Archive for August, 2018
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Question of the week: How can I, who know nothing about divorce, help a child in our church whose parent’s marriage is on the rocks?
The following is from a children’s minister “There is a 4th grader in my ministry whose parents are on the verge of divorce. Things seem to have improved for now as they are seeking counseling. I have no point of reference for ministering to her, at least as it specifically relates to this situation. I identified that there was something going on with Read more…
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What a difference a smile makes!
When my grandson was three years old I moved into my daughter’s house and lived there for a year while she was deployed to Afghanistan. I noticed right away, the three year-old smiled all the time. This little kid was one happy little guy. He even smiled most of the time when he was in trouble. His smile and happiness rarely got him Read more…
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Why do kids of divorce ask, “Who am I?”
Imagine looking like your father and being proud of that fact. Perhaps at some point in your young life your grandmother proudly said to her friends, “This is Sonny’s boy. Doesn’t he look just like Sonny?” And all of her friends proclaim that yes you were the spitting image of your father and you even look a lot like your grandfather. A smile Read more…
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What to do when you find yourself in a power struggle with the child of divorce
Have you ever been leading a group of children and everything was going great when all of a sudden you found yourself pulled into a power struggle? Or is there one particular child who constantly argues with you about every little thing? Many times children of divorce seem to excel in power struggles. 3 reasons some kids want to be in a power Read more…
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Question of the week: Help! We have an unruly kid and nothing works. What do we do?
It can be so frustrating when you have one kid or a couple of kids that disrupt the entire group. Everything you’ve learned about classroom management has been tried and the kid is still out of control. I understand. Sometimes you feel like it’s you and perhaps you just need to resign from working with kids. Does any of this sound familiar? This Read more…
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How you can help the child of divorce succeed at school this year
Some children of divorce are excited to go back to school. Others are not. Here’s why. You’ll see both extremes among the kids in your ministry. No matter how you feel, there are things you can do to help them get off to a great start– and have a successful year. Begin the process by talking to the child’s parent. Ask if you can offer some Read more…
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Question of the week: How do I greet the child of divorce after a long absence?
From a children’s minister friend: “I have several children who have been gone most of the summer. I suspect they went to the other parent’s home or to visit extended family out of town. These are kids we don’t really know much about. They just started attending our church last spring. When we’ve called or tried to contact the single parent this summer Read more…
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Sobbing child on an airplane!
A couple of years ago Jon Acuff posted the following on Facebook. Yesterday on my flight, a 13 year old boy who was traveling alone sat next to me. Before we took off he lowered the tray table in front of him, put his head in his arms and started sobbing. Big tears covered the tray as he wept in his seat I asked Read more…