Rooted Parent Top Ten September 2024

Welcome to the Rooted Parent Top Ten, a curated list of resources from across the web that we believe will be helpful to parents raising teenagers. 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 include a message of common grace. (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 Parenting

Are Christian Parents Too Protective of Their Children? By Michael Kruger, TGC. “… parents and churches need to consider ways to introduce their children, at age-appropriate levels, to non-Christian philosophies, arguments, and criticisms, along with a proper Christian response.”

Why Christian Parents Should Resist School-Issued Screens by Patrick Miller, TGC. “Always remember this: Despite your school’s most sincere efforts, updates break filters. And kids are smart. When Apple or Google updates their devices, filters fail. Kids know this, even if parents don’t.”

4 Issues Your Children Are Facing That You Never Had To by Andrew T. Walker and Christian Walker, Crossway. “We should also be encouraged that despite what seems to be very strong headwinds that cause challenges for parents today, the formula for parenting remains fairly simple: intentional engagement, tender-hearted love, and godly authority.”

Public School Can be a Training Ground for Faith by Stefani McDade, Christianity Today. “… research suggests that taking children to church regularly matters more than finding the ‘right’ school.”

Rethinking Nostalgic Postpartum Advice by Christine Chappell, biblicalcounselingcoalition.org. An very helpful article, not just for thinking about talking with new mothers, but food for thought regarding the wisdom of any nostalgic advice. “Nostalgic postpartum advice can be problematic when it elevates one mother’s sentimentality over another’s reality.”

Teen Culture

Parents Should Ignore Their Children More Often by Darby Saxbe, NYTimes. “If you want to raise empathetic, imaginative children who can figure out how to entertain themselves, don’t keep their brains too occupied.”

The Allure and Danger of WitchTok by Growing Young Disciples. “Many young people are drawn to WitchTok because it promises control over life’s uncertainties. The allure of personal empowerment, combined with the aesthetic appeal of crystals, spells, and rituals, makes these practices particularly tempting for those seeking identity and stability in an unpredictable world.”

When parents are on their phones a lot, here’s what happens to their kids by Kara Aliamo, CNN. “Research suggests that when parents spend a lot of time on screens, their kids tend to do so as well — and this can interfere with children’s language development and even put them in danger of injuries.”

Schools Have a Tech Problem by Natasha Singer, NYTimes. “But even apps intended to help students research topics, write essays and collaborate with peers can lead to distractions and enable bullying.”

To Share With Your Teenager (a bonus offering this month!)

Who Was ‘i’ Without My iPhone? by Luke Simon, TGC. “ By God’s grace, I began to see I craved my phone not for its screen, or for its addictive entertainment, or even as an escape. What I truly craved was hope—hope for redemption, hope for restoration, hope for being the human that God created me to be.”

Discerning the Will of the Lord sermon by Joel Brooks, Redeemer Community Church, Birmingham, AL. We don’t usually share sermons on the top ten, but this one stood out for our staff as one that would be particularly helpful for emerging adults who are learning to walk with God.