“What I try to encourage parents and grandparents to do, is to teach their kids and their grandkids how to connect with Jesus when they’re scared and how to invite him into the room in a real first-person way.” – Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield.

Three women of Christ on a mission have joined together, Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield, Rhonda Stoppe, and Lee Ann Mancini, to share empowering Godly advice, information, and encouragement for everyone raising the next generation of warriors for Christ. Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield is a national speaker, author, podcaster, and a licensed professional counselor of 27 years. Rhonda Stoppe is a best-selling author, speaker, and podcaster who has helped countless women build no-regrets lives!
During this episode, all three ladies touch upon how we can help our children feel safe when going to school, considering all of these school shootings happening today. Parents may fear sending their children to school, and kids may fear going to school after hearing about these tragedies; but there are things we can do for and with our children to ease that anxiety, fear, and stress of going to school.

Key Takeaways:

Nurture your child’s trust in you, tell them the truth age-appropriately, fact-check with them based on all the information in the media, adjust what you say based on their personality, look at their emotions, and show them the bigger story.
As you process the events together, remind your kids that the bigger story is not just violence in this world, it’s that God loves everyone, and he sent his son to rescue us from all this sin and violence.
The benefits of teaching your kids to connect with Jesus when they don't feel safe and are scared.
Use the UFO hold to help children feel safer – the unwinding frontal occipital hold is when you put one hand on your child’s forehead and one on the back side of their head, and you press together and hold, slowing down their heart rate when they feel scared.
When doing the UFO hold, you can ask your child who, what, when, and where questions about Jesus to help them connect to him at that moment.
Have a plan for them so that if they get to school and are fearful, they know who to call and where to run; that way, they feel safer knowing they have an escape plan.
Be present at campus if you can – go to your child’s school on lunch hour, work in the lunchroom, or visit them during recess or gym.
Our children feed off our emotions, so we first have to trust in the Lord and pray safety prayers over our children so that they don’t see us being fearful.
Write scripture on cards and let your child bring those cards with them to school.

“When they see us take our anxieties and concerns to our father in Heaven, that shows them how mommy and daddy feel safe in this chaotic world, and that’s where they need to go to feel safe as well.” – Rhonda Stoppe.
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Episode 251