UPDATE

coming alongside your family

Aftershock Youth Group

PARENT

Why Hello There!

Jordan Forston
As sports and vacations are reving up I pray that you take the time to slow down and focus on God and His word. I know we can get busy with all the running around but my prayer is that all our families stay connected!

Hello Parents!

UPCOMING EVENTS
End of Winter Lock-In
On 03/21/14 at 7:00PM to 03/22/14 at 8:00AM
It is time to register for the End Of Winter Lock-In that is being hosted by Aftershock Youth Group of Gethsemane UMC in Seaford, DE. There is a packed schedule of fun games and events taking place.

Love Does Study

On 03/09/14 from 4:00PM to 5:30PM
Do not forget to sign up for our Love Does study taking place every Sunday before youth group for the next several weeks. Book can be purchased for $10 at church.

The Songs In Your Kids Headphones

By TheSource4Parents.com
Do you know what the number one song on the charts is right now? Do you know what kids are gleaning from this song? I always find it fascinating to discover what young people are listening to in their headphones. Sadly, most parents who interact with their kids about their music only ask, Thats songs not one of those EXPLICIT songs, right? In my parent workshops I encourage parents to approach the conversation a different way. After all, that EXPLICIT tag only tells you if the song has curse words. Take the number one song on the charts right now, Timber, by Pitbull and Ke$ha. This song is NOT EXPLICIT because it doesnt have curse words. So its fair game, right? Try Googling the lyrics. Heres Pitbulls opening lines: The bigger they are, the harder they fall These big-iddy boys are dig-gidy dogs I have em like Miley Cyrus, clothes off Twerking in their bras and thongs, timber Face down, booty up, timber Thats the way we like towhat?timber Nice and clean, eh? So how should parents respond? Ill tell you how they should NOT respond overreaction. Instead, turn your overreaction into interaction. Parents have an amazing opportunity to use todays music as a springboard to discussion. The majority of todays young people really like music. Ask a kid about their music, and chances are, youll probably get them talking. This provides parents with an opportunity to listen and learn about their kid. But parents should also feel free to chime in on the dialogue. That doesnt mean turn the dialogue into a monologue (aka, a boring speech from Dad). This means, use questions to lead them to truth. If you dont know where to go with this conversation, dont worry. TheSource4Parents.com provides FREE Music Discussions on their Music Discussions page. Right now, you can find full discussions for songs in the top 10 like Timber and The Monster. Each of these free discussion guides provide questions, scripture and a wrap up. Do you know whats in your kids headphones?

Searching for Sex Answers

By TheSource4Parents.com
Google has become the number one place young people go for answers to their questions about sex. Why? Two glaring reasons: Its embarrassing. Who wants to ask Mom or Dad what they heard in the locker room that day, What does anal mean? Mom and Dad will freak out. (Wouldnt you if your kid asked you what anal meant? Regrettably, most 13 and 14-year-olds know that term.) Sadly, parents sometimes mistake freaking out as being protective. Last week I was talking with two moms after my parent workshop and one mom readily admitted to me, Im that over-protective parent. We talked about how to respond when our kids have questions about sexually-charged material they notice at the grocery store or on a TV screen. This mom confessed her tendency was to hush those conversations. Shes not alone. As I chatted with a youth pastor today about an upcoming conference where Ill be speaking to middle school kids about sexual purity, he divulged that the church has to make this an opt in event because many parents dont want their kids to attend event where they talk about sex stuff. Where do these parents think their kids are going to look for answers when they encounter questions? And dont be fooled we live in a world where it is virtually impossible to dodge sexually charged messages and images seeping through every digital source imaginable. My daughter just went on a youth group event to a bowling alley. As the 50 students and adult leaders spread out into the different alleys of the facility, each alley provided its own video screen displaying current music videos. You should have seen it dad! There was full-on naked girls doing it right on the screen! (Ashley doesnt mince words.) They showed naked or half naked girls all night, slightly covered, or their backs. some of them were getting it on right in front of us! You know how music videos are today. She took a breath. It was really awkward for all of our guys. You could tell they were trying not to look, but it was hard to not notice it. It was in our face all night when we were trying to bowl. I talked with a young man who was there. Yeah, it was pretty bad stuff. We were trying not to look, but it was hard to not notice Miley naked right in front of us. I asked him, Are those kind of images a springboard to porn? Yeah, at home especially. Whenever I look at YouTube for sports, or whatever, it always offers some sexy video you can click on. Its always tempting. One kid told me, I dont look at that stuff. The next week his parents received notice from their internet provider reporting an alleged infringement of one or more copyrighted works. Bottom line: someone in their house was downloading porn videos and they didnt realize that it was a copyright infringement (the same handslap if they were downloading illegal movies or music in this case, porn videos). Mom and dad rarely fathom that their own kid could be looking at porn. The power of porn is luring this younger generation. Parents can continue to overreact or they can begin opening up the communication channels in the home and interact. Which would you prefer?

Teens Social Media Can Hurt College Chances

By HomeWord.com

If your teen is normal, she or he is thoroughly engaged in using social media. But its likely that neither you nor your teen has thought much (if at all!) about how all of these social media posts might affect their chances of being accepted to the college of their choice. It turns out this may be something worth considering. According to new research from Kaplan Test Prep, colleges are increasingly searching for applicants' names on the Internet as part of their review. Kaplan found that 30 percent of admissions officers say that they had Googled an applicant or visited their social networking profiles. Its a significant increase from previous years, according to a college admissions expert at Kaplan. Many college applications are now digital, and this makes it easier for admission personnel to do online research on the applicant while reviewing a students application. Many colleges arent sharing how they weigh the information they find while researching applicants online, likely fearing a potential backlash from applicants believing they arent being treated equally or fairly. What is known: Some colleges are searching applicants social media profiles and Kaplan found that almost 50 percent of students said they were not at all concerned about online searches hurting their college admission chances. Parents should talk to their teenagers about the potential for the long-term affects of their social media posts.

Social Media 101: Selfies

By HomeWord.com
What is a Selfie? Selfie (noun; pronounced sel-fee; plural selfies): a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website. Oxford American English Dictionary Yes, selfie is actually right there in the dictionary. Its a new word, having only been added to the Oxford dictionary in August 2013. Selfies, having surpassed fad status in recent years, are now a recognized part of the fabric of youth culture. Selfies are huge in social media today and are a perfect fit for teenagers in the throes of adolescent development, particularly in their process of creating the sense of identity, self-image, and self-esteem. Each selfie gives a kid the opportunity to test drive her or his sense of identity and receive almost immediate feedback through social media. This feedback is a double-edged sword, cutting both ways, with positive and negative outcomes. As kids view feedback from their selfies, they refine their sense of identity, for better or worse. Why Kids Love Selfies Selfies are an easy way to communicate visually via social media and to receive feedback via likes and comments from friends and followers. When a teenager posts a selfie using social media, she or he doesnt have to ask: What do you think about this picture of me? The question is assumed. Selfies provide a steady stream of identity validation from others. The Dark Side of Selfies While kids are looking for validation from their selfie posts, there is a huge potential for bad outcomes through negative comments, bullying, and feeding the monsters of self/narcissism that lurk in each of us. As with other pictures posted online, once its in cyberspace, its likely to be out there forever. How Parents Can Help Kids Handle Selfies Help kids establish a healthy sense of self-image by encouraging them to establish their identity and value upon who they are in Christ. Provide kids with plenty of loving affirmation. Encourage healthy relationships with family, peers and trusted adults. Encourage kids to think through who they are seeking validation from when they post a selfie. Teach kids to avoid posting inappropriate selfies.