From Justin in the Driver's Seat
Every parent note, conversation starter, and behind-the-scenes thought from the Crew. 24 posts and counting.
Back to For Parents1 day ago4 min read
Some kids fall apart over a B, a missed note, a small mistake nobody else even noticed. Here is what is really going on under the meltdown, and how to raise a kid who can mess up without falling apart.
Keep readingPost 16 days ago3 min read
Summer groups form fast, and somebody always ends up on the outside. Here is how to raise the kid who notices the lonely one and walks over, and what to hold onto when your own kid is the one sitting alone.
Keep readingPost 29 days ago4 min read
Your kid wants in, and would also rather disappear than risk looking foolish in front of everyone. Here is the one shift that helps more than a louder pep talk, and what God says about the kid frozen at the edge.
Keep readingPost 314 days ago4 min read
You don't need to add a single thing to your calendar to disciple your kids. Here are 25 ordinary moments you are already living that can quietly turn into the most important conversations you ever have.
Keep readingPost 414 days ago4 min read
The long open days have a way of turning your kid into a customer who wants the next thing before they have finished the last. Here is why more stuff never fills them up, and the one small move that quietly grows a grateful heart.
Keep readingPost 514 days ago3 min read
With nothing on the calendar, boredom shows up fast, and the wish list shows up right behind it. Here is why contentment is learned, not automatic, and the one daily habit that builds it.
Keep readingPost 615 days ago4 min read
Your kid got left off the group chat, skipped at the sleepover, frozen out by the friends who were fine last week. Here is how to tell the difference between mean and messy, and the one thing your kid needs from you either way.
Keep readingPost 716 days ago4 min read
Your kid was fine all winter. Then the first thunderstorm rolled in at bedtime, and now they are in your room every night. Here is what actually calms the fear, and the one small plan that works better than reassurance.
Keep readingPost 816 days ago4 min read
Most parents carry this one quietly. Here is what to do when you notice your child spending a lot of time alone, and how to open one small door without taking it over.
Keep readingPost 920 days ago4 min read
Your kids will hear the word "freedom" a hundred times this weekend. Here is how to turn the cookouts and fireworks into one simple conversation about the freedom that never fades.
Keep readingPost 1023 days ago3 min read
The school year ended and suddenly the friend who sat next to your kid every single day just stopped texting back. Here is what is actually happening, and the one move that helps more than a packed calendar ever will.
Keep readingPost 1124 days ago4 min read
Date nights and a kiss in the kitchen can feel like luxuries you cannot afford with this much going on. Here is why your kids watching you love each other is one of the most important things you do for them, not a distraction from parenting but part of it.
Keep readingPost 1225 days ago4 min read
New summer groups mean new kids, and not all of them pull your child in a good direction. Here is how to raise a kid who can say no without losing their nerve, before the moment ever comes.
Keep readingPost 1327 days ago4 min read
Summer turns up the comparison volume, and kids (and honestly, parents too) start measuring their real lives against everyone else's best moments. Here is how to help your child run their own race.
Keep readingPost 1430 days ago4 min read
Summer rosters and neighborhood games sort kids fast, and the one left off the list feels it in their chest. Here is what your kid actually needs from you in that moment, and it is probably not what your first instinct tells you to do.
Keep readingPost 15June 18, 20263 min read
Summer is beautiful until hour three, when the refereeing starts. Here is the reframe that might just save your sanity and your kids' relationship.
Keep readingPost 16June 17, 20264 min read
A five-minute walk through everything waiting for your family on the site, from the daily episode and the prayer wall to the coloring pages and the question your kid can record in their own voice.
Keep readingPost 17June 15, 20263 min read
Your kid hasn't even packed their bag yet, and the stomach-ache has already started. Here is what the research says, what the Bible says, and the one thing you can do before drop-off that actually helps.
Keep readingPost 18June 11, 20264 min read
You can feel it when the story is just a little too clean. Here is why interrogation backfires, and the one response that makes telling the truth safe again in your house.
Keep readingPost 19June 9, 20263 min read
About 1 in 4 elementary kids will experience bullying this year, and summer puts them in new situations where you simply cannot watch. Here is what to say and how to pray when your child is the one being hurt.
Keep readingPost 20June 6, 20263 min read
You never decided to hand the whole summer to a screen. It happened one easy yes at a time. Here's why it's a structure problem, not a willpower problem, and the simple plan that turns it around.
Keep readingPost 21June 3, 20262 min read
You expected summer to feel like relief. Instead your kid seems more anxious, not less. You're not imagining it, and it's not a discipline problem. Here's what's actually happening, and the small thing that helps.
Keep readingPost 22May 16, 20264 min read
Families aren't failing right now. They're overloaded. Here's what Scripture actually says about end-of-year exhaustion, and five small resets that lower the temperature in your house this week.
Keep readingPost 23May 16, 20261 min read
Most parents wait for the perfect moment to talk to their kids about Jesus. The perfect moment isn't coming. Here's the smaller move that actually works.
Keep readingPost 24