License to Parent with Trace Embry

Chances are, you see more of the second type. Despite this common negative portrayal of fathers, we must not forget that children still actually need their fathers to be their heroes.

Dr. Meg Meeker is the country’s leading authority on parenting, teens, and children’s health. She is a pediatrician, mother, grandmother, speaker, best-selling author, and host of the podcast Parenting Great Kids. Her latest book is: Hero - Being the Strong Father Your Children Need. Dr. Meeker writes with the know-how of a pediatrician and the big heart of a mother because she has spent the last 30 years practicing pediatric and adolescent medicine. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, certified by The American Board of Pediatrics, and serves on the Advisory Board of The Medical Institute. Dr. Meeker has spoken nationally on parenting issues, including personal appearances on The Today Show, Fox and Friends, The Dave Ramsey Show, NPR, Oprah Radio, and more. She lives and works in northern Michigan where she shares a medical practice with her husband, Walter. You can find Dr. Meeker online at megmeekermd.com.

Why Looking Up to a Heroic Father is Still Important for Kids Today

A “hero” is defined as a person admired for his courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. It often connotes one who, in the face of danger, combats adversity with ingenuity, bravery, or strength—often sacrificing his own personal concerns for a greater good. Interestingly, this pretty much sums up the biblical model for fatherhood—or possibly “MacGyver,” if you followed the 1980's TV series.

Now, poking fun at a TV hero is one thing. Today, we seem to make fun of—and even ridicule—the classic and historic father figures around us, often making dad look like a buffoon. Equating fatherhood with heroism may no longer be politically or socially correct, but it is still correct in the eyes of our kids and our spouses whether they verbalize it or not. How can dads be fathers/heroes our families want and need? Dr. Meg Meeker and I discuss this as we cover the following topics:

What is a hero?

Trace's take on "Cultural Lemming-Aid."

The paradigm shift of manhood and fatherhood.

Dr. Meg Meeker explains how children really perceive their fathers.

One simple tip to being a successful dad.

How spouses can help each other be the best parents they can be.

The boomerang effect of mom criticizing dad.

Picture provided by: Nathaniel Ether

Chances are, you see more of the second type. Despite this common negative portrayal of fathers, we must not forget that children still actually need their fathers to be their heroes. Dr. Meg Meeker is the country’s leading authority on parenting, teens, and children’s health. She is a pediatrician, mother, grandmother, speaker, best-selling author, and […]

For the Christian parent pursuing a Christian worldview, it has traditionally been either the church, the Bible, the Holy Spirit, or a combination of all the above. And for centuries, at least in the western hemisphere, the Judeo-Christian ethic has proven to be the cornerstone of our personal freedoms, how our government determines justice, and how we raise our kids. But, in case you haven’t noticed, these fundamental ideals are now being challenged at their root. The Christian faith you are teaching your kids is now becoming a stumbling block to their everyday affairs. So, we need to be preparing our kids how to live, love, and flourish in a post-Christian America.

Gabe Lyons is the co-author of Good Faith (2016) and unChristian (2007). He is also the author of The Next Christians (2010), a manifesto for how Christians can faithfully lead in a changing culture. He is the founder of Q Ideas, a learning community where Christian leaders are equipped to engage our cultural moment. Their Q Conference annually convenes thousands of leaders from all industries, and Q Commons, their global event, simultaneously unites 140 cities and over 10,000 people on an October evening. Called "sophisticated and orthodox" by The New York Times, Q Ideas equips Christians to apply their faith to daily life by addressing some of the most difficult and controversial issues of our time. Gabe speaks to over 100,000 people each year on topics like equipping the next generation, cultural issues, and research related to the intersection of faith and public life. He lives in Nashville with his wife, Rebekah, and their three children.

How the Christian Worldview is Being Devalued in America

The turn of perspective away from traditional Judeo-Christian values has happened in a relatively short period of time. Though it’s just my perspective, I happen to believe that Christians—certainly guilty of shooting ourselves in the foot in many ways—have largely been the scapegoat of a culture that has come so far off the rails that it almost needs a whipping boy, so-to-speak, on whom to cast judgement and blame. A culture that wants someone or something that takes the heat off the more legitimate reasons for our world being so screwed up.

Because, though we can be a problem, we are far from being THE problem. We certainly have room—like any people group—to improve. But, let me ask you this, what other people group—religious or otherwise—is condemned, stereotyped, and bigoted-against so vehemently with virtually no public outrage?

This is just one of the obstacles we need to keep in mind as we bring up our kids with a biblical worldview today. Gabe Lyons and I discuss how Christians should approach American culture as we cover the following topics:

Why we should live according to a biblical worldview.

The importance of saturating our culture with the Truth.

What is “Q” and how it can help me address cultural issues.

How to make an age old truth be relevant to a new time.

What is missing from our families.

The role church leaders should play.

The role digital technology plays.

Picture provided by: Aaron Burden

For the Christian parent pursuing a Christian worldview, it has traditionally been either the church, the Bible, the Holy Spirit, or a combination of all the above. And for centuries, at least in the western hemisphere, the Judeo-Christian ethic has proven to be the cornerstone of our personal freedoms, how our government determines justice, and […]

But whether our kids heed or disregard what we teach them, something they will all use—whether foolishly or wisely— is money. This is why it’s so important to teach and model wise money management to our kids. Like so many other things having to do with childrearing, the earlier we start this training, the better.

Our guest this week is Rachel Cruze. She is a #1 New York Times best-selling author and personal finance expert. She works to help Americans learn the proper ways to handle money and stay out of debt. Rachel is the author of Love Your Life, Not Theirs, and she co-authored the best-selling book Smart Money Smart Kids with her father, Dave Ramsey. She joined Ramsey Solutions in 2010 and uses the knowledge and experiences from growing up in the Ramsey household to educate others. You can find Cruze’s work on her website, rachelcruze.com. You can also find her on Youtube at youtube.com/rachelcruze, Facebook at Facebook.com/rachelramseycruze, or on Twitter and Instagram at @RachelCruze.

Why it is Important for Kids to Learn Wise Money Management Skills

I have to confess, though I feel God has given me some pretty good insights into bringing up kids, if there is a subject that I’m least confident in, it would be the subject of money. We can teach a million different subjects to our kids, some they will use and some they won’t, but all of our kids are going to deal with money. So, parents, we’d be wise to teach and model good money management to our kids.

Someday it might be us who has to depend on our children’s money management skills to get us through those twilight years. If you don’t think you have much wisdom and insight to teach your kids about money, then listen closely to this podcast. Today’s program is going to give you some practical insights that will help you and your kids deal with those dead presidents in a way that will keep everyone smiling while also bringing glory to God.

Today, Rachel Cruze and I discuss parenting and money management as we cover the following topics:

How Smart Money Smart Kids can help your teen be confident in managing their finances.

The important role the parents play in helping their kids learn about finances.

Why managing money should be common sense.

Chores could set your child up for success.

The role personalities play in money management.

Three principles you should train your child.

Why you need to teach your child to spend money.

When a child should get a checking account.

Picture provided by: Mizianitka

But whether our kids heed or disregard what we teach them, something they will all use—whether foolishly or wisely— is money. This is why it’s so important to teach and model wise money management to our kids. Like so many other things having to do with childrearing, the earlier we start this training, the better. […]

But do we have the power, in and of ourselves, to raise our kids into successful God-fearing adults? Does shaping their behaviors necessarily mean we’ve shaped their hearts? And what kind of room are we willing to give God in the course of being His ambassadors of grace to our foolish offspring?

Paul David Tripp is a pastor, author, and conference speaker. He is the President of Paul Tripp Ministries where he works to connect the transforming power of Jesus Christ to everyday life. Paul is the author of 17 books on Christian living, he has produced 14 teaching series, planted a church, founded a Christian school, and travels around the world for speaking at events. Today, Paul shares his book: Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles that can Radically Change Your Family.

With a heart for pastors, Paul is also the Executive Director of The Center for Pastoral Life and Care. Paul lives in Philadelphia, PA with his wife, Luella. They have four grown children. Paul's driving passion is to help people understand how the gospel of Jesus Christ speaks with practical hope into all the things people experience in this broken world.

What is the Key to Being Successful as a Parent

Well, if we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a thousand times here on the License to Parent broadcast: "The only perfect parent that ever existed was God the Father—and look what His first two kids did!" It even went downhill from there!

That doesn’t mean we can disregard the teachings of Scripture when it comes to raising our kids. As godly parents, our first priority is still to heed God’s Word, will, and way. If we do that, not only will we keep from making idols out of our own kids—or ourselves for that matter—we’ll be walking in obedience to God. And that’s always a good thing, even though it can sometimes look and feel incredibly different from what we may have actually envisioned for ourselves as good parents.

This is just like the approach we take with the kids here at Shepherds Hill Academy—all we can do is obey God by creating an authoritative community environment where we can cultivate the soil of our student’s hearts. In this environment, the seed of God’s Spirit and grace has a place to take root and bear fruit. God will give the increase as we partner with Him in the things He has called us to do as parents, so that He can do the things that only He can do as God.

Trace Embry and Paul David Tripp discuss godly parenting as they cover the following topics:

What lead Paul to develop his parenting resource?

Paul's book: Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles that can Radically Change Your Family.

Why parents need to provide loving boundaries and rules.

The true calling a parent has in the lives of their children.

Is there really a need for grace?

How to extinguish your parenting bad habits.

What does grace look like when your child is physically abusive to a parent.

Picture provided by: dagon

But do we have the power, in and of ourselves, to raise our kids into successful God-fearing adults? Does shaping their behaviors necessarily mean we’ve shaped their hearts? And what kind of room are we willing to give God in the course of being His ambassadors of grace to our foolish offspring? Paul David Tripp […]

Like winning the lottery, even if it were possible, what are the odds that it would actually happen? When it comes to our child’s emotional future, could it be argued that time, biology, nature, and what used to be called common sense all betray the notion that moms can actually do it all and have it all—all at the same time?

Erica Komisar, LCSW is a psychoanalyst, parenting coach, and author. She works to ease the burden of those suffering from depression, anxiety, eating disorders, as well as other manifestations of anxiety and compulsion. She recognizes that many of these disorders begin in individuals at a young age, and has put her focus on the mental and emotional well-being of children. She promotes intentional parental interaction early in a child’s development and offers workshops to aid parents in becoming more present and better at understanding their child’s development. Erica recently released her book Being There: Why Prioritizing Motherhood in the First Three Years Matters. She also recently appeared as a guest on Good Morning America and Fox and Friends to discuss the topics in her book.

Why Being an Effective Mother Must Involve Caring for the Mental Health of Your Children

Every parent is concerned about their children’s physical health. And for believers, of course, there’s an even greater concern about their spiritual health. But with the exception of parents raising kids who have experienced some sort of brain trauma or brain malady from birth, “brain care” isn’t all that often on the radar, is it?

You don’t hear a lot of parents talking to one another about how to protect or build their kids’ brains; at least I haven’t—not in the way I am thinking about it right now. Certainly, kids wearing helmets while they ride their bikes is a big deal today. There’s also the recent controversy about if kids should play football six years out of the womb, and things like that. And of course every parent wants their kids to go to school and get good grades. But that is not all we are talking about here.

I think there are a lot of things—and we talk about this all the time—that are systemic to today’s American culture that are absolutely devastating to, not just our kids’ brains, but ours as well. I’m talking about things that the good parents of helmet-wearing, straight “A” students are too often oblivious to.

Erica Komisar, LCSW and I discuss caring for the brains of young children as we consider the following topics:

What does it mean to be a stay-at-home mom?

Why is it important to understand neuroscience with my kids?

How to understand a mother’s true role.

Why you can’t have it all as a woman.

How outside stimuli impacts us at the cellular level.

What does it mean to be a nurturer.

Is a career truly more important that being a mother?

What role should the father be playing?

Picture provided by: Myles Grant (Flickr) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Like winning the lottery, even if it were possible, what are the odds that it would actually happen? When it comes to our child’s emotional future, could it be argued that time, biology, nature, and what used to be called common sense all betray the notion that moms can actually do it all and have […]