Parenting Power: Vaccinate Your Kids Against the Virus of Sin

For the next few posts I am going to put up stuff about the ways parents can better rear healthy kids. I am doing a lot of work among local churches teaching about the challenge of rearing kids, especially teens. The importance of the Parents attending church regularly and also them getting into support groups cannot be overestimated.


In 1973 the Surgeon General summarized the major learning from the study of WWII veterans: Perhaps the most significant contribution of WWII military psychiatry was recognition of the sustaining influence of the small combat group or particular members therof, variously termed "group identification," "group cohesiveness," "the buddy system," and "leadership." This was also operative in non-combat situations.

Repeated observations indicated that the absence or inadequacy of such sustaining influences or their disruption during combat was mainly responsible for breakdowns during battle. These group or relationship phenomena explained marked differences in the psychiatric casualty rates of various units who were exposed to a similar intensity of battle stress.

(Medical Department, U.S. Army, Neuropsychiatry in WWII, Vol. 2: Overseas Theatres (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1973), p. 995.


Parents are in a difficult struggle with social pressures and sinful influences in media, schools and some peers. It is more important for the parents to get strength than anything else. How can they stay healthy themselves? Get Christian support.

NIMH psychiatrist David Larson, M.D. did an overview of research on religion and health and found, at least 80% of the time, religious commitment is associated with mental health benefits.

So, take your kids to church and stay for the fellowship and small groups. Pray, eat, celebrate and work with other believers and ask for their wisdom. It is guaranteed to help you and your kids.