All Younger children articles
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ArticleGetting the most out of school sports day - A guide for Christian parents
Amongst all the emails that come in from our son’s school, the one we open quickest is the one about sports day. Check the date, clear the diary, not to me missed!
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Article3 helpful qualities for Christian dads to foster this Father’s Day and beyond
On June 15th this year, families across the nation will celebrate Father’s Day. Fatherhood is likely to bring up different emotions in families. For some – hopefully many – emotions will be positive, and the day will be a chance to give thanks for the dads within the home. For others, the day will bring up mixed emotions due to the absence of a father, or perhaps a dad’s death. Churches which engage with the Father’s Day celebration would be wise to remember these various experiences – while also encouraging dads (and male role models within the church) in their midst.
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ArticleThe brand-new Lion Baby Bible is a thoughtful introduction to the Bible for toddlers
The Lion Baby Bible by Antonia Woodward is a gentle and engaging introduction to the Bible, designed especially for toddlers and preschool-aged children. With 45 short stories drawn from both the Old and New Testaments, it offers a broad overview of key biblical events and themes in a way that’s accessible for very young readers.
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ArticleAnswering your child's questions: What’s the point of praying? Because God is all knowing
If you’re parenting a pre-teen like I am, then in the midst of all their hormonal lethargy, you’ve probably heard this question… “What’s the point?”
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ArticleHelping your child start school with confidence and faith
The school places have been finalised, and the countdown has begun. Whether your child is starting school for the first time, entering a new year, or starting at a new school, new beginnings are a big deal — and change is always hard. So how do we prepare our children in mind, body, and soul?
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ArticleWhat’s your parenting style? Are you a helicopter or a satellite parent?
You have probably heard of helicopter parenting - the idea that parents hover over every move their children make, ready to swoop in and protect them from harm. This style has been made even more possible by smartphones: I can see where my children are at any moment. Is he going to get home in time for dinner? Why is she in the park when she should be at dance class? I just want to check that they both made it home from school.
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ArticleParenting without pretence: How vulnerability builds stronger families and communities
It’s a sunny Tuesday morning in London and everyone in my family is getting ready for their respective days – a dad, a mum, and five kids. What could possibly go wrong? As it turns out… socks. Socks can go very wrong.
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ArticleTrussell reports food poverty is increasing: Christian parents and churches can provide hope in these difficult times
You don’t have to look very hard to see that the majority of people in the UK are feeling the pinch of the cost-of-living crisis. Our money has to stretch further. Our jobs have become more unstable. The price of food has risen. We know that some people have to make a choice between heating and eating. But how bad is it really? What can we do as Christians to help alleviate some of the pressures from the families we might know. And how, as a Christian, can I survive in the middle of it all, living in a house with one income, three children and a high rent bill each month?
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Article4 ways to celebrate your child's birthday, honour God and not break the bank
The celebration of a birthday brings excitement, anticipation, and lots of fun. Celebrating a child’s birthday increases their self-esteem, sense of belonging, and overall well-being. But are parties now becoming too expensive to host given the current climate? A recent article in The Times suggests they are, with many parents delaying parties—leading to a dip in the party industry in the UK.
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ArticleOlly Goldenberg: 'I am so grateful to be able to pass on the spiritual legacy of my parents to my children'
I was born into a non-Christian home. My Dad was a nominal Jew, raised orthodox in Sudan he moved to the UK and had long since left the synagogue behind. My Mum, a gentile, would have called herself a Christian, but this was more a matter of culture than heart submission to the Lord. More a wedding and funeral follower than a devoted disciple of Christ. That all changed when I was 4 years. Both my parents became Christians around the same time attending church became a regular part of our lives.
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ArticleAnswering your child's questions: What’s the point of praying? Because God is all powerful
Praying with our children is one of the most meaningful and powerful parts of parenting. In fact, teaching them how to pray is quite possibly the most significant thing we could ever teach them! But it is often one of the hardest habits to help them form.
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ArticleReframing our failures: Good enough parenting is good enough
I grew up in an era where pass and fail were clearly defined. Teachers would liberally use red pen to denote wrong answers (especially in my maths book), and there was no sign of EBI (“even better if”) or just a coloured dot alongside answers that weren’t right.
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Article5 ways Christian parents can teach their youth and children about generosity
Nurturing a spirit of generosity in children and young people is integral to encouraging their faith. The more they understand God’s lavish generosity towards them, the more likely they are to want to be generous themselves. A generous spirit will, in turn, deepen their faith as they witness the positive impact of their generosity on the world around them. Parents clearly have a pivotal role to play in shaping their children’s attitudes towards giving—but how exactly can they do this?
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ArticleSafeguarding and intergenerational relationships: Helping Christian parents explore the tension
You are running your first-ever Messy Church session. After months of planning, training the team, advertising the date, and talking to everyone you know about coming along to the launch, people start to arrive, and your church hall is now looking full. You are busy welcoming people and ensuring that your team has everything they need when you notice that your welcome desk team member is waving you over. You weave your way across the room to check that they are okay.
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ArticleThis Mental Health Awareness week, Christian parents can turn to the Bible for help with the well-being of their children
As Christian parents, we’re probably used to wanting to find out what the Bible has to say about the issues facing us and our families. We want to use scripture to help us navigate the world, and whilst sometimes we can easily see what the Bible has to say on a topic (there is an abundance of wisdom on navigating conflict well, for example), at other times it can be a little trickier.
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ArticleWhen parenting advice doesn’t work: Understanding PDA in autistic children
“Have you tried praying more for your child?”
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ArticleAnswering your child's questions: What does God look like?
Once upon a time, I was helping my 5-year-old brush her teeth, and she asked, “Does God have teeth?”
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ArticleHow to raise children who know they are loved by God - and you - even when they don’t “perform”
In part one, we explored the beautiful truth that God made sport as a gift, a joy, and a way to reflect His creativity. But let’s be honest: that can feel idealistic. We don’t live in a perfect world. Sport, like life, involves disappointment—injustices, injuries, losses, and rejection. So how do we help our children thrive in that reality?
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ArticleWhat’s your parenting style? Are you a dry-clean parent?
One of the features of modern life is that we have learned to outsource. I can no longer fix my car, my computer, or my dishwasher—and I know I cannot ‘fix’ my children! These things are tremendously complex, and I am more likely to do harm than good if I tinker. The solution for the first three is to take them to an expert who understands them and can do something about it. I can rest assured that the mechanic at the garage can sort out my brakes, my suspension, and my tyres, and get me safely back on the road. I even have an expert in dishwashers called Geoff, who I occasionally call around. He sucks through his teeth, then gets on with the job and charges me next to nothing.
