Building Faith at Home

Tracy Carpenter

BFFS 4EVER

Parents and kids are closer than ever, according to a study conducted by Just Kid, a research, strategy, and innovation company. Consider these parent-child relationship snapshots.

• 69 percent of moms with young teenage girls call their daughters their "best friend."

• 51 percent of moms say they listen to their kids more than their parents did.

• 53 percent say they spend more time talking to their children than their parents did.

• 82 percent of kids give input on the clothing their mom wears.

• 91 percent of parents and kids discuss personal safety issues.

• 72 percent of parents and kids talk about religion.

Source: Just Kid

SHARPEN YOUR TOOLS

Use this checklist to guide you in partnering with parents. Am I dedicating a large part of my focus to partnering with parents?

• Am I creating a safe atmosphere for parents to share openly?

• Am I creating an infrastructure where parents feel supported in crisis?

• Am I assuming the best about parents?

• Am I giving parents a forum where they can relate to other parents?

• Am I educating the parents in my church?

• Am I dedicating time to learn about today's culture?

• Am I keeping up with the issues kids face today?

• Am I a resource to parents when it comes to kids today?

• Am I approachable?

• Am I sending home accurate information on a regular basis about what kids are learning?

• Am I supporting single moms and dads?

• Am I reminding parents to seize every moment?

• Am I reminding parents of the impact they have on their children's spiritual development every day, no matter what?

THEN AND NOW PARENTING

Consider these philosophical shifts in parenting over the past few decades.

THEN

• Kids' hands might've been slapped for handling the family's new VCR.

• Parents had all power and control; kids were to be seen and not heard.

• Children were often considered an "incidental" of adulthood and marriage; not an end, but part of the package.

NOW

• Parents eagerly hand over their new, outrageously expensive tech gadgets for their kids to program and personalize.

• Kids have plenty of control-whether it's purchasing power, digital expertise, or headline-making abilities. Kids today have a voice, and their parents recognize it…and frequently seek it out.

• Many parents consider their children to be the "crown jewels" of their lives, going to extreme measures to bear, pamper, educate, protect, and befriend them.

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