“And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children…” Deuteronomy 6:6–7 (NLT)
If we do not intentionally shape our children, someone else will.
With schools out for summer break, parents and grandparents have a fresh opportunity to step up and be who God has called them to be. We are called to steward our children with love while also guarding their hearts and minds. Children cannot unsee what they see, it is permanently etched in their memory.
While it never felt easy, when we were raising our children, the internet looked very different. We had dial-up internet, and if we needed to disconnect the connection, we simply took the phone off the hook. Today’s parents are navigating smartphones, YouTube Shorts, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, streaming platforms, and countless digital voices competing for their children’s attention every single day.
The challenge today is no longer simply limiting screen time. The challenge is helping guide young hearts and minds in a world filled with constant digital influence. Research continues to show links between excessive screen use and shorter attention spans, sleep disruption, anxiety, depression, and emotional struggles in children and teens. Many parents and grandparents feel overwhelmed trying to navigate it all. And truth be told, some of the adults may be facing their own struggles with screen addiction.
I recently spoke with a grandmother who shared one of the rules in her home when children and grandchildren visit: no smartphones during family time. She noticed that despite living on a beautiful farm filled with outdoor activities, nature, and space to explore, many family members were spending most of their visit looking down on screens instead of engaging with one another.
Her story stayed with me because children were never created to only scroll through life. They were created to experience wonder.
You do not need to live on a farm to help children experience God’s creation and the beauty of the world around them. A local park, nature center, fishing trip, museum, art studio, hiking trail, backyard garden, or simply sitting outside watching birds can all become opportunities to slow down, connect, and teach children about the creativity and goodness of God.
What if instead of handing children another screen, we handed them a pair of binoculars and invited them to discover God’s creation? What if we invested in books about birds, flowers, trees, or plants and encouraged children to investigate the outdoors with curiosity and gratitude? Psalm 19:1 reminds us, “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship.”
Whose job is it to teach our children what is true, honorable, pure, and wise? A YouTuber? A social media influencer? Or the parents and grandparents God entrusted them to?
Philippians 4:8 reminds us, “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.” The voices shaping our children matter more than we may realize. Whoever has our children’s attention often shapes their thinking.
Many young people today can quickly recognize influencers, online trends, and viral videos, yet some have never even heard the Ten Commandments or understand the biblical principles that shaped generations before them. Whether someone agrees with the Bible or not, so much of our history, literature, and moral foundation has been influenced by biblical truth.
Romans 12:2 says, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” As parents and grandparents, we are called to help shape the next generation differently. We are called to teach discernment, wisdom, kindness, compassion, truth, and most importantly, the love of Jesus Christ.
Children do not simply need to be entertained. They need shepherding.
That does not mean parents and grandparents must do everything perfectly. Parenting has never been easy, and today’s digital world presents challenges many of us never imagined decades ago. But God has not called us to fear. He has called us to be intentional.
This summer, perhaps we can replace some screen time with Scripture time. Read a Bible story together. Pray with your grandchildren before bedtime. Eat a meal without phones nearby. Watch a sunset. Take a walk and talk about God’s creation. Ask questions. Listen carefully. Teach children who they are in Christ and remind them they were created with purpose.
Proverbs 22:6 says, “Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.”
The voices shaping our children matter deeply. May we never underestimate the influence of a loving parent or grandparent who points the next generation toward Jesus.
Theresa Rowe is the founder of Shaped by Faith and has spent more than 40 years encouraging others to strengthen their spirit, mind, and body through faith, fitness, and God’s Word.