parenting Archives - Page 2 of 4 - Jonathan's Blog From The Source

Mom, Is Justin Bieber a Christian?

Posted on: 01/9/18 3:30 AM | by Jonathan McKee

It’s a question kids are asking, and a question Moms don’t quite know how to answer.

Similar to the question, “Mom, is Chance the Rapper a Christian?” …you can’t help but wonder, who am I to even answer that question?

But it’s being asked.

Maybe we’re confused because we’ve read about Justin’s troubles with the law (from 2014 granted) or heard him singing and collaborating on some pretty worldly tracks (okay, maybe that’s a little more recent)… and then moments later we see him unashamedly dancing to worship music or posting a powerful Instagram post praising Jesus for “changing me from the inside out.” Continue reading “Mom, Is Justin Bieber a Christian?”

Posted in Discussion Ideas, Faith, Music, News, Youth Culture | Tags: authentic Christianity, celebrities, I'm the one, judging, justin bieber, parenting | Leave A Comment

Answering top questions from today’s parents PART III

Posted on: 11/16/17 3:30 AM | by Jonathan McKee

In PART I and PART II of this series we already tackled some of the big questions today’s parents are asking…

How do I regulate screen time with a high functioning autistic kid?

When your kids push you away and go silent, how do you reconnect?

Is there a way to receive your kids’ texts directly on your device?

These are just a few of the countless questions I just received from parents… and for three days I’ve been answering them in this blog. Each day I’m narrowing it down to the top 10.

Here are the final 10 answers to the last 10 questions… Continue reading “Answering top questions from today’s parents PART III”

Posted in Entertainment Media, Internet, Parenting, Smartphones/Cell Phones, Social Media | Tags: apps, mentors, parenting, parenting teens, single mom, smartphones, social media, teens | Leave A Comment

Answering top questions from today’s parents PART II

Posted on: 11/15/17 3:30 AM | by Jonathan McKee

Yesterday we already tackled some of the big ones…

What age do you recommend allowing children on social media?

Is there a way to filter the stories on SnapChat?

How do you prevent sexting?

These are just a few of the countless questions I just received from parents… and for three days I’m going to answer all of them in this blog. Each day I’m going to narrow it down to the top 10. (See yesterday’s 10 answers HERE.)

Here are today’s 10 answers to 10 questions… Continue reading “Answering top questions from today’s parents PART II”

Posted in Entertainment Media, Internet, Parenting, Sexuality, Smartphones/Cell Phones, Social Media, Youth Culture | Tags: parenting, raising autistic kids, raising teenagers, smartphones, social media, youth culture | Leave A Comment

Answering top questions from today’s parents PART I

Posted on: 11/14/17 3:30 AM | by Jonathan McKee

The questions began rolling in…

What age do you recommend giving our kids phones?

What is the easiest way to monitor a child’s online safety?

What are the dangers of the app Musical.ly?

These are just a few of the countless questions I just received from parents… and in the next three days I’m going to answer all of them in this blog. Each day I’m going to narrow it down to the top 10 Continue reading “Answering top questions from today’s parents PART I”

Posted in Entertainment Media, Internet, Music, Parenting, Sexuality, Smartphones/Cell Phones, Social Media | Tags: COPPA, Jonathan McKee, media discernment, parenting, parenting questions, raising teenagers, smartphone contract, Snapchat, social media, teens and smartphones, The Teens Guide to Social Media and Mobile Devices | Leave A Comment

Guns, Drama, and Poor Conflict Resolution Skills

Posted on: 11/7/17 6:56 AM | by Jonathan McKee

It’s always interesting when people search for the “why” behind shootings and acts of violence (much like the why behind spikes in anxiety and depression). People are always looking for someone to blame.

It’s those violent video games.

It’s Quentin Tarantino movies!

It’s the second amendment.

If only it were that simple. I think most experts would agree it’s often an amalgamation of these elements. With shootings, the typical profile is a white male, 25 to 45, military background, tumultuous relationship with his mother… but not always Continue reading “Guns, Drama, and Poor Conflict Resolution Skills”

Posted in Entertainment Media, News, Youth Culture | Tags: anger, conflict resolution, gun control, parenting, school shootings | Leave A Comment

Engaging Young People with Stranger Things

Posted on: 10/24/17 6:29 AM | by Jonathan McKee

Young people love them some Netflix… and this week they’re especially buzzing about Stranger Things, because Season 2 will be premiering this Friday… and everybody’s talking about it!

That means literally millions of people won’t be going outdoors this weekend, because they will be at home binge-watching the entire season in one sitting! That also means that many are re-binging on Season One again this week to prep for the big premiere.

Did you know that we have free discussion starters for EVERY episode of Stranger Things on our Continue reading “Engaging Young People with Stranger Things”

Posted in Discussion Ideas, Entertainment Media, TV | Tags: discussion starter, engaging teenagers, Netflix, parenting, Stranger Things, Stranger Things Season 2 | Leave A Comment

New sexually explicit cartoon on Netflix

Posted on: 09/28/17 10:56 AM | by Jonathan McKee

The show is called Big Mouth, and it’s premiering on Netflix this weekend. It’s a cartoon about teenagers whose lives have been upended by the wonders and horrors of puberty.

For those who think today’s young people aren’t exposed to sexual messages and imagery… think again.

Take a peek at the trailer here: (and WARNING: This YouTube trailer is very sexually explicit and contains foul language… and yeah… it’s available on your kid’s phone.) Continue reading “New sexually explicit cartoon on Netflix”

Posted in Entertainment Media, Internet, Sexuality, Smartphones/Cell Phones, TV | Tags: Big Mouth, media discernment, Netflix, parenting, sexually explicit imagery | Leave A Comment

Is Snapchat and Snapmaps safe?

Posted on: 09/26/17 3:30 AM | by Jonathan McKee

It’s the number one app kids use, and it’s the number one app parents ask me about at my parent workshops. I hear it all the time:

Is Snapchat bad?

Should I let my daughter use Snapchat?

Or more recently…

Is SnapMaps dangerous? Should I advise my daughter to go “Ghostmode”?

It’s something I’ve written articles about in detail, and something I always devote time to when I’m addressing students directly about wise posting in an insecure world. So what do Mom and Dad need to know about this app, especially with its fun new feature called “SnapMaps” where your Snap friends can see your exact locations on a map at all times? Continue reading “Is Snapchat and Snapmaps safe?”

Posted in Internet, Parenting, Smartphones/Cell Phones, Social Media, Youth Culture | Tags: parenting, Snapchat, snapmaps, teenagers | Leave A Comment

The words I’ve been waiting for…

Posted on: 09/18/17 3:30 AM | by Jonathan McKee

“In stock”

I’ve had sooooooooo many parents asking me about this book for their teens/tweens… it’s so good to see it finally “in stock” ( over two weeks early). I received boxes of them Friday, and Amazon began shipping them Saturday.

Enjoy the book! Here’s what those who screened the book for me said about it:

“McKee’s best yet. This book will most definitely be the new ‘phone contract’ today’s parents use to engage their kids in meaningful conversation about their use of technology. Required reading for any teenager.”
—Doug Fields, Author of Speaking to Teenagers and 7 Ways to Be Her Hero Continue reading “The words I’ve been waiting for…”

Posted in Books, Smartphones/Cell Phones, Social Media | Tags: parenting, smartphones, Snapchat, social media, teenagers, The Teens Guide to Social Media and Moblile Devices, wise posting | Leave A Comment

Does Sexy Music Really Affect Me?

Posted on: 08/30/17 1:30 PM | by Jonathan McKee

I guess it’s a good time to ask this question when the No. 1 song on the charts articulates, “I want to show my mouth your favorite places, let me trespass your danger zones until I make you scream.”

Whenever I speak to parents I tend to provide them with a glimpse into the world of youth culture: the apps young people frequent (on their smartphones at an average of 2 hours and 38 minutes a day), the games they’re playing (teen boys play an average of 56 minutes per day), and the music they’re soaking in (at an average of 1 hour and 54 minutes per day) (Media Use by Tweens and Teens, page 19 and 31). Sometime I even play YouTube videos or paste lyrics of the top dozen songs right on the screen for parents to see firsthand. The reaction is always the same:

“I didn’t know it was this bad!”

Well, I’ve been doing this two decades now… and I’ve never seen the top 12 songs this bad Continue reading “Does Sexy Music Really Affect Me?”

Posted in Discussion Ideas, Entertainment Media, Jonathan's Rant, Music, Parenting, Smartphones/Cell Phones, Youth Culture | Tags: billboard hot 100, music, music charts, parenting, parenting teenagers, pop music, sexually explicit lyrics, sexy songs, smartphone monitoring, top songs | Leave A Comment