Preteens

Mythbuster: It’s Too Hard to Homeschool Tween and Teen Boys
"Could you talk about homeschooling boys? My son is driving me crazy! And you have six..." Back when we were on the board of our state homeschool organization, we heard that a lot from support group leaders. It's how we got started speaking and writing about boys and it's still something we hear all the time. "Once boys hit puberty,…
Mama, Thank You for Disciplining Me
Several years ago one of our boys suggested that we take a few minutes at our family birthday celebrations and each of us share something we love or respect about the birthday person. We've done that ever since and wow. Just wow. It has been incredible to hear every member of the family express out…
Five Things to Do When Your Child is Being Picked On
A friend was just heartbroken, "My preteen son was visibly upset after children's choir last night. When I probed, he said he didn't like his class any more and he wanted to quit. After probing even more, he said, fighting back tears, that when he went to sit down, the kids told him that he…
What to Do When You Find Out Your Child’s Been Watching Porn
What should you do? Well, besides cry? It's devastating to realize that the child you've prayed for, taught the Scriptures to, and tried so hard to protect has been looking at degrading and dehumanizing filth. You're not alone. Nearly all boys are exposed to porn before they are eighteen and the vast majority of them,…
Ten Danger Signs Your Son is Watching Porn
We get messages all the time from parents who've found out their son is watching porn. In every one, the parents express shock. They had no idea, no clue that this was going on in their house, so they just aren't prepared to deal with it. When we talk to them, though, the signs have…
Q & A: Dealing With An Angry Son
A reader asks what to do with a violently angry 11-year-old son who is fighting and hurting his siblings.  The father writes, I'm dying here. My boy continues to be violent to his siblings...one in particular...and tells us he wants out of the family. I feel like a prisoner in my own family, needing to…
Ten Practical Ways to Keep Kids Safe From Predators
The past couple of weeks, we've been talking to and praying for friends who've been dealing with a great grief. Their young son was molested while he was visiting with his beloved grandparents. It was a young adult, a trusted friend of the family, who victimized their child. The parents are heartbroken. Sadly, this is happening more…
Five Ways to Help Teens with Moving
A reader asked, "We are moving across the country to North Carolina this spring or summer for a great job opportunity our family has been praying for. My 14 yr old son is taking it very hard (he is a believer). My husband and I encourage him and our other 4 children, and we concentrate…
Four Reasons You Need to Change Your Parenting Style
Our oldest son shook his head, sadly. “You never would have let me do that,” he said, watching a younger sibling. We had to admit, he had a point. When he was that age, we were new parents, full of theories but short on experience. He was Offspring 1.0, and parenting was still something of…
Star Wars: The Force Awakens Review and Discussion Guide
Let me be upfront. I love Star Wars. The original Star Wars was released when I was a young teen and I think I saw it 5 or 6 times the first month. It was a grand story of nobility and sacrifice, knights and princesses, tyranny and resistance, epic battles and spaceships. Spaceships! It was…