Brave Parenting

AI tutors and personalized learning programs are poised to take over the classroom. With new partnerships between AI companies and teachers’ organizations, this is coming to public schools whether parents want it or not. Today, we’re restating the obvious reasons why AI does not have to be learned or used in elementary school and what you can do to ensure it isn’t.   Article...

The largest toy manufacturer has just joined forces with OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT. Mattel and OpenAI have not disclosed exactly what they will be creating. Still, considering Mattel’s history with Hello Barbie,  it’s a likely guess that it’s a generative AI conversational toy, such as Barbie or Thomas the Train. Parents must think critically and biblically before allowing t...

TikTok has banned the popular hashtag #skinnytok from its platform due to being linked with “unhealthy weight loss content.” Does this mean TikTok cares about the content it hosts? Or is this just virtuous P.R. for them? Considering that similar hashtags are still popular, we can assume nothing has actually changed. Unrealistic beauty standards still pervade every corner of social medi...

Today, Kelly is joined by Nathan, a Brave Parenting ambassador, parent, and internet security expert, to discuss the video gaming app TruPlay. This app offers Christian video games that the company promotes will nurture your child’s faith and teach them biblical wisdom. Those are strong claims, so we spent weeks researching every aspect of the app, playing the games, and watching the videos....

In this cultural update for Christian parents, Kelly examines the trend of Gen Z opting for dumb phones and embracing Blackberry phones. News outlets are reporting this but are teens and young adults actually getting tired of their iPhones and boldly embracing dumb phones? This sounds amazing….and totally too good to be true. Articles referenced: Gen Z is swapping their smartphones for this...

Today, we continue in our series of testimonies from those who have boldly decided to quit social media. Joining Kelly on the podcast is Lucy Staples. Lucy’s story is representative of many teens we have spoken to, whose parents restricted their social media use throughout most of high school. When Lucy was finally able to get Instagram and TikTok, she experienced what only wisdom and maturi...

In this episode, Kelly talks with Pearson Segina, a 23-year-old student pastor who felt the conviction by God to not just stay off Instagram, but to delete his account altogether. The faith and obedience of this young man will so inspire parents! Also in this episode: Is it possible to use social media to the glory of God? Youth Pastors on social media The importance of physical Bibles in the chur...

Today, Kelly and Chelsea speak with Reagan Rose from Redeeming Productivity about what he has learned and, more importantly, what he has gained from quitting social media. As someone who leads an online ministry, it seems counterintuitive for him to quit. Still, his reflections after one year reveal the beauty of what is possible for anyone who commits to leaving the social media sites for good. C...

Today’s episode continues the review of Common Sense Media’s 2025 Consensus: Media Use by Kids 0-8. This week, we are reviewing the parents’ concerns regarding media use. Kelly unpacks the reasons given for allowing screen time at these young ages and how the concerns parents reported in the survey do not seem to match the allowances given. This episode is so important as it high...

Today, we review Common Sense Media’s 2025 Consensus Report on Kids’ Media Use in ages 0-8 where they reveal that society’s youngest are consuming 2.5 hours of media every day. We talked about this briefly in Tablets Are Taking Over Toddlerhood, but in this podcast, Kelly reviews several of the report’s key findings and examines them through the lens of scripture and parent...

In this Brave Briefing, Kelly addresses the ever-present plea of kids to have their own phone to connect with friends. Is the only real option to give them a smartphone? We do not believe so and therefore present the simple and powerful alternative: The Home Smartphone. Resources referenced: Pinwheel Kid-Safe Phones Corded handset for Smartphone Articles referenced: How Parenting and Self-Control...

In this Brave Briefing, Kelly asks whether we are loving our neighbor or ourselves in response to an article published by The Telegraph in the UK lamenting how smartphones have caused us to lose all sense of common decency. The reference is to selfies taken with Pope Francis’ open casket at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Not only does the article’s author have a valid point, but S...

The popular Netflix series Adolescence can easily bring about fear for the future of today’s children because of the content of the internet. The show is generating a lot of conversation about misogyny and the “manosphere,” but few are evaluating it biblically. In this episode, Kelly and Brave Parenting Ambassador Mandy consider and discuss what Scripture offers in understanding...

The popular Netflix series Adolescence is raising many questions about the online content kids consume. Media and technology are often blamed for stealing kids’ childhood, but in light of this show, we have to consider why parents willingly hand their child over to isolation behind a screen. In this Brave Briefing, Kelly considers the role of the parents in the show  Adolescence.  Rather tha...

Today, Kelly and Ryan give a synopsis and review of the new Minecraft movie, which just opened in theaters nationwide. They discuss the overall plot, the quality of the language and content, and what type of conversations you can have with your kids after seeing the movie. Be sure to check out our new Brave Parenting Guide to Minecraft (the game – not the movie)! Scripture referenced: Genesi...

Today, Kelly responds to a series of articles published by  The Stylist asking the question, “What is it like to be a girl in 2025?” Are we, as a society, failing girls? If the picture they paint is true, how can it be remedied? What is the parent’s role in all of this? Articles referenced: Is 2025 The Scariest Time to Be a Girl? Nowhere Feels Safe – What its Like to be a G...

TikTok wants you to believe they care deeply about your kids’ safety and well-being. Last week, they announced new parental controls allowing parents to see who their kids are following and who follows them. Additionally, they will begin “Wind down” mode for users under 16 years old. Are any of these ground-breaking? No. Could they do so much more? Absolutely. In this episode, Ke...

Tablets are taking over toddlerhood. Common Sense Media’s 2025 Consensus on media usage by kids zero to eight years old reveals staggering numbers of the youngest and most vulnerable of society on internet-connected devices for upwards of 3.5 hours per day on average. Two-thirds of parents admit to allowing the screen to “get stuff done,” but is anyone considering anything other...

Marvel Rivals is the latest gaming craze, drawing 40 million players with its fast-paced action and free-to-play model. But behind the fun lies a culture-shaping platform that hooks kids with addictive design, in-game purchases, and exposure to toxic online interactions. In this Brave Briefing episode, Kelly unpacks what parents need to know—how the game influences kids’ social identity, gam...

Online video games share quite a few features with social media platforms. As lawmakers push to create legal restrictions surrounding social media, we wonder why there is no conversation about online video game restrictions. Are they that different? If online video games share some of the same concerning features, shouldn’t they share the same restrictions? Articles referenced: Roblox is sti...

Today, we’re reviewing three research reports about TEENS and SOCIAL MEDIA that prove parents need to be brave! By looking at all three together, we can get a clear picture of what is happening with teens. The growing amount of time spent on a screen and the growing mental health issues among young people is partially a result of parents unwilling or uncaring enough to enforce social media a...

Education is suffering under the weight of phones in schools. While schools worldwide are banning phones to improve learning and mental health, many parents are fighting to keep 24/7 access to their kids. Why? Because modern parenting has shifted from stewardship to ownership —and it is harming our children in massive ways. Articles referenced: Do Yondr Pouches Really Work? JAMA: Adolescent Smartp...

Meditation and prayer apps have increased in quantity and popularity, but should Christians use them? Promising peace, focus, sleep, emotional regulation, and spiritual growth, these apps make great boasts that must be evaluated before downloading. In this episode, Kelly & Chelsea unpack how the algorithms, the behavior modification tactics, the quantification of prayers, and the promoted stre...

Everyone wants an easy and convenient parenting hack to teach reading, but what is that hack? What gives parents and kids a win in reading? Educational apps? Reading to them? Is it really even a question we have to ask? Articles referenced: American Children’s Reading Skills Reach New Lows These Toys Actually Get My Kindergartner Excited About Learning to Read Testing Theories of Why: 4 Keys...

Location tracking is now part of the written code for effective modern parenting. In this episode, Kelly examines the widespread technological convenience of parents tracking their kid’s location. Parents argue it’s about keeping kids safe – but does it actually? Kelly unpacks the common reasons why parents insist on location tracking and how Scripture informs and instructs us di...