How to rebuild trust when you find these apps on your child’s smartphone

by Joanna Jullien | Jun 4, 2019 | Discipline, Faith, Family, Internet Safety, Mobile Phone Use and Children, Parent-child communication, Parent-child relationship, Parenting, Privacy, Social Media, Teenagers, Wisdom

One of the greatest challenges of parenting tech-savvy youth is balancing rules and relationships. There is much confusion between trust and faith and private and secret.  The biggest obstacle to building trust with tech-savvy youth is a parent’s fear which kills open...

Why devices are not to blame for a lack of connection with your child

by Joanna Jullien | May 28, 2019 | Anxiety, Boundaries, Children & Teens Problems & Pitfalls, Children's Health & Mental Health, Discipline, Faith, Family, Internet addiction, Internet Safety, Mobile Phone Use and Children, Parent-child communication, Parenting, Social Media, Substance abuse prevention, Teenagers, Wisdom

Recently I found a very honest and inspirational book on parenting at the local thrift store, entitled, The Key to Your Child’s Heart, by Gary Smalley. Published in 1984, Smalley (an author, educator, pastor, husband and father) shares some of the fundamentals of...

A sixth-grader’s insights on responsible use of a smartphone

by Joanna Jullien | Feb 25, 2019 | Boundaries, Discipline, Family, Mobile Phone Use and Children, Parent-child communication, Parent-child relationship, Parenting, Social Media, Texting, Wisdom

This is a guest blog feature by my niece, Katie. She is in the sixth grade and I asked her to share her insights about how she is going to use the smartphone for good when her parents do allow her to receive one of her own. I offer her thoughts to help illustrate what...

Three life lessons that impact the quality of your child’s education

by Joanna Jullien | Jan 28, 2019 | Anxiety, Children's Health & Mental Health, Children's mental health, Discipline, Education, Family, Internet Social Networks, Learning disabilities, Parent-child relationship, Parenting, Relationship, Wisdom, Youth Suicide

Last week I attended the third annual California Student Mental Wellness Conference, co-sponsored by Wellness Together and the California State Department of Education. This is to share some insights about the challenges educators and students face today, and I offer...

How to manage age-appropriate use of screen time: Cyber rites of passage

by Joanna Jullien | Dec 11, 2018 | Boundaries, Children's Health & Mental Health, Discipline, Family, Mobile Phone Use and Children, Parent-child relationship, Parental Authority, Parenting, Wisdom

The advent of the internet and smart devices in daily life has advanced so quickly that our parenting culture has not had a chance to anticipate how naturally children adapt to and master every innovation. Studies are underway to measure and record the impact on...

How to discipline your child without punishing them

by Joanna Jullien | Nov 28, 2018 | Anxiety, Boundaries, Children's Health & Mental Health, Discipline, Family, Parent-child relationship, Parental Authority, Parental control, Parenting, Spanking, Uncategorized, Wisdom

In a recent article Washington Post columnist, Claire Gillespie, questions the modern wisdom of giving unruly children “time-outs” as the best method to instill discipline. A mom of two older children and expecting a third soon, she says she never used time-outs and...