Home School Heartbeat Radio Program

Mike Smith:
Lou Priolo joins us this week to talk about how to biblically address anger problems. Lou, many parents are concerned about their son or daughter’s anger problems. But when you counsel families, you prefer to start by talking with the parents. Why is that?

Lou Priolo:
That’s right, Mike. That main reason for that can be found in Ephesians 6:4. It says, “Fathers do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord Jesus.” And I want to identify the potential things that Mom and Dad are doing to provoke their children to anger.

If I spend one hour a week with a teenager or younger child and try to help him or her from God’s Word, but I send them back into a home where Mom and Dad are pushing their buttons, then my time is going to be diminished. So I really want to spend time with Mom and Dad making sure the environment in the home is right—teaching them how to remove those provocations.

And then also, there’s another reason. I want the folks in there not only for the first session but as much as possible throughout the entire counseling process. And that has to do, Mike, with the fact that it’s not my job to parent or shepherd their children. It’s their job. And so I want them to sit in, observe, learn what I’m doing, so they can be more effective in shepherding, counseling their children in the weeks and months ahead.

Mike:
Thanks, Lou! This program is going to be very helpful to a lot of parents! We’ll talk more next time. And until then, I’m Mike Smith.