All Younger children articles
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ArticleShould Christian parents be prepared to smack their children? The case against corporal punishment
The Research is unequivocal; smacking children is harmful. Studies have shown that the negative effects of smacking include problems with social-emotional development, self-regulation, and cognitive development. Smacking also alters children’s brain response in ways similar to severe maltreatment and it increases the perception of threats.
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ArticleShould Christian parents be prepared to smack their children? The case in favour of corporal punishment
Discussing corporal punishment is not easy. Many British parents are wary of broaching the subject with one another. Discipline in general is an area in which parents need far more help within churches. Too often, leaders are reticent to teach about it openly, leaving parents to fend for themselves. As Dr James Dobson, author of the book, Dare to Discipline, said: “parents today are more confused than ever about effective and loving discipline. It has become a lost art, a forgotten skill.”
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ArticleThe Garden the Curtain and the Cross is a great resource for Christian parents to try in the run up to Easter
As the last few remnants of the Christmas stock are in the seasonal sale aisle, in comes the chocolate eggs and hot cross buns. ‘Happy Easter’ is on bunting, hats, and toys everywhere we look. It can be difficult for Christian parents to navigate yet another consumer-hacked event in the calendar, as the colour pallet in the shops turns to pastel yellow, pink and green and the shelves are filled with chocolate eggs, and fluffy bunnies and chicks. So, how do Christian families manage this time of year as they explain the biblical account of the first Easter to children in a theologically accurate, yet age-appropriate way, especially as eggs, hot cross buns and bunnies can be easier to digest than sin, death and resurrection.
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ArticleNew Disney+ series for children ‘Win or Lose’ has an openly Christian character in it, but that doesn’t mean it’s a complete cause for celebration.
I’ve always loved Disney. I love the music, the predictability and the comfort of the familiar hero storyline. I marvel at the ability for its message to speak to 5-year-old me whilst still speaking to 45-year-old me, that’s meant that Disney has become a timeless classic in my life. There have however been some recent controversies, for example around Disney’s latest move to introduce characters who are gay (Strange World (2022) and Buzz Lightyear (2022)). This led some Christians to unsubscribe from Disney+. As a family we chose to keep our subscription. My children are now 21, 19 and 17, so Christian discussions around the cultural topics that Disney are highlighting are much easier. However, for many others, the way in which Disney portrayed gay characters accompanied by price hikes saw them choosing to cancel their subscriptions.
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ArticleChristian devotions at home for children with additional needs are hard but worth working at
Hands up if you feel pressured by your church to do family devotions every morning. In some areas of our wonderful church, we can be left feeling that having daily family devotions is compulsory and doing it in the morning brings extra holiness points.
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ArticleOur children and young people need the good news not mere happy news
Rachael Newham considers whether we are passing on an emotional prosperity gospel and what a healthier approach might be.
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ArticleParents are the key to bridging the gap between church and school
Ashley Nichols sees parents as playing a pivotal role in helping schools provide appropriate space and time for children and young people to consider the Christian faith.
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ArticleChristian parenting in hospital: surviving through everyday faith
I’m sitting just to her side, wedged between the ward wall and my child’s hospital bed. For me and many other parents this has become a familiar yet daunting place. The rhythmic soundscape of oxygen masks and intermittent beeping from machines becomes our lullaby. It merges into the background of chatter and children’s cries, as we try to rest and get some sleep.
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ArticleHand in Hand Conference 2025: A call to action for children’s and family ministry
As the skies drizzled on a chilly Friday afternoon in February, the excitement surrounding the 2025 National Children’s and Family Ministry Conference, Hand in Hand, was anything but damp. Over 600 attendees arrived at the Bethel Convention Centre in Birmingham, where the warm, vibrant welcome was evident from the moment they stepped onto the red carpet. This year, the event found a new home, bringing with it a fresh energy and a renewed sense of purpose in children and families ministry.
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ArticleChild poverty is widespread but there is hope
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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ArticleUse the Gospel to transform your approach to your child’s behaviour
How do you approach your child’s behaviour? Do you find yourself giving commands or trying to persuade? Are you an authoritarian or gentle parent? As a Christian parent, you feel like you want to be able to give your child clear, simple instructions for how they are to behave and why. You also want to speak to their heart, not just their behaviour.
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ArticleIs it OK to talk about Santa and does this undermine our words about Jesus?
What was your experience of Santa growing up?
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ArticleIs the movie ‘Wish’ pointing us to something God has placed within us?
Do you have a favourite Disney movie?
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ArticleFour parables of Jesus - Session 1-4
Our Together resource is, as always, jam-packed full of ideas and activities to help the children and young people in your groups discover more about God, grow in faith and deepen their friendship with Jesus. Together is a curriculum resource for churches to use in their Sunday ...
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ArticleIf you want to change the world, start a toddler group!
Becky May believes this ministry to parents, carers and young children could be the most undervalued aspect of your local church’s ministry.
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ArticleHow laughter is God’s gift for disciplining your children
Was laughter a key part of your upbrining?
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