Rooted Parent Top Ten April 2026

Welcome to the Rooted Parent Top Ten, a curated list of resources from across the web that we believe will be helpful to parents. Here you’ll find articles, podcasts, and videos to support you in gospel-centered discipleship and interpreting youth culture. While most are gospel-focused, others are included because they share a message of common grace. (Please note: the opinions presented in these articles do not necessarily reflect the position of Rooted Ministry.) At the end, you’ll find Rooted resources compiled from the last month’s new offerings. We hope this resource is helpful!

Gospel Centered

‘Not a Child-Safe Technology’: Proactive Parenting in the Age of AI by Sarah Eckhoff Zylstra, TGC (podcast and article)

“Basically, the more work you do to obtain knowledge, the better you retain it… That’s because learning isn’t just a transfer of information from a teacher robot to a child robot.”

The Anxious Generation of Parents by Jen Pollock Michel, A Habit Called Faith (Substack)

“If there is anything that makes parenting truly Christian, it’s the radical trust that God is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. Children need to encounter the steadfast love and abounding mercy of God through their parents. But parents, too, must receive this love and mercy for the mistakes they will inevitably make, not because they didn’t care—but because they did.”

Seeing the World Through Gen Alpha’s Eyes by Dave Boden, New Growth Press

“Judging the next generation is easy. Understanding them takes more work. So perhaps there is a better lens we, as Christians, can choose: curiosity.”

The Theology of Diaper Changing, Everyday Theology (Substack)

“I think that much of holiness consists of ordinary faithfulness offered again and again, especially when nobody is impressed (just like changing diapers).”

5 Meaningful Ways to Tell Your Daughter She’s Beautiful by Kristin Wetherell, Crossway

“Again, there’s nothing bad about saying, ‘Well done!’ when your child wins their soccer game; this is a reflection of our Father’s smile (Zeph. 3:17; Matt. 25:21)… But we can focus on character, which we hope will help our girls do the same…”

Help Kids with Learning Disabilities Rejoice by Jessica Burke, The Gospel Coalition

“Battling a learning disability can be incredibly discouraging for kids. How can we help them think about their disabilities in light of the gospel?”

Teen Culture

Helping Teens Build Friendships in a TikTok World by Jared Poulton, Biblical Counseling Coalition

“While cell phones and social media platforms are designed to exploit the weaknesses of human attention for corporate profits, the Scriptures point to a fuller life of real relationships with embodied people.”

This detox may erase 10 years of social media brain damage, researchers say by Ariana Eunjung Cha, Washington Post

“For 14 days, participants used a commercially available app, Freedom, to block internet access on their phones. They were still allowed calls and text messages, essentially turning a smartphone into a dumb phone. Their time online decreased from 314 minutes to 161 minutes, and by the end of the period the participants had improvements in sustained attention, mental health as well as self-reported well-being.”

Gen Z’s biggest fear is laughable at first. But it’s quietly wreaking havoc on their lives. by Kelsey Weekman, Yahoo! Life

“More than half of adult Gen Z respondents said that they have avoided expressing themselves freely online for fear of coming across as cringe. It has also seeped into their lives beyond the internet: 55% say fear of cringe has prevented them from opening up to someone emotionally; large shares say that it has held them back romantically and prevented them from pursuing hobbies and seizing professional opportunities.”

How Churches and Parents Can Help Teens Struggling With Mental Health, by Monica Kim and Danny Kwon, New Growth Press

“As far as seeking outside or additional help, it would be prudent first and foremost for the parent to first try to communicate with their teenager and open lines of communication. This shouldn’t be just a one-time conversation.”