February 6, 2026February 9, 2026
by Jessica Whitney

Parenting advice is everywhere—but most of it focuses on fixing behavior instead of shaping character.

Ever since I became a mom, I’ve approached parenting the same way I approach most areas of my life: with intention. I read books. I listen to podcasts. I talk to friends. I sit with Scripture. I learn from parents who are a few steps ahead of me.

Not because there’s one “right” way to parent—but because I want to be clear on the values I’m teaching my child, not just the rules I’m enforcing.

Over time, my husband and I realized something important:
If we didn’t define our values, we’d default to reacting to culture instead of intentionally shaping our family.

At the highest level, our goal is simple:

We want our kids to love God and love others.

Everything else flows from that.

This post is the foundation. It’s the lens behind all the parenting advice I share—now and in the future.

Parenting Advice: Values to Teach Your Child (What We’re Teaching Ours—and Why)

Christian Values to Teach Your Children (And How We Practice Them at Home)

Faith isn’t something we want to outsource or reduce to a checklist. We want our kids to see it lived, modeled, and practiced in ordinary moments. For my husband and I, we believe “more is caught than taught” and we do our best to live that out day to day.

Below is one of the verses that is our inspiration for our family mission.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart… and love your neighbor as yourself.” — Matthew 22:37–39

If our kids don’t learn anything in our house except this…..while they live under our roof, we will be pleased. But below are the core values we’re intentionally teaching our kids—not perfectly, but consistently. Not all at the same time, but over time. They are in addition to and fall under the umbrella of loving God and loving others (more below).

Feel free to steal any of these for your family! If you join my mailing list, I often email stories and share what we are walking through in a weekly email. I also include helpful resources I’ve found from around the web as well as other newsletter subscribers. You can join here and also get a copy of my 15 min future reset for free.

Parenting Advice Rooted in Values (In No Particular Order)

1. Love God and Love Others

We practice this through daily prayer, reading the Bible together, talking about faith during everyday moments, prioritizing church community, and modeling our own spiritual disciplines. My husband and I love doing Bible Plans by The Bible Project on the You Version Bible app.

“These commandments… are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children.” — Deuteronomy 6:6–7

Check out our favorite devotionals rated by my 5th grader!

2. Grit: Learning to Do Hard Things

Our job as parents isn’t to make life comfortable—it’s to prepare our kids for the real world.

That starts small. One example: encouraging our five-year-old to walk across a restaurant alone to throw away trash—even when she was nervous. We stayed calm. We didn’t rescue her from discomfort. When she did it, she was soooo proud. We have to intentionally create moments of growth for our kids.

“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” — Hebrews 12:1

One of my favorite books that talks about this is The Anxious Generation that you can grab on Amazon or listen on Audible.

3. Hard Work Is Good

We don’t do a flat allowance. Our kids earn money through a task-for-cash system, while also having responsibilities simply because they’re part of the family.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart.” — Colossians 3:23

4. Service Over Self

We want our kids to notice the needs around them—locally and practically.

That looks like making homeless kits, volunteering at church, helping in our HOA, and learning that we are contributors, not just consumers. We live across the street from the park and the kids love to help rake the leaves in the fall.

“In humility value others above yourselves.” — Philippians 2:3–4

5. Create More Than You Consume

Especially during the summer, our kids must:

Read something
Learn something
Create something
Serve someone

…before screens are even discussed. We aren’t not just meant to be standing on the sidelines. Our culture is a consumer culture – buy more, watch more, dream more but never do. I want my kids to learn that they should create and contribute, not just consume.

“We are God’s handiwork, created… to do good works.” — Ephesians 2:10

6. Boredom Is Healthy

We allow boredom—and even welcome it.

When screens aren’t an option, creativity usually shows up like: backyard games with the trampoline and balls, drawing on the floor (not with a marker), building something out of nothing.

Also, whenever the kids say they are bored, we respond with “Either you can find something to do, or I can find something for you.” They know my ideas normally include cleaning, reading a book, or eating a vegetable if they are hungry lol!

7. Delayed Phones and Intentional Technology

As of today, our 12-year-old does not have a phone. We use shared family devices with clear boundaries that live in the main living area! Whenever kids come over with phones, we have a house rule of all phones stay on the main floor.

Adults struggle with technology—kids don’t need early exposure. We want our kids to enjoy being kids! And as their brains are developing, we want them to be free of the many social expectations and comparisons that can come with phone usage until they are more emotionally mature.

“‘I have the right to do anything,’ you say—but not everything is beneficial.” — 1 Corinthians 6:12

8. Personal Responsibility Before Privilege

Responsibility starts with small things—chores, follow-through, honesty.

Privileges grow as trust grows. We’ve started allowing my oldest son a few more privileges like staying up a little later or watching different shows or going out with his friends to the movies because he also has increased responsibility at our home.

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.” — Luke 16:10

9. Self-Control and Delayed Gratification

In our home, we eat meals at the table, limit snacking, and prioritize whole foods. This teaches patience, awareness, and restraint—skills that apply far beyond food. Some day I will write a whole post on this but until then, delayed gratification is always a gift no matter what.

“A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls.” — Proverbs 25:28

Related Poste: How I am Using AI Right Now as a Mom of Four

10. Prioritizing Sleep and Rest as a Family

We protect rest.

We practice a weekly Sabbath—church, no outside obligations, minimal technology, rest, naps, and margin. Our kids have consistent bedtimes, and we still prioritize quiet time during the day.

If our schedule compromises rest, we scale back as soon as possible!

“He grants sleep to those He loves.” — Psalm 127:2

11. Movement as a Way of Life

We prioritize daily movement—preferably outside.

We walk, bike, play basketball, jump on the trampoline, play pickleball, and move together as a family. This isn’t about workouts. It’s about lifestyle. I fell in love with the 1000 hours outside movement as a young mom and we still try to prioritize this!

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit?” — 1 Corinthians 6:19

12. A Love of Reading and Stillness

Our kids read daily. At night, they choose between going to bed or reading quietly. Screens come after reading—not before. These seem like simple rules but as all parents know they are harder to enforce than it seems. I just encourage you, hide the tablet for 2 weeks and see how your kids transform into vivacious and fun loving little ones! This includes finding a love for reading.

Stillness builds attention, imagination, and reflection.

“Be still, and know that I am God.” — Psalm 46:10

Parenting Advice for New Parents and for Raising Capable Adults

Whether you’re a new parent just starting out or deep in the trenches, this is the tension we’re holding:

We’re not trying to raise perfect kids.
We’re trying to raise capable, grounded, faith-filled adults.

That means aligning our:

time
calendar
money
energy

…with what we say matters most.

This post is the anchor. As I write more about intentional parenting, habits, faith, and family rhythms, I’ll link back here—because everything flows from these values.

Want Help Turning Parenting Values Into Daily Habits?

Parenting advice is helpful—but real change happens when values turn into daily rhythms and habits. I talk about habits for families to build culture here also added some insight into our family morning routine before school.

If you want support putting the values you’re teaching your child into practice, I created a simple, results-oriented tool for parents:

👉 Get the 10-Minute Future Self Shift

This free guided shift helps you: