What should parents do when a child’s friend starts making unhealthy choices?

When kids open up about what their friends are watching, saying, or experimenting with, many parents instinctively want to immediately end the friendship. But reacting too quickly can shut down communication and teach a harsh kind of “cutoff culture” instead of wisdom, discernment, and healthy boundaries.

In this episode, we share five practical ways to help kids navigate risky friendships with both love and truth. We talk about how to respond when friends introduce inappropriate language, pornography, vaping, hookup culture, and other unhealthy influences—and how to help your child process those situations without fear-based parenting.

You’ll also learn:

Why there is no perfect friend
How to avoid “level four” reactions to “level one” problems
Biblical conflict resolution from Matthew 18
The difference between inner-circle and outer-circle friends
One-way vs. two-way friendships
How your own friendships model relationship habits for your kids

This episode will give parents practical language and biblical tools to help kids build healthy relationships, set wise boundaries, and navigate friendships in today’s culture.

RESOURCES

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Look in the Mirror - nextTalk

Build a Safe Place - nextTalk

Adopt a No-Secrets Family Policy - nextTalk

Your family is the most important team you will ever lead. - nextTalk

Parenting Advice with Pastor Robert Emmitt - nextTalk

A kid is confiding in me. Do I tell the parent? - nextTalk

Is this Gossip? - nextTalk

My kid is telling me everything. Do I speak up? - nextTalk

FOMO is real. How do I parent it? - nextTalk

TALK: A Practical Approach to Cyberparenting and Open Communication

Free Guide: Red Flag Reporting (Faith-Based) - nextTalk

Free Guide: Family Pact Teen Version (13+) - nextTalk

Free Guide: nextTalk10 - nextTalk

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