Sex, Drugs, Alcohol? Teaching Our Children to Successfully Navigate a Scary World

Our culture is full of danger to kids: 1 in 4 teens has an STD,  20% of children experience depression before adulthood. Over 40% of all 10th graders drink alcohol.

The statistics are frightening and almost unbelievable.

My husband, Walt, and I practice Pediatrics together and we speak to many parents who feel weighed down by the myriad of risks within our society.

How do I shield my son from pornography?

How do I inspire a healthy body image in my daughter?

How do I encourage my children to avoid drugs?

How do I teach my teens to confidently say “no” to alcohol?

How do I talk to my kids about sex?

How do I protect my sons from the effects of violent video games?

How do I help my daughter navigate the ugly world of social media?

The list of questions is overwhelming–and understandably so.

We bring our tiny, innocent babies home from the hospital and have lofty plans to protect them from the corrupting influences of the world around us, but sooner or later, every parent realizes that to wholly insulate a child from society is neither wise nor possible.

Instead of shielding a child from the world, we have to proactively and firmly teach him how to navigate the risks of the world.

There are indeed answers to each of the questions above–specific ways to handle each tough issue–but even more importantly, there are practical ways to love and train our children day in and day out, so as to prepare them to make wise, big decisions.

My heart is for children, but even more so, it’s for you–for parents. If a pediatrician is to care for kids well, she has to care for their parents. That’s why I’m excited to offer encouragement and answers around these “big, scary world” issues.

I’m holding a free webinar this month called Learning to Parent Your Child in a Big, Scary World, and I’d love for you to join me. Tune in to learn very practical ways that parents can help their children navigate sex, drugs, alcohol, and more.

The webinar will be given twice–on June 23 at 9pm EST and on June 29 at 1pm EST. Sign up here today to save your seat