My introduction to parental alienation was several years ago. A father was constantly telling us all about his ex-wife’s bad traits, and when the child returned from visitation with him, he was caustic toward his mother. I got confused about whom to believe and was clueless about how to handle the mom, the dad, and the child. My first reaction was to think badly of the … [Read more...]
How to help church members who take in a rebellious teen relative
Many times when a teen is out of control and the parent is not capable of caring for the child, a family member or other person is called in to help. If a state agency is called in and the agency workers determine a child must be removed from the home, they will usually try to find a relative to care for the child versus putting the child into foster care. When a relative can … [Read more...]
3 surprising reasons kids misbehave
Caleb eats too much, plays roughly with other kids, and in general can’t control himself. Jesse is emotionally delayed and can’t get along with kids his own age. Iris has every toy and gadget available, but she craves adult attention. Sometimes it is difficult for us as church leaders to help parents when we don’t know the reasons kids misbehave. Sometimes it is the child’s … [Read more...]
When grieving children get lost in their suffering
It’s not unusual for adults who are grieving to make their suffering worse. Many times this happens without their realizing it. They hurt and they want the pain to stop, so they react to the pain and make wrong choices. If adults can get stuck in their grief and troubling their own troubles, can children do the same? They can. This article will help you understand that … [Read more...]
How children respond to loss and how to help
Most of us like to think of children as lighthearted, happy-go-lucky, without a care in the world. Yet, we know that many children will experience the death of a loved one. When a death occurs it turns a child’s world upside down. It is times like these that children’s pastors and church leaders need to be prepared with how to help the parents help the child. At other times … [Read more...]