitive teenager: https://www.christianparenting.org/articles/how-to-thrive-as-the-parent-of-a-sensitive-teenager/
• How fifteen minutes could save your relationship with your teen: https://www.christianparenting.org/articles/how-fifteen-minutes-could-save-your-relationship-with-your-teen/
• Hope for introverted moms: https://www.christianparenting.org/articles/hope-for-introverted-moms/

Keep it simple and point your child towards God’s Word and his design for families when these questions arise. We will encourage you to continue to talk about God’s love, how we can love and serve families that are different from us and how to point your children to what we are for as opposed to what we are against as Chrisitans.

Check out these similar resources: 

• How do I explain homosexuality to my kids?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_-6OKLvjms&list=PLdPzQ_cUwCbRc-MQ40KL3a6ze06CiY38l&index=21&t=1s
• How to tackle tough topics with your kids: https://www.christianparenting.org/articles/how-to-tackle-tough-topics-with-your-kids/
• The Jesus Storybook Bible: https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Storybook-Bible-Every-Whispers/dp/0310708257/ref=sr_1_4?crid=1VX3UU31PVC6J&keywords=story+book+bible&qid=1663599562&sprefix=story+book+bible%2Caps%2C277&sr=8-4

Grace and discipline are not exclusive of each other and parenting requires both. Rules without relationship breeds rebellion and on the flip side relationship without rules leads to entitlement. Join us as we talk through how to find a balance between discipline and grace in parenting.

Check out these similar resources: 

• Helping moms raise confident daughters: https://www.cpguides.org/
• Parenting teens: Grace or consequences?: https://www.christianparenting.org/articles/parenting-teens-grace-or-consequences/
• Modeling and teaching love: https://www.christianparenting.org/articles/modeling-and-teaching-love-it-starts-with-christ/

What do you do if your child gets caught cheating at school? It is important to get to the root of why your child cheated and determine an appropriate consequence. Join us as we discuss the three things you need to address if your child cheats.

Check out these similar resources: 

• When your child has a character misstep: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4bAqKQW9A0&list=PLdPzQ_cUwCbRPOxygemmbhhIOCD67AvSx&index=5&t=10s
• 3 character qualities that set your child up for success: https://www.christianparenting.org/articles/3-character-qualities-that-set-your-kids-up-for-success/
• Helping your child with lying: https://www.christianparenting.org/articles/helping-your-child-with-lying/

Children begin to discover and learn the differences between boys and girls between the ages of 2 and 4. It is very normal for them to be curious about their bodies. We will guide you through how to help your children understand what their bodies are for, their design and healthy coping mechanisms.

Check out these similar resources: 

• Helping moms raise confident daughters: https://www.cpguides.org/
• When should I start talking to my kids about sex?: https://www.christianparenting.org/articles/when-should-i-start-talking-to-my-kids-about-sex/
• Tough conversations with our kids: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCxbgR0Tp8o&list=PLdPzQ_cUwCbRPOxygemmbhhIOCD67AvSx&index=11&t=6s
• Teaching kids about boundaries: https://www.christianparenting.org/articles/teaching-kids-about-boundaries/

Children lie for a variety of reasons, and it is important to get to the root of lying. Affirm your love for your child, so that they know their actions do not affect your love for them. Join us as we talk through ways to encourage your child to tell the truth, what to do when you catch them in a lie and the importance of setting a good example in truth telling.

Check out these similar resources: 

• Helping moms raise confident daughters: https://www.cpguides.org/
• Helping your child with lying: https://www.christianparenting.org/articles/helping-your-child-with-lying/
• When your child has a character misstep: https://www.christianparenting.org/articles/when-your-child-has-a-character-misstep/
• Children are complex: https://www.christianparenting.org/articles/children-are-complex/

Children need to see parents as a team with both participating in the discipline and fun. Join us as we talk through how to encourage your spouse, affirm each other in parenting and explain the “why” behind joint discipline. 

Check out these similar resources: 

• Prioritize your marriage over your parenting: https://www.christianparenting.org/articles/why-you-should-prioritize-your-marriage-over-your-parenting/
• Parenting from a healthy marriage with Jamie and Aaron Ivey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZonZdGSYxkA

How to model God’s design for marriage: https://www.christianparenting.org/articles/how-to-model-gods-design-for-marriage