Giving our child their first phone can be a daunting prospect, filled with trepidation at the risk we might have exposed them to. Have we set up the right filters and limits? Are we having the right conversations? Will they act responsibly and safely online? Today’s guest is Andy Robertson, founder of Taming Gaming and theology-trained video game journalist. Andy shares helpful tips and boundaries we can use, not only to keep our kids safe with their phones, but to allow them to unleash creativity through the positive benefits of having a phone. He also answers a question about how to respond if we discover our child has been engaging in, or the victim of, untoward behaviour on their phone. Links: Andy’s Taming Game website: https://www.taminggaming.com/ Follow Andy on Twitter https://twitter.com/GeekDadGamer Follow Taming Gaming on Twitter https://twitter.com/FamilyGamingDB Setting up an iPhone for a child: https://www.askaboutgames.com/news/set-up-iphone-and-ipad-for-your-family Setting up an android phone for a child: https://www.askaboutgames.com/news/set-up-android-devices-for-your-family Buy Andy’s book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Taming-Gaming-Guide-healthy-habits/dp/1783528923 Wow, what a helpful and practical episode for all of us! We’re so grateful for those who enable us to continue this podcast ministry by financially giving to BRF. Will you join us? To give a one-off or regular gift, go to https://www.brf.org.uk/donate/ Parenting for Faith is part of the charity, BRF. We are reliant on donations from individuals and churches to make our resources available to as many people as possible. We are grateful for all donations, big or small. They make a real difference. Thank you so much for partnering with us.

As Christian parents, how can we help our children form healthy friendships at school, or in other situations when they are away from us? What happens when there’s been a fall-out or break-up? How can we navigate our children through the loneliness of having no friends? And what about when it’s our child who’s the source of the friendship difficulties? Today’s guest is Clare Luther, former occupational therapist and current author of a set of books designed to help children navigate different emotions. Clare lives with her husband and teenage daughters in a faith-filled home in London. She loves Jesus, and is convinced that the Bible tells us of a God who gives us our ultimate identity, sits with us in our mess, comforts us when we are sad, and is powerful to turn situations around for the better. Links: - Clare’s website and books: www.head2heartbooks.com - Buy Clare’s latest book ‘Say what?’ from 10ofthose: https://uk.10ofthose.com/product/9781915705068/say-what Wow, what a rich episode today! We hope you found Clare’s words encouraging, equipping and comforting. If you’d like us to keep producing helpful faith-filled content like this, we need your help. Financial donations, even small ones, make a massive difference to what we can produce. You can click here to give a one-off or regular gift at www.brf.org.uk/get-involved/give/ Parenting for Faith is part of the charity, BRF. We are reliant on donations from individuals and churches to make our resources available to as many people as possible. We are grateful for all donations, big or small. They make a real difference. Thank you so much for partnering with us.

How do we know when our child is ready to make a public faith commitment - whether that’s baptism, confirmation or profession of faith? What are the smaller steps along the faith journey that we should be looking out for? How can ‘sacred pathways’ help us nurture our child’s faith in helpful ways? And what can we do if our child is showing no interest in Jesus? Our guest today is Christie Thomas, Western Canadian homeschool mum of three boys, former Children’s Ministry director, and founder of Little Shoots Deep Roots. Christie shares stories from her own parenting journey, as well as ideas for how we approach this area with our own children. We think you’re going to LOVE learning from Christie about the nine ‘sacred pathways’, or different ways of connecting with God, that Christie shares in this episode. This is an incredibly effective tool which can help us discover our child’s pathway, making it much easier for us to journey with them as they pursue Jesus. Christie is also the author of several books for Christian families. Links: Christie’s website: https://littleshootsdeeproots.com/ Follow Christie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littleshootsdeeproots/ Browse Christie’s books: https://www.eden.co.uk/shop/search.php?products%5Bquery%5D=christie%20thomas Sacred Pathways quiz: https://christiethomas.ck.page/a79d922d0e Christie’s e-book: ‘Sacred Pathways for Kids’: https://littleshootsdeeproots.com/sacred-pathways-for-kids/ ‘Wow’ (Dandi Daley Mackall): https://www.eden.co.uk/christian-books/christian-books-for-children/bible-stories-for-children/age-4-to-7-bible-stories/wow-9781496436429/ - Original Parenting for Faith course online: https://www.parentingforfaith.brf.org.uk/parenting-for-faith-course-online-2023/ - Pop-up small group with Joanna Adeyinka-Burford: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=602874592057833&set=pb.100070058915946.-2207520000&type=3 - Being God's Child book launch "3 Ways to Connect with God as a Busy Parent" https://www.facebook.com/events/1092804861697964 We loved hearing from Christie today and hope you did too! To be a part of sustaining this podcast so that it can reach hundreds of families, children’s leaders, youth leaders and churches, would you consider partnering with us financially? Even a small one-off gift makes a big difference! Go to https://www.brf.org.uk/donate/ Parenting for Faith is part of the charity, BRF. We are reliant on donations from individuals and churches to make our resources available to as many people as possible. We are grateful for all donations, big or small. They make a real difference. Thank you so much for partnering with us.

How do we find time to read the Bible as busy parents? How can we best model this to our kids? And what are the benefits of reading the Bible with friends? In today’s episode, Lucy meets Felicity Carswell and Sarah Dargue - aka Two Sisters and a Cup of Tea. Through their popular podcast, they encourage hundreds of women to read the Bible with a friend (and a cup of tea), share their own insights about the passage, have a giggle and bring alive the joy of God’s Word. Felicity lives near Chicago with her husband Jonathan, founder of 10ofthose, and two boys aged 5 and 7. She spends her time parenting and teaching the Bible locally. Sarah lives in West London with her pastor husband and three children aged 8, 7 and 7. She is the author of ‘Bumps, Babies and the Gospel’. Although they are sisters, Felicity and Sarah came to faith very independently of one another. They share their testimonies in today’s episode, and we think you’ll be hugely encouraged! Links: - Listen to the podcast: https://twosistersandacupoftea.buzzsprout.com/ or search ‘Two Sisters and a Cup of Tea’ wherever you get your podcasts - Two Sisters website: https://www.twosistersandacupoftea.com/ - Follow Two Sisters on Instagram (@twosisters_and_acupoftea) or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Twosistersandacupoftea - Sarah’s book “Bumps Babies and the Gospel” https://uk.10ofthose.com/product/9781913278397/bumps-babies-and-the-gospel-paperback - “The Biggest Story Bible Storybook” https://uk.10ofthose.com/product/9781433557378/the-biggest-story-bible-storybook-hardback - “The Gospel Story Bible” https://uk.10ofthose.com/product/9781936768127/the-gospel-story-bible-hardback - “A Small Book about a Big Problem” https://uk.10ofthose.com/product/9781945270130/a-small-book-about-a-big-problem-hardback We hope you loved hearing Felicity and Sarah’s insights and ideas today! It’s wonderful to be able to produce this podcast, and we are grateful to all who give towards it, however big or small the donation. They make a real difference. To give a one-off or regular gift, go to https://www.brf.org.uk/donate/ Parenting for Faith is part of the charity, BRF. We are reliant on donations from individuals and churches to make our resources available to as many people as possible. Thank you so much for partnering with us.

They say it takes a village to raise a child - but what is the significance of having a Christian ‘village’ around you as you bring up your children? How can we support each other well, and what difference does it make? Becky Miles and Helen Smith are today’s guests. Hosts of the ‘Salty Mums’ podcast, which gives a faith-based angle on issues surrounding motherhood, these two women met as new mums at their church, and know first-hand the value of having a supportive village around you in your church family. Links: - Listen to the Salty Mums podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/1IMMSpookE0l4gKr2DLFKl or search ‘Salty Mums’ wherever you get your podcasts - Follow Salty Mums on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saltymumspod/ - If you have a regular group of parents meeting to support each other, why not consider the Parenting for Faith course? https://www.parentingforfaith.brf.org.uk/course/ Lucy loved chatting with Becky and Helen today - and we hope you enjoyed listening too! Thank you for supporting this podcast financially so that we can continue to make great episodes which bless you as you nurture your kids’ faith. If you don’t give financially but would like to give either a one-off or regular gift, here’s the link: https://www.brf.org.uk/donate/ Parenting for Faith is part of the charity, BRF. We are reliant on donations from individuals and churches to make our resources available to as many people as possible. We are grateful for all donations, big or small. They make a real difference. Thank you so much for partnering with us.