First Answers

Now it's time for the good things parents can do to lead happy and successful families. Learn what happens in most successful families where children are happy and family relationships endure over time. We talk about how parent leadership begins with a strong marriage relationship, or consistency and reliability for single parents, and how to adapt these leadership practices in different family si...

The things we do in our families—good or bad—tend to last. In this episode, we discuss the definitive qualities of families, such as how they change over time and how families have their own characteristics. This is why it's important that parents adapt over time to meet their family's needs and be proactive about the characteristics they want their family to have. Then we talk about specific form...

We're living in a time where many families are not intact, don't have a vision, and/or are not organized to promote the growth and development of children. But families need leadership. Learn more about the consequences when families do not have good leadership and what parents can do to apply it as well as teach it in their families so it will help their families now and continue in future genera...

Cooperation is another skill we're seeing less of in society today. More than just helping people, it's working together with others toward a common goal. Signs that cooperation is dwindling include the rise in bullying, feelings of loneliness, and the number of children isolating themselves on screens. Learn about the consequences when kids don't learn this skill and what parents can do to encour...

Curiosity and creativity are vital skills for understanding our individual identities and learning about the world around us. Causes can vary between too much screentime or fear of failure or even overscheduling and fear of boredom. Children may be missing out on developing much-needed learning and emotional skills. Learn some things parents can do to encourage more curiosity and creativity in the...

Families seem busier and busier these days with work or sports or other activities—sometimes out of need and sometimes by choice. Parents should carefully weigh the costs of being away from their children for so many hours, how much downtime children actually have, and whether the outcomes they're hoping for can realistically be achieved by keeping such a busy schedule. Learn what parents can do t...

There are many types of anxiety children face today, and often parents misinterpret anxious behavior as misbehavior or disobedience. Learn about the different types and how they might show up and what parents can do to calm the anxiety and find solutions. Visit FirstAnswers.com to find answers for 21st-century parents and more about the podcast.

Social anxiety is one of the most rapidly increasing emotional problems in childhood, and it has significant consequences for kids and families. Since it is relatively new to many parents, they might not know what to do about it, which often causes the anxiety to spread to other areas. Learn about some possible causes of the problem, consequences, and then solutions for families. Visit FirstAnswer...

Another risk on the rise, entitlement can affect children personally and, if unchecked, will eventually affect how they view themselves, other people, and their relationships. One challenge is that many trends in our culture seem to encourage entitlement, so modern parents need to be especially watchful. Learn the causes of this behavior and what parents can do to teach something better. Visit Fir...

We continue our discussion about violence, specifically focusing on family violence and how it can influence children's ideas of safety, power, and healthy relationships for a long time. Families should be safe and loving environments, and when they're not, it dramatically increases the impact of anything negative. Learn more about the types of violence that can occur and some preventative measure...

Violence exists in the world in many ways—and seems to be increasing. Bullying and ruining people's reputations, for example, occurs more and more along with physical violence. Violent behavior tends to be easily learned and can become part of the family environment, where it becomes an acceptable norm. It is a great detriment to families when it exists in an environment that is supposed to be lov...

Anger can be a dangerous habit that can grow in intensity and spread to many areas of your life if it goes unchecked. It is a huge risk for families if prevalent, and it especially affects how children develop in many ways. We'll talk about many risks that anger poses and some causes, consequences of, and solutions for it. Visit FirstAnswers.com to find answers for 21st-century parents and more ab...

The lack of empathy in people is becoming a bigger problem today. There are many possible causes, like increased screen time and less in-person interaction. In this episode, we talk about how such a lack can occur, the symptoms of it, and some solutions parents can use to teach more empathy and eliminate some of the risk factors that threaten its development. Visit FirstAnswers.com to find answers...

There are serious emotional and social risks for children who are exposed to or addicted to pornography. Learn how to teach about it in your family to help prevent pornography use, learn how to talk about it when your children are exposed to it, and, if a child is addicted, learn what parents can do to help solve it. Visit FirstAnswers.com to find answers for 21st-century parents and more about th...

Over the last few decades, cultural changes have made early sexual experiences for teenagers more common and acceptable, and sexual information is much more accessible and prevalent. Learn what increases the risks for children to be exposed to sexual information and to engage in early sexual activity, what can happen if they do, and how parents can adapt to the changing times to adequately teach t...

Learn more about self-worth for kids, how it differs from self-esteem, how it's produced, and how parents can help kids feel more of it. Then we talk about a possible link between how children feel about themselves and family conflict. Learn about handling family conflict in a healthy way and the types of conflict to avoid. Visit FirstAnswers.com to find answers for 21st-century parents and more a...

Parents need to take social media use more seriously. Average hours of daily use for teens is already too much and an amount that is most likely to lead to increased anxiety and depression and concerns about self-worth. Learn more about some of the many risks and what parents can do to teach about it, regulate use, and promote healthy human connection. Visit FirstAnswers.com to find answers for 21...

Learn why substance abuse can be such a significant risk for children and teens, the conditions that make them more vulnerable to it, and some possible solutions to help kids and families avoid the dangers or recover from use. Visit FirstAnswers.com to find answers for 21st-century parents and more about the podcast.

One of the most challenging issues today for children and parents is identity disorders, one of the most common being gender dysphoria. There has been a rapid increase in children facing these challenges today, and it is a significant risk because gender is a core element to one's identity. Without as much societal support for healthy gender development as there was in the past, parents can learn...

AI use is becoming more commonplace for adults and children. While it is sometimes useful, it can have a negative impact on overly reliant users' critical thinking skills, beliefs in false information, and abilities to be creative and think outside the box. Parents can learn how AI can be a risk and how to promote AI literacy, set clear boundaries with their children's use, and promote a general s...

What is happening to families and children in our modern world deserves more attention, so we started a new series focused on the current risks to families and children, like AI and technology, falling birth rates, and declining community support. Children today are facing ideas, social behavior, and challenges that parents have never faced, so parents need to learn more and do more in order to ad...

A troubling social trend involves marriage and families. Marriage rates are dropping, and fewer children are being born. Faith, and not just religious faith, can contribute to people's willingness to marry and have children. See how to teach your children to examine their own faith, build more faith, and learn to exercise it before these big life decisions. Visit FirstAnswers.com to find answers f...

Learn how to tie patience and faith together in order to help your children develop greater maturity and abilities to live a chaste life and believe in themselves. When patience and faith are fused together, children are less reactive, more resistant to temptation, and more hopeful. Visit FirstAnswers.com to find answers for 21st-century parents and more about the podcast.

Learn how to align your family with the good things of your church culture so that your children will learn and receive support from many good people and their spiritual education will be enriched. Visit FirstAnswers.com to find answers for 21st-century parents and more about the podcast.

Children are born with a predisposition to see regularity and predictability, which makes them feel more secure, but the environment can cause turbulence when there's family conflict, scary events in the news, mistreatment, or mental or emotional challenges. This can make them feel like nothing lasts and there's little hope. Learn how faith can give children something to focus on and feel that is...