5–Minute Parenting: Tips to Help You Raise Competent, Godly Kids. – Details, episodes & analysis

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Whether you’re celebrating with family and friends today, or enjoying a quiet day at home, take just five minutes to listen in as host Karen Ferguson shares the power of music to our physical, emotional, and spiritual health and includes some of her favorite Christmas songs you’ll want to add to your playlist to fill your home and heart today and every day of the year. 🎄🌟🎙️

Top Ten Playlist: 

1. God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman (Phil Wickham)
2. Light of the World, Sing Hallelujah (We the Kingdom)
3. Hope for Everyone (Matt Maher)
4. I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day (Casting Crowns)
5. Emmauel God with Us (Chris Tomlin)
6. Silent Night (David Crowder Band)
7. A Hallelujah Christmas (Cloverton)
8. O What a King (Katy Nichole)
9. Go Tell it on the Mountain (Maverick City)
10. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (Frank Sinatra)

Book 3 in the Questions for Kids picture book series is now available! Check out Guess Why God Made the Rainbow on Amazon or your favorite book retailer! 🌈

Love this podcast episode? Please leave a positive rating/review and share this episode with a friend ❤️

Visit our websites at:

https://www.karenferg.com/

https://www.sandrakaychambers.com/

Find our books on Amazon:

Karen Ferguson: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Karen-Ferguson/author/B075SHZ1WV?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Sandra Chambers: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Sandra-Chambers/author/B00OHLARMO?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=17400...

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Join Host Karen Ferguson on 5-Minute Parenting talking on the topic of holiday traditions. Christmas may be next week, but it's not too late to try something new this year to spice up your holidays! Karen shares 14 tried and true family traditions on her blog, and covers some of her favorites on this episode, with links to more resources below. Merry Christmas! 🎄🌟🎙️ 

Peanut Butter Kiss Recipe: https://www.erinliveswhole.com/healthy-peanut-butter-blossoms/ 

Christian Elf on a Shelf Ideas: https://equippinggodlywomen.com/parenting/8-christian-elf-on-the-shelf-ideas/  

Birthday Cake for Jesus History: https://faithgateway.com/blogs/christian-books/birthday-cake-for-jesus  

Original Blog Post: https://www.karenferg.com/blog/14-time-tested-traditions-to-make-your-christmas-merry-amp-bright-

Book 3 in the Questions for Kids picture book series is now available! Check out Guess Why God Made the Rainbow on Amazon or your favorite book retailer! 🌈

Love this podcast episode? Please leave a positive rating/review and share this episode with a friend ❤️

Visit our websites at:

https://www.karenferg.com/

https://www.sandrakaychambers.com/

Find our books on Amazon:

Karen Ferguson: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Karen-Ferguson/author/B075SHZ1WV?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Sandra Chambers: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Sandra-Chambers/author/B00OHLARMO?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=17400...

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Today we're talking about the importance of guarding our children's hearts (and our own!) with award-winning author and speaker, Melissa McLaughlin. Listen in as Melissa shares simple tips and insight from her experience as a mom and teacher of 28 years to make faith in our families a natural way of life that promotes health and wellbeing in every part of our lives!

Melissa has also graciously offered to do a special giveaway for her Whole Bible Devotional. Sign up for my email newsletter and you'll be entered into a random drawing for a free eBook copy of The Whole Bible Devotional. This offer is for 5-Minute Parenting podcast listeners only and the winner will be announced by email within a few weeks of this episode. Thank you Melissa for sharing your special book! 

Enter to win here (giveaway ends October 23/winner will be announced by email):  https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/s7c9i5 

Melissa McLaughlin is a teacher and writer. Having retired from her 28-year career as a public school teacher, she now writes and speaks about her passion, Jesus Christ. Melissa holds Bachelors Degrees in Elementary Education and Special Education and a Masters Degree as a Reading Specialist. In addition, she earned a Certificate in Foundations of Biblical Studies which complements her teaching degrees as she writes to uplift and inspire followers of Christ. 

God inspired Melissa to write her second book, The Whole Bible Devotional: Seeing Jesus in Every Book of the Bible, after struggling to read through the Bible with her family. Her goal with this book is to help others with today's busy lifestyles grasp the Bible's main message and see Jesus throughout the Scriptures. The Whole Bible Devotional won the Christlit award for excellence in Christian literature and portions are available to study for free on the YouVersion
Bible app for people who would like to read a sample. The Whole Bible Devotional comes with a free downloadable Small Group Study Guide for families and churches.

For more information visit Melissa's website at melissamclaughlin.org where you can subscribe for a free weekly devotional to inspire and uplift you.

Book 3 in the Questions for Kids picture book series is now available! Check out Guess Why God Made the Rainbow on Amazon or your favorite book retailer! 🌈

Love this podcast episode? Please leave a positive rating/review and share this episode with a friend ❤️

Visit our websites at:

https://www.karenferg.com/

https://www.sandrakaychambers.com/

Find our books on Amazon:

Karen Ferguson: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Karen-Ferguson/author/B075SHZ1WV?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Sandra Chambers: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Sandra-Chambers/author/B00OHLARMO?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=17400...

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After the holiday break, kids will be heading back to school, and one of the most important things we as parents can help our children with  is teaching them how to get and stay organized. Building these habits early in their lives will benefit them throughout their career as a student and later as an adult.

 In today’s episode we cover:

 1. Creating a designated homework space at home and why having a dedicated area prevents unnecessary stress and promotes a focused mindset.

2. Providing storage solutions for backpacks and school supplies as well as keeping a central family bulletin board or calendar to keep track of all school related things. 

3. Establishing a regular homework schedule and setting expectations. How to establish consistency and routine, along with strategies to help your child adhere to their schedule.

4. How to keep homework and projects organized with color-coded folders.

5. Motivating and breaking down tasks for younger children. Stickers, rewards, and incremental steps can make a significant difference in their productivity and understanding

6. Teaching your children the importance of planning ahead using calendars or planners and how they can track assignments and due dates effectively.

7. Understanding your role as a parent in helping your child with organization, including how involved you should be based on your child's age. Also, how you can provide guidance without taking over their responsibilities and allowing them to develop self-confidence as they learn to become more independent learners.

Check out the Questions for Kids picture book series, perfect for young readers ages 5-10! 

Book 3 in the Questions for Kids picture book series is now available! Check out Guess Why God Made the Rainbow on Amazon or your favorite book retailer! 🌈

Love this podcast episode? Please leave a positive rating/review and share this episode with a friend ❤️

Visit our websites at:

https://www.karenferg.com/

https://www.sandrakaychambers.com/

Find our books on Amazon:

Karen Ferguson: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Karen-Ferguson/author/B075SHZ1WV?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Sandra Chambers: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Sandra-Chambers/author/B00OHLARMO?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=17400...

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Tips to Help You Succeed in Your Homeschool Journey
with guest speaker Kris Cox

1. Make discipleship your highest priority.
2. Realize that homeschooling is more than just an educational method, it’s a lifestyle.
3. Make it your goal to instill a love for learning in your children.
4. Parents work as a team in educating their children.
5. It’s important to find support.
6. Depending on the Lord for help and guidance is essential.

Podcast guest: Kris Cox is a veteran homeschool mom with a Bachelor of Science in Social Work and 17+ years of experience home educating their four children. She also has 10 years experience as a homeschool consultant, blogger, writer, and speaker.
Website: www.hswithconfidence.com
E-mail contact: krismcoxconsultant@gmail.com

Homeschool resources available:
• The Homeschool Life All-in-One Planner: 
• Homeschooling with Confidence:
• Growing the Fruit of the Spirit: A Bible-based Unit Study:

Check out the Questions for Kids picture book series, perfect for young readers ages 5-10! 

Book 3 in the Questions for Kids picture book series is now available! Check out Guess Why God Made the Rainbow on Amazon or your favorite book retailer! 🌈

Love this podcast episode? Please leave a positive rating/review and share this episode with a friend ❤️

Visit our websites at:

https://www.karenferg.com/

https://www.sandrakaychambers.com/

Find our books on Amazon:

Karen Ferguson: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Karen-Ferguson/author/B075SHZ1WV?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Sandra Chambers: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Sandra-Chambers/author/B00OHLARMO?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=17400...

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We’ve all read statistics about how child and teen depression has been on a steady increase since COVID and with the increasing popularity of social media. Bullying is also on the rise, and right behind it is teen suicide. 

In her book, God-Confident Kids: Helping Your Child Find True Purpose, Passion, and Peace, Cyndie Claypool De Neve’s says, “There is a confidence crisis in a generation of hurting kids, and confused parents struggling to guide them through an obstacle course of stressors unique to this era. To respond to this crisis by telling our kids they’re the “best,” “prettiest,” “smartest,” and “strongest,” is overstroking their confidence while teetering on creating entitled narcissists. We set kids up for failure when we teach them to be self-confident, which is solely based on how they feel about their strengths, talents, competence, and looks and is often determined by what others say about them.“

So just what is God-confidence?

God-confidence is knowing that the God of the universe handcrafted each of us for a purpose and that He will give us strength, courage, and wisdom, and all the gifts we need to do the tasks He has set before us. Self-confidence promotes relying on one’s self to accomplish our own purpose, but God-confidence reminds us to rely on God.

As parents we need to be encouraging our children to build their God-confidence, trusting in Him who designed each of them for a unique purpose with unique talents and gifts.

I’m excited to announce that my kid’s devotional for ages 8-12: Fingerprint Devotions: 40 Devotions That Help You Realize You Are a Kid Uniquely Created by God for a Purpose by Ambassador International Publishers, is now available at all major outlets and  on Amazon (click link). This devotional is focused on the same topic as today’s podcast—helping children know they are uniquely created by God for a purpose. 

Resources for today’s podcast: God-Confident Kids

Helping Your Child Find True Purpose, Passion, and Peace

By Cyndie Claypool

Check out the Questions for Kids picture book series, perfect for young readers ages 5-10! 

Book 3 in the Questions for Kids picture book series is now available! Check out Guess Why God Made the Rainbow on Amazon or your favorite book retailer! 🌈

Love this podcast episode? Please leave a positive rating/review and share this episode with a friend ❤️

Visit our websites at:

https://www.karenferg.com/

https://www.sandrakaychambers.com/

Find our books on Amazon:

Karen Ferguson: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Karen-Ferguson/author/B075SHZ1WV?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Sandra Chambers: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Sandra-Chambers/author/B00OHLARMO?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=17400...

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On this episode of “5-Minute Parenting,” we discuss the importance of allowing our children to fail. Failure is a natural part of life, and parents need to teach their children how to learn from their failures and grow from them. 

We also discuss how communication, unconditional love, and support can help children take responsibility for their bad decisions. We discuss the importance of internalization of actions, natural consequences, and not being afraid to try new things. 

As parents, we need to teach our children that God and authority figures love and guide them, while also being willing to share our failures to show them that it's okay to fail and that it can lead to growth and character development. 

Check out the Questions for Kids picture book series, perfect for young readers ages 5-10! 

Book 3 in the Questions for Kids picture book series is now available! Check out Guess Why God Made the Rainbow on Amazon or your favorite book retailer! 🌈

Love this podcast episode? Please leave a positive rating/review and share this episode with a friend ❤️

Visit our websites at:

https://www.karenferg.com/

https://www.sandrakaychambers.com/

Find our books on Amazon:

Karen Ferguson: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Karen-Ferguson/author/B075SHZ1WV?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Sandra Chambers: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Sandra-Chambers/author/B00OHLARMO?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=17400...

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Have you ever heard a parent perhaps in a grocery store yelling at their kids—berating them, telling them they are no good for nothing? I cringe when I hear things like that because WORDS —especially our words as parents— have the power to actually shape how a child sees themselves now and in the future. We know how someone’s harsh or critical words can hurt us even as adults. And it’s even more hurtful for a child who has no experience in knowing how to accept or reject or evaluate what they hear about themselves. 

There’s been a lot of research done on the effects of criticism and negative words on children. It has been scientifically shown that in order for children to develop a positive view of themselves, they need at least 5 positive interactions to every 1 negative interaction.

Kids don’t come into this world knowing they’re loved, special, have a purpose, and have the power to change the world. They have to be told this! We as a parents need to constantly let our children know they are loved by God and us and that they matter. The purpose of our words should be to affirm, protect, and encourage our children so that they know they are loved, capable, worthy, and brave.

GOD USED WORDS
Think about it--God used only His words when He spoke the universe into existence. In the book of Genesis, we see God made us in His image and after His likeness. Therefore, we were created to be imitators of the way God operates. Our words have power! 
Proverbs 18:21 says “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Our tongue can be used as a weapon to harm and destroy or as a tool to build up and heal.

In our everyday busy lives, we often don’t even notice our words. We correct our children—sometimes even nag. It takes intention to speak positive and encouraging words. In the notes for this podcast I’ve put a link to a list of short positive phrases you can use to encourage your child. You can download the PDF or print it out. Be deliberate about speaking positive words of encouraging, writing them in notes to put in your child’s lunchbox, leaving them on their pillow at bedtime or under their plate at mealtime.  Aim to offer these posi

Check out the Questions for Kids picture book series, perfect for young readers ages 5-10! 

Book 3 in the Questions for Kids picture book series is now available! Check out Guess Why God Made the Rainbow on Amazon or your favorite book retailer! 🌈

Love this podcast episode? Please leave a positive rating/review and share this episode with a friend ❤️

Visit our websites at:

https://www.karenferg.com/

https://www.sandrakaychambers.com/

Find our books on Amazon:

Karen Ferguson: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Karen-Ferguson/author/B075SHZ1WV?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Sandra Chambers: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Sandra-Chambers/author/B00OHLARMO?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=17400...

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Holidays are a  busy time for families with traveling and holiday activities, so I'm re-posting the top five podcasts of this past year. So be sure to check each week to see if you missed one of the top episodes. We'll be back in 2024 with new episodes covering some topics such as:

• How to Help a Fearful Child
• How to Help Your ADHD Child
• How Does Your Child Learn Best
• What Middle Schoolers Should Know

We will also have new podcast guest including:

• Lori Cochard--a counselor with Bethany Christian Services
• Terri Hellard-Brown from the podcast, Books That Spark!

Check out the Questions for Kids picture book series, perfect for young readers ages 5-10! 

Book 3 in the Questions for Kids picture book series is now available! Check out Guess Why God Made the Rainbow on Amazon or your favorite book retailer! 🌈

Love this podcast episode? Please leave a positive rating/review and share this episode with a friend ❤️

Visit our websites at:

https://www.karenferg.com/

https://www.sandrakaychambers.com/

Find our books on Amazon:

Karen Ferguson: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Karen-Ferguson/author/B075SHZ1WV?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Sandra Chambers: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Sandra-Chambers/author/B00OHLARMO?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=17400...

Send us a text

Today, the world’s influence on our children begins so much earlier than most of us experienced in our lives. We live in a society where even young children are bombarded daily with media advertisements on TV, social media, magazines, etc. that portray success as external beauty, popularity, sexiness, etc. The earlier we begin in a child’s life to build that foundation of Truth, the earlier they will be equipped to stand against a ungodly world view that permeates our current culture. By the time children reach their tween and teen years, many of these harmful lies about who they are, their value as a person and their purpose in life has already caused much harm psychological, emotionally and physically.

Fingerprint Devotions: 40 Devotions To Help You Realize You Are a Kid Uniquely Created by God for a Purpose,” helps kids understand they were created by God who has a purpose and plan for their life. It pairs fun scientific facts about the uniqueness of each person’s fingerprints with Scripture, a short devotional, a prayer and a question to journal or an activity to do. It has four sections with topics about each person’s creation and uniqueness, their identity in Christ, accepting Jesus, developing the fruit of the Spirit in their lives, and discovering the gifts and talents that God has given them  to serve others and live a purposeful life.

My Goals for This Devotional 

1. Help children know that God created them, choose them, loves them and has a purpose for their lives. 

2. Help children be grounded in the truth of who they are in God to withstand our current culture of “wokeness” and lies about who they are. Just as Satan sought to destroy the generation of children at Moses birth and later at Jesus’ birth, he still is trying to destroy our generation of children with his lies. 

3. That this devotional will reach not only children in Christian homes, but children who are not being raised in a Christian setting or attend church. I’m excited about my partnership with 7Homes—a NC-based Christian foster and adoption agency. I plan to donate copies of my devot

Check out the Questions for Kids picture book series, perfect for young readers ages 5-10! 

Book 3 in the Questions for Kids picture book series is now available! Check out Guess Why God Made the Rainbow on Amazon or your favorite book retailer! 🌈

Love this podcast episode? Please leave a positive rating/review and share this episode with a friend ❤️

Visit our websites at:

https://www.karenferg.com/

https://www.sandrakaychambers.com/

Find our books on Amazon:

Karen Ferguson: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Karen-Ferguson/author/B075SHZ1WV?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Sandra Chambers: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Sandra-Chambers/author/B00OHLARMO?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=17400...