3 types of parents

The other day, I ran into a youth ministry graduate who's now coaching summer sports. His job brings him into lots of contact not just with his students (who range in age from 5 – 15), but their parents. As we talked, he began reflecting on his interaction with parents. According to him, there are three types of parents:

- Helicopter parents are those who hover over their child, dangerously close, never letting them gain any age-appropriate independence.

- Airplane parents are those who circle their child at a respectable distance. These parents give their child an appropriate amount of autonomy. They remain close enough to protect and support their child but they balance this with a fair amount of freedom that enables their child to thrive and make new discoveries on their own.

Read the rest of this article here. 

Jen Bradbury on Youth Ministry

Jen serves as the Minister of Youth and Family at Atonement Lutheran Church in Barrington, Illinois. A veteran youth worker, Jen holds an MA in Youth Ministry Leadership from Huntington University. Jen is the author of The Jesus Gap: What Teens Actually Believe about Jesus (The Youth Cartel), The Real Jesus (The Youth Cartel), Unleashing the Hidden Potential of Your Student Leaders (Abingdon), and A Mission That Matters (Abingdon). Her writing has also appeared in YouthWorker Journal, Immerse, and The Christian Century. Jen is also the Assistant Director of Arbor Research Group where she has led many national studies. When not doing ministry or research, she and her husband, Doug, and daughter, Hope, can be found traveling and enjoying life together.

More about Jen

Jen's Books

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A Mission That Matters: How To Do Short-Term Missions Without Long-Term Harm

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Now Available!

Unleashing the Hidden Potential of your Student Leaders

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The Real Jesus

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The Jesus Gap

What Teens Actually Believe About Jesus

Based on National Research

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