Family Friday Links 6.5.15

Joshua Becker at Becoming Minimalist wrote a blog called How to Slow Down your Families Schedule. Joshua writes, "Overscheduled kids miss out on opportunity for extended free play. Free play allows kids to burn off energy and learn social skills in an unstructured environment. It provides opportunity for kids to exercise their imagination, create games, and refine rules. It forces children to learn awareness, police themselves, and develop empathy." 

Jonathan Leeman at 9 marks laid out 6 principles for Youth Ministry. Leeman writes, "Make sure the structures or groups you have in place don’t work against your young people’s involvement in the life of the congregation, or blur the line between church and world. You want them being discipled by older members, not just peers." 

Empowered Living posted an article entitled 3 Steps To Overcome Frustration As A Parent "As parents we have our fair share of emotionally dysregulated moments. When those times come how do we respond? Do we react in an unhealthy way and blurt out whatever we are thinking at the time? Do we stuff it and maintain an “appropriate” outward demeanor so we give others the appearance we are handling the frustration well?"

Focus on the Family had a post on talking to your kids about transgender issues. The post asks the questions, "So when our children encounter these gender-confusing messages, what do we say? Most importantly, how do we help them develop a biblical, Christian perspective on this issue?" The post then goes on to give practical advice.

On difficult issues like these, it's helpful to hear from multiple believing voices. Here's what Amy Julia Becker had to say over on Christianity Today on the issue to transgender identity, "On the one hand, I want to be careful not to assume traditional gender norms simply because they are traditional (i.e., men can't be nurses or women can't be in the army). On the other, I want to understand for myself and for my daughters what it means to be a woman—and for my son, to be a man—before God." These is a tough issue that parents need to be prepared for.