Twenty-first-century how-to advice for parents who want to protect children from the woes of technology, from bestselling author and host of New Life Live!, the nation's top Christian call-in counseling show. Today’s parents face a challenge unknown to previous generations. Screens are everywhere we look now. Your child may wake up to the morning news on TV. When he goes to school, he may work all day on his laptop—or even a government-issued tablet. In the evening, he may play a game on his tablet, text his friends on his smartphone, or watch a movie with the family—maybe even all three at once! Your child’s 24/7 access to screens connects him to a universe of content...some good, and some deeply damaging. How is a parent supposed to raise a physically and emotionally healthy, socially competent, well-balanced child in such an environment? Stephen Arterburn teams with Dr. Alice Benton to answer the most common questions raised on the syndicated New Life Live! radio program. They help you understand -How to set a good example by better monitoring and limiting your own screen time -Why flexibility is important -What to do if you and your spouse have different expectations about your child’s screen time -How to teach your child the basics of good digital citizenship -How your child can pursue an interesting and fulfilling life in the real world, and -How to spot the signs of screen addiction and help your child recover. Parenting has never been easy, and in the twenty-first century it’s harder than ever. But with the solid scriptural principles found in this book, you can develop a game plan that will help you and your child succeed.

Twenty-first-century how-to advice for parents who want to protect children from the woes of technology, from bestselling author and host of New Life Live!, the nation's top Christian call-in counseling show. Most of the parenting books currently in circulation were written decades ago. Therefore, they do not address—nor could they address—all the issues parents face today in the era of technology and excess. Parents do not need another article that contradicts the last one they read; rather, they need insights, techniques, and strategies to tackle the pressing issues of twenty-first-century parenting. That’s what the Understanding and Loving Your Child series of books does. Understanding and Loving Your Child in a Screen-Saturated World will help parents understand the impact screens have on our children, and offers tips for how to use screens safely and strategically in their home.

When most parenting books were written decades ago, they did not address—nor could they address—all of the issues parents would face today in the era of technology and excess. Parents do not need another article that contradicts the last one they read; rather, they need insights, techniques, and strategies to tackle the issues of twenty-first-century parenting. That’s what the Understanding and Loving Your Child series of books will do. Understanding and Loving Your Child Who Smokes Pot will give parents methods they can use to connect with and support their children who use marijuana. These tools will equip parents to avoid conflict and shame while they continue to love and guide their child.

There’s a quiet epidemic in our culture: The fastest-growing type of family unit is grandparents charged with the task of raising their children’s children. Though there are myriad reasons for this—the death of one’s adult child, parental drug addiction, abusive living situations, or incarceration, to name a few—the effects tend to be the same: Senior citizens who expected to spend their golden years relaxing or traveling are now seeing their dreams dashed. Those on limited incomes are feeling the strain and are frightened about their futures. And the mental, spiritual, and physical exhaustion of parenting and disciplining children many decades their junior, exacerbated by a technology gap, is overwhelmingly real. And yet, through their sacrificial service, these seniors are acting as kinsman-redeemers for their grandchildren—keeping them out of the foster care system and giving them the best shot possible for a successful life. In When Grandparents Become Parents, experienced author Rick Johnson details both the challenges and solutions these heroic seniors face, offering strategies and resources (including real advice from other grandparents) to deal with major areas of stress—incorporating humor, common sense, and practical advice along the way.

How one activity can lead to lifelong benefits for your child: “Parents, teachers, and all who love children will be inspired.” —Amy Dickinson, New York Times bestselling author of Strangers Tend to Tell Me Things Longtime elementary school teacher Kim Jocelyn Dickson believes every child begins kindergarten with a lunchbox in one hand and an “invisible toolbox” in the other. In this book, she shares with parents the single most important thing they can do to foster their child’s future learning potential and nurture the parent-child bond that is the foundation for a child’s motivation to learn. Drawing on both neuroscientific research and her own experience as an educator, she concludes that the simple act of reading aloud has a far-reaching impact that few of us fully understand—and our recent, nearly universal saturation in technology has further clouded its importance.In The Invisible Toolbox, parents, educators, and early literacy advocates will discover:Ten priceless tools that fill their child’s toolbox when they read aloud to their childTools parents can give themselves to foster these gifts in their childrenPractical tips for how and what to read aloud to children through their developmental stagesDos and don’ts and recommended resources that round out all the practical tools a parent will need to prepare their child for kindergarten and beyondHow parents can build their own toolboxes so they can help their children build theirs

Many of us live at a pace that is impossible to keep. Unrelenting busyness might feel necessary, but it can lead to chronic stress and burnout that hinders our love for God and others. Instead of adding more to our long to-do list, counselors Eliza Huie and Esther Smith guide readers in how to think biblically about their whole life. They give Christians a framework for biblical self-care that will help them live for Christ by stewarding the spiritual, emotional, relational, and physical aspects of life. The Whole Life: 52 Weeks of Biblical Self-Care outlines a balanced life of stewardship, offering practical strategies for Christians to grow in honoring God and caring for others. The authors focus on six key areas: faith, health, purpose, community, work, and rest. Each chapter addresses a specific topic and guides readers in thinking biblically about their whole life. Breaking down the misconceptions that self-care is not biblical, The Whole Life reveals that caring for yourself doesn’t mean you are being selfish or lazy. Instead, it’s a way of stewarding every part of your life for God’s glory and the good of others. Contrary to what our culture might lead us to believe, exhaustion and burnout are not unavoidable pitfalls of a faithful Christian life. Instead, they are warning signs that we need to turn to God for daily help. This book will reorient readers to the core value of resting their heart, mind, and strength in Christ.

Increasing numbers of parents grapple with children who are acting out without obvious reason. Revved up and irritable, many of these children are diagnosed with ADHD, bipolar illness, autism, or other disorders but don’t respond well to treatment. They are then medicated, often with poor results and unwanted side effects. Based on emerging scientific research and extensive clinical experience, integrative child psychiatrist Dr. Victoria Dunckley has pioneered a four-week program to treat the frequent underlying cause, Electronic Screen Syndrome (ESS). Dr. Dunckley has found that everyday use of interactive screen devices — such as computers, video games, smartphones, and tablets — can easily overstimulate a child’s nervous system, triggering a variety of stubborn symptoms. In contrast, she’s discovered that a strict, extended electronic fast single-handedly improves mood, focus, sleep, and behavior, regardless of the child’s diagnosis. It also reduces the need for medication and renders other treatments more effective. Offered now in this book, this simple intervention can produce a life-changing shift in brain function and help your child get back on track — all without cost or medication. While no one in today’s connected world can completely shun electronic stimuli, Dr. Dunckley provides hope for parents who feel that their child has been misdiagnosed or inappropriately medicated, by presenting an alternative explanation for their child’s difficulties and a concrete plan for treating them.

Tech Generation: Raising Balanced Kids in a Hyper-Connected World guides parents in teaching their children how to reap the benefits of living in a digital world while also preventing its negative effects.

Wall Street Journal Best Nonfiction Pick; Publisher's Weekly Best Book of the Year Clinical psychologist Catherine Steiner-Adair takes an in-depth look at how the Internet and the digital revolution are profoundly changing childhood and family dynamics, and offers solutions parents can use to successfully shepherd their children through the technological wilderness. As the focus of the family has turned to the glow of the screen—children constantly texting their friends or going online to do homework; parents working online around the clock—everyday life is undergoing a massive transformation. Easy access to the Internet and social media has erased the boundaries that protect children from damaging exposure to excessive marketing and the unsavory aspects of adult culture. Parents often feel they are losing a meaningful connection with their children. Children are feeling lonely and alienated. The digital world is here to stay, but what are families losing with technology's gain? As renowned clinical psychologist Catherine Steiner-Adair explains, families are in crisis as they face this issue, and even more so than they realize. Not only do chronic tech distractions have deep and lasting effects but children also desperately need parents to provide what tech cannot: close, significant interactions with the adults in their lives. Drawing on real-life stories from her clinical work with children and parents and her consulting work with educators and experts across the country, Steiner-Adair offers insights and advice that can help parents achieve greater understanding, authority, and confidence as they engage with the tech revolution unfolding in their living rooms.

Children are growing up in a world of screens. They move seamlessly back and forth in a physical-digital environment. But parents are both worried and confused about when and how to introduce tablets, smartphones, even television. When it comes to navigating kids' use of media, all-or-nothing approaches are doomed to fail. Giving children free reign over their screen use carries potential risks to their physical and mental health and their emotional and social development. Yet rejecting digital media is undesirable (and probably impossible), since today's kids must navigate that realm to succeed in school and the world in which, as adults, they'll be expected to function well in a technology-rich environment. So how do we help young people establish mastery of screens and harness them for healthy development and social engagement? Features include: Ask the Mediatrician: questions and answers based on Dr. Rich’s long-running advice column and podcast Media Rx: prescriptive content based on insights from the Digital Wellness Lab and CIMAID Let’s Chat: detailed discussions of special topics in media use and how to talk with your child about them Digital Wellness Toolkit: a one-stop guide for actionable advice that you can customize for your family's specific needs Backed by evidence as well as decades of professional and personal practice, The Mediatrican's Guide will give parents peace of mind and kids much-needed tools to navigate digital media for the rest of their lives.