parenting Archives - Page 3 of 4 - Jonathan's Blog From The Source

Back to School Conversations

Posted on: 08/23/17 3:03 PM | by Jonathan McKee

If your kids aren’t already back to school, they’re headed there. Sure that means new classes, homework, and all that goes along with the academic aspects of school… but that also means navigating new and old friendships, trying to fit in, and wondering if everyone likes you, not just at school, but also on every app with a like button.

This is where you come in. The typical response from caring adults like parents, grandparents, coaches and youth pastors is to ask about school Continue reading “Back to School Conversations”

Posted in Discussion Ideas, Parenting, Youth Ministry Philosophy | Tags: back to school, conersations, dialogue, get your teenager talking, parenting, teenagers | Leave A Comment

What is your biggest concern with young people and mobile devices?

Posted on: 08/16/17 3:30 AM | by Jonathan McKee

Let’s have a little CONTEST!

I have 5 “Advanced Reader’s Copies” of my upcoming The Teens Guide to Social Media and Mobile Devices sitting right here on my desk… and I want to give them away. (I don’t know if you saw… for some reason Amazon is offering these right now as a pre-order for just $7 and change! Grab that price while you have the chance. Wow.)

Simple: post a comment in this blog post answering this question Continue reading “What is your biggest concern with young people and mobile devices?”

Posted in Books, Contests, Smartphones/Cell Phones | Tags: contest, mobile devices, parenting, smartphones, teenagers, The Teens Guide to Social Media and Moblile Devices | Leave A Comment

Sex in the Top 10

Posted on: 07/18/17 6:32 AM | by Jonathan McKee

I’m always amazed how shocked parents are when I simply take them on a tour of the top 10 songs in the charts at any given time.

Many of you have heard me take parents on this tour (here’s me doing it in Amish PA). In a world where young people average 2 hours a day listening to music, it’s always wise to hear what messages they’re gleaning through their headphones. Today… that message happens to be pretty sexually charged.

David and I just did a quick review of the top 10 in this week’s YOUTH CULTURE WINDOW article. Take a peek at what our kids are hearing this summer and several free resources we provide to engage kids in meaningful conversation about these songs.

SEXY SONGS OF THE SUMMER

Posted in Entertainment Media, Music, Sexuality, Youth Culture | Tags: billboard hot 100, music charts, parenting, sexually charged, sexy songs | Leave A Comment

Talking with our kids about Katy Perry

Posted on: 06/19/17 10:34 AM | by Jonathan McKee

Katy Perry’s back on the charts with her brand new album, Witness, which will debut straight to No. 1 tomorrow on the Billboard 200 Album Chart.

What will our kids hear from Katy this time around? More importantly, how can you talk with them about what they hear?

In 2013 I asked the same question about her album Prism when I wrote the article, “Dad, Can I Download Katy Perry’s New Album?” In that album we saw Katy get honest and talk about fighting depression, but we also saw the typical themes of partying and sleeping around. This time expect a little more of the same—some vulnerability, and some DGAF mindset (don’t give a…).

For example, in her song Roulette we notice Continue reading “Talking with our kids about Katy Perry”

Posted in Discussion Ideas, Entertainment Media, Music, Parenting, Youth Culture | Tags: discussing music, Katy Perry, Katy Perry new album, parenting, Witness, youth ministry discussions | Leave A Comment

When teens regret what they post

Posted on: 06/13/17 1:51 PM | by Jonathan McKee

Last month a youth pastor friend called and left me a message:

Jonathan, we have a teen who sent a naked pic of himself to some girls at his school (Christian school), and now everyone at the school has seen it. It’s all everyone’s talking about at youth group. How do I deal with this?

I wish I could say the situation is uncommon.

No, I’m not going to tell you that every kid with a phone is posting nudes, but we do live in a day where SEND NUDES is definitely “no big deal.” And even if kids aren’t sending nudes Continue reading “When teens regret what they post”

Posted in Parenting, Sexuality, Smartphones/Cell Phones, Social Media | Tags: mobile devices, parenting, regret posts, send nudes, smartphone, social media | Leave A Comment

Why 13 Reasons Why

Posted on: 05/1/17 3:30 AM | by Jonathan McKee

Suicide, upskirt photos, social media, bullying… it’s almost as if someone posted a hidden camera in the hallways of the high school down your street. The realism is a little too close to home, and parents are beginning to worry.

Should our kids be watching this?

If you have teenagers, work with teenagers or even have crossed paths with a teenager in the last month, you probably have heard them talking about 13 Reasons Why. It’s the newest bingeable series from Netflix touching on everything teenager Continue reading “Why 13 Reasons Why”

Posted in Discussion Ideas, Entertainment Media, Internet, Movies, Parenting, Self Image, TV, Youth Culture | Tags: 13 reasons why, binge watching, entertainment media, Netflix, parenting, rape, social media, suicide | Leave A Comment

Alone

Posted on: 04/24/17 8:09 AM | by Jonathan McKee

Yesterday I sat in a restaurant on my drive back from a speaking engagement and voices grew loud behind me.

“You don’t understand!”

“I understand perfectly. You’re failing.”

The voices were growing loud enough that people at other tables were pausing and awkwardly looking over at the commotion.

I snuck a glance. A teenage boy, probably 16 or 17-years-old, was typing on his phone, trying his best to ignore his mom while she sat across the table from him with her arms crossed Continue reading “Alone”

Posted in Church, Parenting, Youth Culture | Tags: parenting, rebellious teens, sticky faith, teenagers, teens need mentors | Leave A Comment

When Teens Doubt

Posted on: 04/4/17 3:30 AM | by Jonathan McKee

It’s sad, but I hear it more and more each year.

Every weekend at my parent workshops I get at least one question about it… and I constantly receive emails asking the same thing:

What do I do when my teenager tells me they don’t believe in God?

Here’s an email I just received:

Jonathan,

Thank you for all the wonderful ideas and advice! We are taking it all to heart in raising our teens. The question I have is, how do you apply these strategies in your book with a 16 year old who has decided she doesn’t believe in God the way you’ve taught her? She is not going to have the same moral compass you’re wanting her to make decisions from . . . Continue reading “When Teens Doubt”

Posted in Church, Faith, Family, Parenting, Youth Culture | Tags: answers to tough questions, apologetics, christian faith, doubt, faith, parenting, skeptics, teenage doubters | Leave A Comment

Where kids actually adopt their values

Posted on: 03/28/17 10:38 AM | by Jonathan McKee

“My 16-year-old wants Instagram and I won’t let her have it. Is that bad?”

It was an honest question from a mom after one of my recent parent workshops.

“Why don’t you let her have Instagram?”I asked.

“Well… it’s social media, and that’s bad… right?” She replied indecisively.

“When she’s 18 and she goes off to college, do you think she’ll get it?” Continue reading “Where kids actually adopt their values”

Posted in Faith, Jonathan's Rant, Parenting, Smartphones/Cell Phones, Social Media | Tags: bonding, boundaries, helicopter parenting, parenting, parenting teenagers, rebellion, rules, smartphone rules, teaching values | Leave A Comment

Porn in plain sight

Posted on: 03/6/17 11:14 AM | by Jonathan McKee

We’ve all been in the grocery store line at one time or another where we glanced to our peripheral only to see provocative images and headlines paraded across the front of a magazine cover. Of course, now these same periodicals offer online versions as well, clickable from frequented locations like Snapchat (the overwhelming favorite communication choice of young people today, by a landslide).

Do you think your kids ever peek at these?

I asked a handful of kids last week. “When you’re browsing Snap stories and you see an interesting Cosmo or Daily Mail headline… do you click on it?”

Every kid I asked said yes.

Do you have any idea what your teens and tweens are reading? Continue reading “Porn in plain sight”

Posted in Parenting, Sexuality, Smartphones/Cell Phones, Social Media, Youth Culture | Tags: Cosmopolitan, More Than Just the Talk, parenting, Porn, porn filters, sex, sexual imagery, sexually explicit, Teen Vogue | Leave A Comment