Latest / 5–Minute Parenting: Tips to Help You Raise Competent, Godly Kids. / Tips for Raising Strong Boys with Family Ministry Leader and Award-Winning Author, Christie Thomas

Transcript

Tips for Raising Strong Boys with Family Ministry Leader and Award-Winning Author, Christie Thomas · 5–Minute Parenting: Tips to Help You Raise Competent, Godly Kids.

• 0:01
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to another episode of the Five Minute Parenting Podcast.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_00: I'm your host, Karen Ferguson, wife, mom, grandmom, and children's book author with a background in K-8 education and a passion for equipping parents to raise confident and God-confident kids.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_00: In this podcast, we'll cover parenting practices from both a practical view and a biblical view.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_00: Our goal is to help you raise kids with a positive, godly self-image so they can become all they were created to be.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_00: I know you're busy, so we'll keep it short.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: Let's take just five minutes and dive in.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_00: Hello, parents and grandparents.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome back to Five Minute Parenting.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_00: We have Christy Thomas on the show today talking about tips for raising strong boys.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: Christy was a children's ministry director for over a decade and is now a family discipleship coach to parents who need equipping, support, and encouragement.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_00: Her podcast and books for kids and parents help families cultivate faith-filled moments.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_00: Christy lives with her husband and three boys in Canada.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_00: Christy, welcome.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks so much for having me today.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, it's great to have you here.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm going to jump right in with some questions for you that I know will be helpful for listeners as we talk about raising strong boys.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: So, Christy, you have you're raising three boys.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: What, you know, quick tips do you have for connecting with sons?
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_01: Well, my biggest quick tip is find out what they actually like to do and get interested in it.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_01: Now, I'm not always really great at this because I'm interested in very different things than my boys are interested in.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_01: They like to play court games and talk about the legend of Zelda and their video games or encoding, and they're just they're just so different for me, right?
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_01: So it can be really hard.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_01: And the selfish part of me wants to not wants them to like what I like.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_01: But I want as the mom, I need to like what they like and I need to at least try, right?
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_01: So so that includes learning about Legend of Zelda when I can, or sitting down and playing a board game when I'd rather be reading a book to myself, or um, you know, looking at my son's board games.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_01: And I've been finding that I'm I'm learning a lot actually.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_01: Like it's it's not always it's not grueling to like the things that my kids like for the most part.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, I've actually learned and grown on my own as well.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_01: So that that I would say would would be the biggest thing.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_01: Also, lots of snacks.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_00: They they are hungry, right?
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: They get hungry a lot.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_01: So anytime you can involve food or fun drinks and whatever you're doing with your sons, that's gonna be a great way to help connect with them.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_01: And also, I find not too much talking.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I think that one of the things that we as women can tend to do is maybe out talk our sons.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_01: And so for us just to be okay with being quiet or or just waiting for them to talk sometimes can be helpful.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's a good point.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: Definitely.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: Well, you know, what about spiritual development?
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_00: How can we help our boys grow spiritually?
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I wish that I could say just go and play video games with them, but that's not gonna see the day.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_01: But I do think the thing about food still helps a lot, actually.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_01: So movement and food would be my two biggest things.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_01: So when your boys are young, especially, they need a lot of movement.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_01: And so if you can include movement in what they're doing, so let's say you're reading a Bible or a devotional and they're really fidgety, well, you can ask them to act out the Bible story with you, or let them roll around on the floor and not worry about that, or give them Lego to create the Bible passage with, or draw or paint, or whatever it is that they enjoy doing, include movement in that and your time with your boys when you're trying to read the Bible or pray or do something else with them, it's gonna be a lot more positive for both of you.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_01: And then, of course, if you can involve food, especially when they're little, bringing them to the table for Bible reading time and also a snack at the same time is a win-win.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, yeah, combining those.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_00: That's good.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's a good point too, because a lot of times as parents, you know, we want our young kids to sit still and listen and learn.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_00: But so often they need to move, even girls, right?
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_00: They need to move as they're learning to stay engaged.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_00: And it I think it helps with retention, even.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_00: So that's a good point.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_00: Well, speaking of movement, so I know it can be tough sometimes, especially for moms, to deal with the physicality of boys.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_00: So, how can we encourage them in the way God made them with without stressing out, without feeling overwhelmed?
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_01: I think a lot of that has to do with our own hearts.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_01: It's not normal for me.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_01: I never grew up with any brothers.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_01: So for my boys, especially when they were younger, to be wrestling, oh, it was uncomfortable for me.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_01: So I had to kind of learn to let go and say, this is how they're made, and I have to be okay with that.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_01: And uh, so that that was a big part of it was kind of letting that go, learning what the boundaries were.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, if you hear somebody squealing, maybe it's time to intercede.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_01: But um, I did, I also learned that like if if the physicality is leading to poor behaviors, I learned when I was in children's ministry that most of the poor behaviors that our kids, especially in little kids that they're doing, can be solved by just redirecting their energy.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, when they're they're picking at something um or picking at someone, at their brother, they're pestering them.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, usually it's what I need to do is redirect them.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_01: Now that gets harder as they get older.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_01: I can't just like physically take their body and move them.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_01: But if you can give them a job or ask for their help, um, then that helps a lot with that that physicality and kind of redirecting it in a positive direction.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_00: Well, these are great tips, Christy.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it's a short podcast.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_00: We could go on and on.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_00: You are a great uh resource for parents.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_00: So I just want to encourage you listeners, be sure to check the show notes for links to connect with Christy online.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_00: Um, she has some fantastic books and resources that will be of great help to you, um, including one there's a mother-son prayer journal and a boy mom toolkit.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_00: So we will link to those two in the show notes.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_00: But Christy, thank you so much for being here.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_00: And listeners, thank you for joining us.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_00: Be sure to like, subscribe, and share this podcast with a parent or grandparent you want to encourage.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_00: Then come back next week for another episode.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_00: Have a blessed week.