Our Kids are Watching

Posted on: 06/8/20 6:38 PM | by Jonathan McKee

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This Thursday I’m posting a new article on our PARENTING HELP page helping moms and dads not only talk with their kids about the stressful news they’re seeing and hearing, but also providing them a solid foundation in an otherwise shaky world. Here’s just a snippet of that article…

If you have kids under 18, then the last few weeks…scratch that…months have probably invoked more fear and unrest than they have ever experienced looking at the world around them.

First Covid-19, then the tragic killing of George Floyd, then the outbreak of violence in the streets… all of these issues dividing people instead of united them. Millions of American homes have news channels on right now that aren’t reporting news as much as “casting blame.”

I’ve been alive 50 years, and I’ve never seen our country so divided.

I don’t think many adults are stopping to consider…our kids are watching.

Our Kids are Watching
A black man is killed by a policeman on national TV. Our kids are watching.

Looters throw garbage cans through store windows and carry out televisions. Our kids are watching.

Politicians point their fingers. Our kids are watching.

The world pauses to remember George Floyd, even on kids’ channels. Our kids are watching.

Parents turn on that news station they love so much and watch editorialists shake their heads and point their fingers for hours upon hours. Our kids are watching.

Brands speak out and voice their protests in unique ways. Our kids are watching.

Grampa gets mad at the TV screen and starts casting more blame. Our kids are watching.

What are our kids gleaning from all of this pain, violence, bitterness, and unrest? More importantly, how can we talk with them about all they are observing?

Here is yet another situation where being proactive is always better than being reactive. Right now the entire world is reacting, many acting without thinking. What our kids need is a solid foundation in an otherwise shaky world.

So how can we anchor our kids to this solid foundation?

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to compensate for their own hopelessness

Posted on: 09/3/19 5:07 PM | by Jonathan McKee

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In the shadow of yet another shooting this year, I’ve been reflecting on my research not only about bullied kids or even school shooters…but young people in general.

Looking for meaning, purpose…belonging.

I read the following quote this week in the book, Mindhunter, by John Douglas, the FBI legend who first coined the term “serial killer” and birthed the “behavioral science” unit at the FBI:  (emphasis mine)

“Whether we’re talking about a mail bomber like Ted Kaczynski, Charles Whitman, or any number of school shooters, or the raft of religious terrorists have come to plague much of the world, we’re exploring similar psyches. These are people who take up mass violence as a Continue reading “to compensate for their own hopelessness”

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How to Help Your Kids Dodge Digital Distractions

Posted on: 07/14/19 11:53 AM | by Jonathan McKee

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Hands down, the biggest question I’m asked at my parent workshops is, “How can we help our kids if they are spending too much time with screens?”

Great question. And here’s another place you can find the answer.

I’ve been collaborating with Focus on the Family a lot lately, getting to know their leaders (my podcast interviewing Jim and John from the Focus Daily Show), speaking for them, writing articles, shooting podcasts and doing radio shows. It’s been fun working with them in this role, so much in fact that they have brought me on as a “Focus on the Family Associate.”

This doesn’t mean we’re married… but we’re dating.   🙂

In short, I provide them with content, and they plug much of our content at TheSource4Parents.com. A win/win for both ministries.

They just released one of my new articles on their site with four tips moms and dads can use to help their kids who might be clocking in too much screen time Continue reading “How to Help Your Kids Dodge Digital Distractions”

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Why screen time inhibits toddler development

Posted on: 02/14/19 10:00 AM | by Jonathan McKee

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Where’s Nathan?

I just changed his diaper and plopped him in front of the TV… again.

Any theories why Nathan doesn’t walk yet?

It’s probably not a surprise to you to hear that if we plop our toddlers down in front of a screen it hurts their development. We’ve heard the arguments before. Too much screen time has negative effects all around. And some experts even push back and try to contest it.

But according to a new study from the University of Calgary, the results are pretty clear about the effects of screen time on young kids Continue reading “Why screen time inhibits toddler development”

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Focus Interviews Me about Bullying

Posted on: 10/29/18 1:50 PM | by Jonathan McKee

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This Thursday and Friday Focus on the Family will be airing a two-day radio show where they interview me about how parents and teachings can prevent bullying.

Here’s just a quick snippet:

Here’s Continue reading “Focus Interviews Me about Bullying”

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View from the Edge

Posted on: 10/16/18 3:30 AM | by Jonathan McKee

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Some of you might have caught the exclusive excerpt of my new book I posted on our parents site last week. The following is ANOTHER excerpt from the first chapter of my brand new book, The Bullying Breakthrough, releasing this month…  the first book where I finally tell my story…

Chapter 1: View from the Edge

“Sticks and stone may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”

We’ve all heard it. We all had teachers who reiterated it. “…word will never hurt me.”

Complete foolishness.

Nothing could be further from the truth. I probably don’t even need to give you thirteen reasons why Continue reading “View from the Edge”

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Helping Teens Press Pause

Posted on: 06/12/18 1:00 AM | by Jonathan McKee

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Whenever I talk with young people about their mobile devices I ask, “How many of you think people are spending too much time staring at their devices?” An overwhelming majority of hands will go up.

Yet if you followed those same teens for 24 hours, you’d probably catch them “spending too much time staring at their devices.” (And before we start labeling anyone hypocritical… adults are in the same boat).

Let’s review. Teens are aware that phones monopolize too much of their time, but they aren’t really doing much about it.

So why not Continue reading “Helping Teens Press Pause”

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Four conversations parents must have

Posted on: 04/17/18 3:30 AM | by Jonathan McKee

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As requests are coming in for speaking this fall, I wanted to let you know about a new workshop I’m launching… FOUR CONVERSATIONS! It’s the first parent workshop I’m doing where I have parents and kids in the same room!

Right now my go-to workshop for parents is PARENTING THE SMARTPHONE GENERATION… I taught this workshop in almost 30 churches in the U.S. last year Continue reading “Four conversations parents must have”

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Lil Dicky gets a lil raunchy (and how parents should respond)

Posted on: 04/10/18 3:30 AM | by Jonathan McKee

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The song debuted in the top 10 on Billboard’s Hot 100. The music video is full of celebrity cameos and has already garnered over 100 million views. When I mentioned that particular song speaking at a church last Sunday morning, teens in the audience literally shouted, “Yeah!” in acclamation (and I mentioned about a dozen songs).

I’m talking about the brand new racy music video from Lil Dicky, Freaky Friday, where Lil Dicky wakes up as Chris Brown and Chris Brown as Lil Dicky. The music video is creative, kids think it’s hilarious, and it’s full of sexual references and imagery. Continue reading “Lil Dicky gets a lil raunchy (and how parents should respond)”

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Where to Get Practical Parenting Help

Posted on: 02/6/18 3:30 AM | by Jonathan McKee

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In two hours (at 9AM Pacific time) several thousand parents will receive our FREE “Parenting Help” email which always contains three helpful resources for today’s parents. Take a peek… because you might want to make sure this helpful resource is hitting your inbox twice a month:

  1. This “Parenting Help” email always includes our newest “Parenting Help” article, like the one I just wrote with three tools to engage your kids to not only remove their headphones… but tune you in. I always write these articles based on the biggest questions I’m hearing from parents online and at my parent workshops. We have an entire page of these articles that hopefully do exactly what the title implies… “help parents” with practical tools they need. Look at the last five articles I’ve written Continue reading “Where to Get Practical Parenting Help”

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