Parent Connection – March 2026

Written By Julia Holdeman

What to Encourage for March 2026: 

We are spending Wednesdays & Sundays this month encouraging Spiritual Habits from the Bible that will help your student grow. The HABITS acronym is: 

  • HABITS (Feb 11) - “Hanging out with God”

  • HABITS (Feb 18) - “Accountability” 

  • HABITS (Feb 25) - “Involvement in church”

  • HABITS (Mar 4th) - Tithing & Sacraments (Baptism & Communion)

  • HABITS (Mar 11) - “Bible Study”

This month, help us encourage your students to do the Acts Reading Challenge and pray every day! Also, encourage your student to go camping with us this month for Spring break, as one trip like this is worth months of Wednesdays when it comes to having deep friendships and feeling like this is your church family. 

Monthly Parent Tip: 10 Minute Rule

One of my favorite things we do as a family is the ten-minute rule. Every time we get in the car, we do not allow headphones or music in the car until we have driven for ten minutes. For us, this is even more important than meal times for a time of connecting as a family and talking with one another. Here are examples of common questions I’ll ask my kids when they get in the car: 

  • How did class go today? What did you learn? 

  • What is frustrating you in life right now? 

  • What are you enjoying these days? 

  • How are you getting along with your friends? 

  • What are you reading/listening/watching these days that you enjoy and why? 

  • What do you wish we could change about how our family operates and why? (chores, school, etc…)

If you want to connect with your student, don’t forget this important time that you have with them! Also, let me know your favorite question to ask your student!

Faith Survey with Dallas Seminary

Nearby Dallas Seminary, where Gary and I went to school, has asked for our help in a research project examining the faith of young people both here in DFW and in other places around the world. Specifically they are looking for information from students about their faith (attached is the survey they are using for the project). I met with the researcher last week and would like to help with this project and so we plan to take 10 minutes during youth on March 4th to do this as a group together. 

For your student’s information to be used in the research project you will need to fill out this parental consent form.  It took me about 60 seconds to do it for my three kids. 

This survey is optional and if you want your student to opt out just let them know not to participate when we do the exercise together. 

How I’m using AI this Month:

A common question I get asked as a parent is can I watch/read/listen to this piece of media. I use Gemini regularly now to screen these things looking for content that want to know about. So for example I’ll ask my kids to write a list of books or series they want to check out from the library and I’ll copy and paste that list into Gemini asking if there is any objectionable content from a Christian perspective such as LGBTQ+ representation as a great first step in screening that material. Of course Gemini and other screening websites (Plugged in, etc…) aren’t perfect so I try to reward my kids for being good detectives when they watch a movie or read a book if they can tell us something objectionable from it. 

What I’m Enjoying this Month!

Foundation Worldview Podcast - https://foundationworldview.com/podcast - I’m a huge fan of all that Elizabeth Urbanowicz does, including her latest book called Helping Your Kids Know God's Good Design: 40 Questions and Answers on Sexuality and Gender. 

Wayne Grudem’s Website - Wayne is in Heaven now, but man, what a legacy. I use his systematic theology every week, it seems, and his website has so much helpful audio if you have an interest in either theology or things like economics (why are some nations rich and others poor from a Biblical perspective, as an example). 

Jon’s Game of the Month: 

I’m a huge gamer and love playing computer games and board games, especially when they bring people together as most games should. So here’s my game of the month: 

So Clover - I laughed as I went to my Amazon link, and it said I have purchased this game four times! It is a cooperative game that works as well for 2 people as it does 6. You win or lose together by trying to give clues to match a pair of words, and the rest of the players try to read your mind to determine correctly the connections you meant by your clues. This is the perfect introduction to cooperative gaming (winning or losing together). 

My March question for Middle School Parents is this: 

  • Do like getting the texts about what your student learned during Sunday School on Sunday? 

Julia Holdeman