Raising Godly Boys Minute

How can you tell if someone needs encouragement? If they are breathing, according to Truett Cathy, founder of Chick-fil-A. Children can easily and quickly become discouraged, especially when tired or stressed, and become negative, self-critical, and depressed. The Bible mentions “encouragement” a lot, including Hebrews 3:13, which tells us to “encourage each other daily.” You can create an encoura...

Your teen boy is going through a lot of changes. You might need to change a bit, too. Of course, the fundamentals of godly parenting and discipline will stay the same. But as your son matures, it’s important to take a step back and prayerfully consider that a change in approach may be helpful. For instance, a teen boy will most likely pull away from his mom and gravitate towards his dad. This is n...

Have you heard the saying, “Life is better together”? The Bible puts it this way in Proverbs 27:17: As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. Here are five ways you can live out being better together as a family. Read together. Read the Bible and other books as a family. Learn together. Share what God is showing you as read His Word.  Talk together. Talk about what God is doing in you...

What can you give your children and grandchildren that won’t cost you any money and will last forever? Parents and grandparents who teach their children and grandchildren to know, love and follow Jesus will leave a spiritual inheritance that will last for generations and into eternity. Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” H...

“What does successful parenting look like?” If you ask a group of parents this question, you would get a lot of different responses. Most parents want their kids to graduate high school and college, get a good job, get married, have children, and live “happily ever after.” As a parent, you can easily become focused on worldly success and helping your kids achieve the “American Dream,” but that’s n...

Have you heard this saying? “Don’t major in the minors.” We can easily get distracted in life and become consumed by things that don’t really matter. Jesus often condemned the Pharisees for this type of behavior, giving them a stern lecture in Luke 11:42. “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love...

What should you do when your son disrespects you or someone else? Try to resist the urge to reprimand or correct him in public. When you are in private, calmly tell him that while you are sad that he chose to show dishonor or disrespect, this is an opportunity for him to grow, and you hope he will make a better choice the next time. Then be sure to commend him the next time you see him showing hon...

In his book Bringing Up Boys , Dr. James Dobson compares parents of sons to a bug called a processionary caterpillar.  A scientist once tested these caterpillars by making them walk in a circle, with a food source in the middle of their circle. The caterpillars just kept following each other, instead of stopping to eat, and eventually died of starvation, right next to a food source. Dr. Dobson say...

You know who needs to see your mistakes? Your son. That’s right. When you miss a work deadline or hurt a friend’s feelings, let your son know. If handled properly, it can be a great training ground for your son. First, manage your emotions. If you’re embarrassed or angry, take a deep breath or go on a walk to calm down. Next, explain what you did wrong. Share with your son how you’re going to fix...

Maybe your son just needs a break. You only want the best for your son. You want to make sure he does well in school, eats reasonably well, makes friends, and participates in extracurriculars. And those are all wonderful things. But in this fast-paced society, don’t forget to let your son take a break, as well. Schedule “down days,” where you don’t have anything planned. Give your son long stretch...

Our boys are under attack. Boys have fallen behind girls in every academic category. Girls are now more likely to have a college education than boys, and boys are more likely to live at home longer and fail to launch into the world. As a parent, it can be discouraging to raise sons in a world that views masculinity as toxic. But by focusing on the five critical needs of boys, we can help our sons...

Have you heard this criticism of Christians? “They’re so heavenly minded, they’re no earthly good.” Focusing on the world to come doesn’t mean that we are to leave the present world as it is, but everything we do, say, and teach our boys should be filtered through the lens of eternity. What are the Lord’s instructions for you during your time here on Earth? Act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly...

How can you help your children grow spiritually? Here are three ideas: Set an example for them. It’s been said that when it comes to children, more is caught than taught. They’ll see when you read your Bible and pray (and when you don’t). And they’ll notice how often you attend church and how important spiritual things are to you. Read with them. This helps kids grow spiritually in a fun and engag...

Is your son truly delayed…or is he just a boy? Asher, who is six years old, got a letter sent home with him from school saying he is delayed and needs to work on sitting still. Asher’s mom took the letter to her son’s pediatrician, who shook her head, and said “He’s not delayed. He’s just being a boy.” The school system is not designed with young, energetic boys in mind– especially since boys deve...

How will you pass your faith on to the next generation? Psalm 78:4 charges us to “tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the LORD, about his power and his mighty wonders.” In this psalm, Asaph implored Jewish fathers to pass the faith from one generation to the next because he knew people would be prone to forgetting what God had done for them. Good parenting requires us to share hel...

Why do boys like to play with cars and trucks? In 2002, a study at Texas A&M University was designed to explore this question. Researchers took male and female monkeys, and gave them equal access to both traditional boy and girl toys. Interestingly, the male monkeys naturally gravitated towards the traditional male toys, like cars, while the females did likewise with the girl toys, like dolls....

Has your son become your idol? That may seem like a ridiculous question. But for even the most well-intentioned parents, their son’s happiness and success can consume their entire life, to the point that it becomes more important than their relationship with GOd. Take some time to sit with God and reflect on your relationship with your son. Are you willing to discipline him to develop his characte...

Being rooted in God’s Word, the Bible, is like the Shepherd’s tree, native to the Kalahari Desert in South Africa. The Shepherd’s tree has the deepest documented roots of any tree, more than 230 feet deep. Jeremiah 17:7-8 says: “Blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into th...

Want to help your son manage his big emotions?  It starts with you. Researchers have found that– because of something in our brains called mirror neurons– the emotions we display cause our children to feel those emotions, too. As New York Times writer Ashley Abramson put it, “The same part of your brain that lights up when you’re feeling happy may also light up when you observe happiness in others...

Do you know how long most people will spend on hold during their lifetime? According to software company RingCentral, people on average will spend about 40 days of their life (or more than 1,000 hours) on hold with a call center. In today’s instant-gratification society, most people, especially children, don’t want to wait for things, but the Bible calls us to be patient and “wait on the Lord.” Pa...

Wish your son would talk to you more? Take him outside. Since your son can turn to Google for an answer to any question, he may not come to you much with questions in his day-to-day life. But if you get him in an outdoor setting,  he just might start asking you for help. Have him pitch your tent while you’re camping. Get on a boat and go fishing, and teach him how to tie his own lure and clean his...

Do you remember this old children’s nursery rhyme? “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” While there’s some truth to this statement, we’ve all experienced the pain caused by hurtful things said to us. Words can hurt. The Bible says, “The tongue has the power of life and death,” and “on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak.”...

How can you teach your son self control? Self control is, of course, one of the fruits of the spirit listed in Galatians 5. And psychologists say that self regulation skills are the key to avoiding addictions. So how can we develop this essential trait in our son? First, do all you can to model self-control. Do your best to make your words and actions line up, and be sure your son sees that. Secon...

Who or what do you look to for help when you need it? If you’re a Christian, God has given you a helper, the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever — the Spirit of truth.” Boys often won’t be able to face their challenges on their own, but the Holy Spirit comes alongside them to help them — all they need to do is a...

You know your son needs sleep. But do you know just how much it can impact his life?  You’ve no doubt heard about the studies that link adequate sleep to better school performance and behavior, two things that many boys particularly struggle with. But one study at the University of Maryland actually found that children who slept less than nine hours had different brain structure! The lack of sleep...