News and Notes from the
World of Al Menconi

A former student asked a question a number of parents in my audiences ask.  Her letter was quite long but the gist was: My son listens to a form of  Christian rock that drives me and my husband "up a wall." How should we respond?  Can you help?   The following was my response:   Julia, Your question is not unusual for Christian parents. There is no single answer. But here are a few things for you to consider:  1) At what point will you be satisfied? Personally, I hate Demon Hunter's "music," but that doesn't mean God can't use it in your son's life.  2) If you can't understand Demon Hunter's music, have a "heart to heart" talk with your son with a very loving attitude. Ask him (don't tell him) if the music he is listening to helps him focus on life from a godly perspective. And WAIT for his response. He has to answer if you wait! He has to answer; Yes, No, or I dunno! This is a beginnings of a conversation with your son. Le

How to be a better parent in 4 seconds The following is excerpted from Jon Acuff.  The complete article is at his blog A few years ago, Jon learned a parenting trick that changed his life. It wasn’t complicated. I didn’t find it buried in one of those 400-page-long, zero-pictures parenting books that you often assume everyone has read but you. It’s not even that long. You can master this trick in 4 seconds. What is it? S imple: Hang up and arrive. Or, in longer form, when you walk through the door after work or a trip or an errand, don’t be on the phone. One of the greatest ways to destroy a little kid who is waiting for you is to come home and still be on your cell phone. Nothing deflates a daughter who runs toward you for a hug like a hand that says, “Wait a second, I need to finish this call.” Nothing says “you’re second place in my life,” like walking through the door while still on the phone. Nothing says, “my world is more important than yours,” like refusing to end a call wh

Largest ever study finds abortion increases risk of severe mental health problems by 81% by Thaddeus Baklinski  LifeSiteNews.com Life, Family and Culture News   Thu Sep 01 4:13 PM EST LONDON, UK, September 1, 2011 ( LifeSiteNews.com ) - A  new study  published today in the British Journal of Psychiatry found that women who underwent an abortion experienced an 81% increased risk of mental health problems. The study also found that almost 10% of all women’s mental health problems are directly linked to abortion. Conducted by Priscilla K. Coleman, Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Bowling Green State University, Ohio, USA,  the study  was based on an analysis of 22 separate studies and 36 measures of effect, that involved a total of 877,181 participants of whom 163,831 had experienced an abortion. The study took into account pre-existing mental health problems prior to the abortion. “In order to avoid any allegations of bias,” Dr. Coleman explained, “very stringent incl

Fall Television Your Teen Will Be Talking About In  Family media management  by  Sierra Filucci , on 08.12.11 CommonsenseMedia.org Which TV Shows Are Taking Aim at Your Teen This Fall? Every fall, TV networks debut a handful of new shows, and execs cross their fingers that something will stick. Many shows are rehashes of previous hits or follow a formula that's worked in the past. And occasionally something original hits the airwaves. But whether your teen is a fan of the tried-and-true or only tunes in for something really special, chances are he or she will hear about -- and maybe even want to watch -- these new network shows with strong teen appeal. Suburgatory  (ABC) City kid moves to the 'burbs in edgy comedy. This clever fish-out-of-water comedy features a top-notch cast and plenty of edgy humor. Jane Levy ( Shameless ) stars as Tessa, a cool city kid who's whisked off to the supposedly safe suburbs when her dad ( Jeremy Sisto ) finds a package of condoms in her dres