Hi Everyone! Make sure to leave a comment about what stood out to you, or a question you would like to have answered on future episodes! We love hearing from you.
I’m definitely taking notes! I have a 16 month old and a 3 month old. We’re not in that stage of parenting atm but this is super helpful advice. Question: Any advice for parenting toddlers specifically when and how to start disciplining your child?
He guys. Super appreciate all that you're family are doing. We have four boys, our oldest is 11 this year. So what's on my mind is 'the talk' , the issue of porn.
❤thank you for opening this to conversation. What do we do and say to the teens reaching 16-18 years around public schools and public events where most kids now vape cotton candy flavored nicotine and marijuana and they are becoming more common the older they get...? These temptations that become more acceptable socially
I love how you show what healthy family interaction actually looks like. I love all your family channels and content. Your entire family really does educate on Christian and family subjects very well, and I thank God for your whole family.
I'm 20 and I've had a phone from middle school, and I wish I hadn't. I got addicted to it, and just a week ago I made the decision that I couldn't live my life with my phone constantly in my hand. So I bought a flip phone and it has been a great decision for me, and I have been spending so much more time with God.
Oh man, the biggest testament to your parenting, regardless of her ratings, is Sophia’s prayer at the end. Her understanding/ knowing of, and intimate connection with, the Father is evident. It is clear-the discipleship you’ve invested is bearing much good fruit❤. Thank you SO MUCH for this conversation: for your transparency and vulnerability, for the wisdom gleaned from your demonstration of humility, and for inviting us along in your experience of being parented by the Father and Good Shepherd as you learn from Him how to parent your own children. ❤
You have mentioned practicing Sabbath on Saturdays (?) I would love to know what Sabbath looks like for your family, how you protect it in the midst of life’s chaos, and the specifics around what it involves (or doesn’t involve) in your house?
Your daughter’s gestures, smiles, facial expressions are so precious!! Her honesty and insights shows maturity. You’re both doing an amazing job raising her!! 🙏🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽😇
Addison and Juli, I have been beyond inspired by you both. I have been following John and Lisa for a long time and they are like my spiritual mom and dad 🤣❤️ I found you guys when y’all started the “at home” podcast. It’s been an awesome blessing to my life. My husband and I are young still and have 3 kids, toddlers & a baby. I’m hanging on every word of your advice and encouragement as we go through this marathon of parenting. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being obedient to the Lord, and taking the time to share your heart and wisdom with us!! ❤
#goals to have such open and comfortable conversations with my girls I love how your daughter is able to be honest with you. You guys are an inspiration and my wife and I will continue to learn from you guys
I love this! We do not allow our kids to have a phone until they're 18! The conversations we get to share with our children are precious and I will never let anyone argue that I am in the wrong for not letting them have a phone. The phone ( not the phone persay- what the kids can get into on the phone) is the greatest tool the devil has right now to steal these innocent children of God! Our job as parents is to build a loving relationship with our children- and the phone is such a distraction for that relationship grow! Good job parents. My husband and I are not alone!!!
Thank you so much for making this video. I watched this with my girls and it was just reassurance that they are not ready for the responsibility of having a phone. I’m glad I’m not the only parent who is holding out.. and get it
What stood out to me: is the value of the motivating factor not being by fear but moving in the direction of practical empowerment. Using my phone as a tool has been more so after I deleted social media.. all except for RU-vid. It has helped me SO MUCH. Life is so much more enjoyable for me.. social media was like a drug or goodness.. a drug. I loved getting the dopamine hit of being recognized through a post or a picture. Love what you all are doing about creating a contract and encouraging your kids to bring these things (phones) before God. Great parenting in Christ. God blessing you guys.
Sophie’s prayer❤. I gave my daughter a phone at 13, thank Goodness she’s busy with piano and sports that she hardly has time on it by the time she settles down it’s locked😅
I love this episode so much. I love Sophie's honesty and smile :) Great job dad and mum. Looking forward to seeing more conversations with your daughter and son 🙏❣
Thank you so much for doing this episode with your daughter. ❤❤ I’ve probably said this in many other comments of your videos. I’m so grateful to the Lord for what the Lord is doing through your family, in sitting down and having these real conversations about REAL life issues 😭🙏🏼🙏🏼 marriage, kids, uncomfortable conversations etc.. I love all of them 💝. Me and my husband have also went through several Seminars with an organization called Protecting Young Eyes. They have some great resources for us parents.
This was an amazing episode, I struggle with 2 boys 8 and 12 with screen time and I can’t stand their obsession with them. Yet i know it falls back on me and the mom for allowing we but restrictions and even removing them of time but it always comes back as an issue. I beat myself up when i take them away because i feel like they can’t stand me as a dad and they look so unhappy. But i love them and their soul. I want to raise them right to be God loving me that are prepped for the future. Trying to find a middle ground and it was a blessing to find this video thank you for helping me see its ok to be strict it is encouraging would love to see your contract you make
Thank you for this episode. I was reminded how important it is to listen to our kid's reasons for wanting a phone (among other desires they have) as opposed to just listing off why they will not be getting one. Another point that maybe I missed is it's not always an age dependent decision. We allowed our almost 17 year old a phone at the age of 15, as she was working and sometimes taking the bus to work. With that in mind, she still has a time limit to being on her phone and it always goes to a central location at night. With our son turning 15 soon, we do not share the same confidence in giving him a phone. There is something good about having our kids wait for something they really want, even if it means looking like the "mean" parent. I do not believe that the only way to teach our kids healthy boundaries for having/using a phone is to give them one. It's a continual conversation and yes, modeling it as parents.
God just blessed my wife and I a son and this is one of the decisions we’ve been considering. Thank you for sharing. Do you have any statistics or can you interview any older people (about 30yrs) who didn’t have phones early and how it shaped them?
Thank you for showing a relaxed conversation on a contentious subjects very important. Congratulations on keeping the first Feast of YHVHs feasts the Sabbath.😊
This Was So Thorough and relevant!!! And my thoughts EXACTLY ‼️ I would love to see further videos as you all grow and receive wisdom in this area. Also, some practical, effective ways one could move forward in this pursuit of awareness with children if their spouse is a full product of the excessive consumption of screens🙏🏾
This video was great! You all did so well communicating as a family. I am a children's pastor and I forwarded this video to our private kids/family group. Such an important subject! Thanks for sharing.🙂👍
Thank you for all that you do! It’s evident you are just humbly sharing life and wisdom from God with us that in turn, it armors and encourages us! My husband and I have a sweet 12 year old daughter, just a month older than Sophia and we have loved watching this episode together as well as the one with Asher. I think it’s so affirming to see like-minded kids sharing their hearts too. It’s a narrow road, so it’s a small club. It was so great to hears Sophia’s heart about the example of the fomo, it put into words our daughter Brooklyn has felt as well. We are prayerfully still walking through not doing phones yet, even though she is literally the last one of her 7th grade friends. It’s funny, we think so similarly that at the end of the episode, my husband and I didn’t feel like we had come to any different decision either way, it almost just affirmed all the things we have said to our kids and in our hearts to keep going. And by the “going” I mean take it day by day, waiting for God to show us when it’s time. Being intentional and praying Gods timing, and walk through this navigation of screens. Many blessings and thank you all and thank you to your brave kids for being a light to other kids. B has a 9 year old littler brother that she is help paving the way for too. ✨🥰 Grace Whalen
She is so sweet and loved her honesty❤. We have a 20yo and our kiddos are 10 and 8. We have learned a lot and we still need to learn more. Keep ilus posted with that contract. I think it is a fabulous idea. We def have wins and fails in our experience with our now young adult. But def is something that needs to be addressed, controlled, and talked about from the get-go.
Also, it’s nice to see that I’m not the only one. That it’s not cuz I’m old, which my children throw out. But, that although I’ve raised two older children, we didn’t have this issue with them. So, navigating screens is just as new for me as it is them this time around.
Sophie is a beautiful young lady. So glad you brought her on and this conversation is amazing since we will be navigating everything surrounding this. What really stood out to me was how well you open up and speak about these things with Sophie, for example, loved that. Also think the contract with having a phone sounds so healthy and to help kids navigate that. Would love future conversations surrounding social media. Thank you for a GREAT episode.
My kids are 6 and 3. We are not yet in the phone stage but this has been such an eye opener. We are now in the tv/tablet season. We decided last year we were only allowing the kids to watch tv in the weekends ( not all day) and allowing them to play with their Amazon tablets 30 min daily during summer time only. Basically we are that family that go to restaurants and everybody hate us 😂 cause the kids cannot stay still, but as you said we are in this world but not from this world! Not because all parents are handing tablets, AirPods, and letting the kids glue to the tv after school I will do it. Motherhood is not meant to be easy it’s meant to be hard. Just as author M is for Mamma says “ hard is not the same thing as bad”. Last, my husband and I took a course at our kids school about how what the kids are exposed and many kids watch porn by the age of 9 only but accident due to unlimited access to the internet… it’s devastating but more devastating was the fact only 10 parents showed up for the course and we go to a Christian school 😬.
Thank you guys. I needed to hear this today. We are close to giving a phone soon and this conversation is a lot of what we’ve been working through. Loved when Juli said we don’t want to operate outta fear, and couldn’t agree more. The deep breaths I need to hand over a phone to my boys. (Just the 15 yr old right now, the other is a hard no still lol) We are navigating much as a family, but life is still happening and this conversation is timely. 💜 Ps. Keep up the great work. Pss. Alec, love the endings and giggles they give me.
I have a friend that has a boat and high income. His kids can play sports, enjoy the lake and travel. They are not so addicted to phones. If you have a lower income, don't have money or time to take them to do anything, they will sure get addicted to phone, TV and RU-vid. Outdoor activities are the best way to keep kids from watching things. Who has the money or the energy to take kids outdoor.
Not true. My family makes below poverty level in the area we live and I do no screens with my son. He has a bike, we go hiking and the park. My son has no screen addiction and is very active and bright boy
My parents grounded me as a child from TV often, and I despised them then for it, but today I'm thankful because I found imagination. Now when I watch TV or use screens they get boring fast and don't have the same hold on my life as I see with others around me. But I have been lazy with my kids in trying to pursue goals and let screens babysit or keep their attention while I doo all the work . I forget to call them to my side at times because of it they're so occupied and " content" ...why make things harder, right??
