Develop


 

Teaching our children to make good decisions is a key part of their development. There are many

areas where they need to learn how the skill of good decision making. The areas we will focus on are:

1. Intimacy

2. Financial Responsibility

3. Media Use

Elder Boyd K. Packer wrote an article titled, "Ready or Not, You Will Be Taught" that teaches how and 

when to teach our children. He gives an example of his family feeds their children when they are ready, 

which is much earlier in the day than he arrived home from work. They still sat around the table as a

family, after he got home but it was important to feed the children when they were hungry. This

lesson can be used in all types of scenarios. When do you learn an idea the best? Most likely it is when 

you have a desire to know the information. So the idea is to teach our children important concepts when 

they are ready. 

INTIMACY


This and other videos published are great resources on how we as parents can effectively teach

our children the importance of sexual intimacy.

Lessons should be age appropriate, respectful, let your children ask questions and be as curious as they 

want. It is not necessary to give them more information than they can handle. This is an on-going 

conversation. Start talking to your children when they are young and continue increasing information as 

needed until they are ready. Your children won't remember everything but they will remember that they 

had these conversations with their parents and they will remember how you made them feel. 


FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Ideas on how to teach your kids about family finances from "One for the Money" by Marvin J. Ashton.

1, Pay an honest tithe

2. Learn to manage money before it manages you

3. Learn Self-discipline and self-restraint

4. Use a budget

5. Teach family members early the importance of working and earning

MEDIA USE 


An article posted by NPR found a correlation between hours spent online and teen depression and suicidal 

thoughts. 

One hour, maybe two hours [a day], doesn't increase risk all that much," Twenge says. "But once you get to three hours — and especially four and then, really, five hours and beyond — that's where there's much more significant risk of suicide attempts, thinking about suicide and major depression.

Our best recourse is to take action as parents. What parents can do to safeguard their kids as much as 

possible is to have boundaries that surround screen time. Placing priorities around real world activities, 

screen time limits, and even discussing together the things that both parents and kids are viewing online 

help them to see that what they're viewing does matter. And when the time is up, to be able to 

put it down and find other things to do will help the child know that too much of anything is too much. 
   Another article by the American Heart Association urges parents to limit screen time for children. 

"When children spend too much time time on screen-based devices, it could cause sedentary 

behavior that can lead to weight gain and obesity."



References

American Heart Association urges limiting screen time for kids. (2018, August 7). Xinhua News Agency.

    https://link-gale-com.byui.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/A549198688/GRNR?u=byuidaho&sid=ebsco&xid=94202598

Ashton, M.J., (2006). One for the Money. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

    https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/bc/content/shared/content/english/pdf/language-

    materials/33293_eng.pdf

Mormon2011. (2013). Mormons talk to their children about sexual intimacy. Retrieved July 15, 2023, 

     from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiTMed-mkVE.

Neighmond, P. (2017, November 14). Increased hours online correlate with an uptick in teen depression, 

    suicidal thoughts. NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/11/14/563767149/increased-

    hours-online-correlate-with-an-uptick-in-teen-depression-suicidal-thou

Packer, B. K. (1977, December 1). Ready or not, you will be taught. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-

    day Saints. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/1977/12/ready-or-not-you-will-be-

    taught?lang=eng

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