The California State Assembly passed a resolution in February calling for a statewide "Cuss Free Week," to occur annually during the first week of March. The lawmaker proposing the resolution said it was simply "a guideline, a reminder to act like you're at your grandma's house." with no enforcement of the resolution.

So are there resolutions you might consider passing in your home?

• How about establishing a "put-down-free" week in your family? That would mean there would be no ridiculing of one another.
• Or a "discouragement-free week." For one week all family members would be called on to encourage one another.

Kendra, Diana and Jerry Jenkins at Writing for the Soul conference in Denver.

It was a wonderful four days of inspiration! I was honored to be a keynoter along with Max Lucado, Phil Vischer and Phillip Yancey.  Jerry was a wonderful host and the entire conference was life-giving. I would encourage any of you who want to develop your writing skills to invest your time in this conference.

"Bribery teaches children to expect rewards for basic behavior," says Dr. David Gruder, family therapist and author. Wouldn't it be better to use incentives as positive reinforcement rather than bribe your child to extinguish poor behavior?

How can you use incentives and avoid bribery?

• First, you need to distinguish between the two. The easiest way to contrast bribery and incentives is to think of when they are administered and who is in charge.
• A bribe is offered when the child is misbehaving. i.e. "Stop pulling things off the grocery store shelves and I'll let you get your favorite cereal." In a sense the child is rewarded for initially pulling things off the shelves and then for stopping.

"Sex education classes that focus on encouraging children to remain abstinent can persuade a significant proportion to delay sexual activity, researchers reported February 1 in a landmark study that could have major implications for U.S. efforts to protect young people." (The Washington Post, 02-02-10)

• This is exciting research because it backs what the Bible says.
• The research could potentially mean more federal funding supporting programs of this type. As a parent, it is appropriate for you to connect with your child's school and ask about the sex education program. Let the administrators know about the success of abstinence programs and encourage their use in your area.

Parents, what has your experience been in teaching abstinence to your children?