Listen to the podcast version Watch a 1-minute summary video If your spouse is struggling with addiction, their life—and yours—will never be what it was before. The good news is it can be better! But it will take some work to get there. In Part 1 of this article, we
Listen to the podcast version Watch a 1-minute summary video Whether I’ve spoken at a church, civic club, or business gathering, it often starts the same way: “Steve, can we talk for a minute?” These conversations normally happen after most other people have left, and often off to the side.
Listen to the podcast version. Watch a 1-minute summary video. [Note from Steve Ward: Carter is our oldest son. He is doing great now, but his journey included issues with drugs and alcohol when he was a teenager, so I asked him if he had any advice to parents.] Hi,
Listen to the podcast version. Watch a 1-minute summary video. All parents want to protect their kids from harm and for them to have happy lives. The question is: “How?” As they grow up, most teenagers make at least some bad decisions, and it’s hard for parents to know what to
Listen to the 6-minute podcast version Watch a 1-minute introductory video Many parents want to control their kids. That’s understandable, and I was that way at times. But there are a few problems with that approach: it’s not what’s good for them, it’s not what’s good for us, and it
Listen to the 7-minute podcast version Watch the 1-minute introductory video I hadn’t expected to be moved so much at a medical conference. I was at the UAB Medicine Addiction Symposium, run by the Addiction Recovery Program. There were some great speakers, which I expected. But the part
Listen to the 5-minute podcast version. Watch a 1.5 minute introductory video. Many parents worry how their kids will do during their teen years. Unfortunately, research shows they have reason to be concerned. Because young people’s brains work differently than those of adults. In addition, they are bombarded by
Listen to the 5-minute podcast version Watch a 1.5-minute video It was the darkest time of our lives. Our son was doing things that were becoming increasingly dangerous. What we knew about frightened us greatly, but it was what we didn’t know that kept us awake at night. He told
In the last 10 weeks, STEPS Ministries has distributed over one third of a million digital ads to every household with kids in Walker County, Alabama. Why did we do that? Because of Ben, Debbie, Dylan, Gary, Molly, Chad, Larry, Crystal, Asa, Chris, Sam, Tanya, Larry, Ashley, Alex, Lance, Shane,
No parent likes to see their kids struggle. The good news is there are things we can do to help them. Parenting is hard, and it’s harder when our kids are getting into trouble. But too often, we procrastinate on tough issues like substance abuse. We need to realize doing
I know a lot about how to communicate with teenagers. Because when our older son was in his teens, I did much of it wrong. When kids become teenagers, it’s normally harder to talk to them than when they were younger. They’re not around as much and are often more
If you had reasons to believe one of your kids might have cancer, what would you do about it? Would you put off checking it out because you were too busy or work hard to find out what was really going on with them? Would you leap to conclusions on
Parenting is hard. And when kids become teenagers, it gets even harder, because things change. Which means parents need to change too. There’s a lot riding on how Moms and Dads make that transition. Sometimes, the safety of their kids. Because there are many things to worry about during the
Parenting is hard. When our kids become teenagers, it gets even harder. When they keep moving in a dangerous direction and repeatedly refuse to honor healthy boundaries or act in a safe and responsible manner, it can be downright frightening. This article is about a situation I hope you never
It’s been said that in many ways, life is what we make it. All of us face problems and trials at times, and normal life involves a mixture of bad news along with the good. We often allow our happiness and well-being to fluctuate up and down based on the
They are some of the most tragic statements a Mom or Dad can make: “We thought substance abuse only happened to other people.” “We didn’t think our kid’s problems were that serious or dangerous.” “We couldn’t communicate with them once they became teenagers.” “We didn’t know what to do
Do you remember teaching your kids how to ride a bike? Did you realize you were teaching them about life as well? When our two boys were growing up in Orlando, we had a flat street in front of our house that became the test track for their new adventure.
Listen to the 7-minute podcast version Watch a 1-minute introductory video As parents, we desperately want our kids to be happy and safe from harm. Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do to guarantee those things happen. They will face trials and troubles, and we do not control their life
What if there were three secrets that could change your life for the better? Starting today. What if these simple secrets were so powerful they were guaranteed to work? To help you find more serenity, courage, and wisdom in your life? Would you want to hear what they are? And
Listen to the 5-minute podcast Watch a 1.5-minute video I don’t get what all the fuss is about with addiction these days. Maybe other families might have a problem, but our kids would never use drugs. We’re good parents, and we give them just about anything they want. My Dad drank,
