Proverbs says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” As my children have grown up, we have had many discussions about doing the right thing. Many times they were asked by a teacher or coach to do something that was wrong. They had to really think and apply their training to the situation so that they did not depart from what they knew was right. Even…
When my kids were young, it was so easy to know what was going on in their heart because it usually came out of their mouth nonstop. The constant stream of random questions along with verbal observations about life provided a wide open window into their heart. I loved it. I just love to help people figure things out—especially little people. But as my little ones grew older, they naturally grew a little more guarded making it difficult to know…
Nowadays it seems like teenagers are born with an extra appendage attached to their fingertips. You know what I mean. That iPhone they just can’t seem to look up from may as well be a part of their bodies! Spending too much time using social media may be detrimental to your child’s mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Parents need to be aware of their child’s social media habits, especially if it’s a big part of their life. Asking these five…
In our family, we discouraged our children from being quitters from a very young age. If they started a game, they needed to finish it. If they wanted to do an activity, they couldn’t just leave halfway through. Because quitting should only be allowed or encouraged in rare circumstances, we wanted to raise our children to persevere! Earlier this year, one of my daughters faced a difficult decision. She had recently started a good job that utilized her skills and…
“But mom, I neeeeed it!” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard these five words come out of my kids’ mouths—and the expression on their faces when they say it is almost funny! I use the word rather loosely here because, in reality, understanding the difference between a need and a want is extremely important and not to be laughed at. Unfortunately, countless parents think it’s cute when their young children pout for treats, demanding their wants until their amused moms and…
Don’t you wish there was one single set of instructions on how to discipline every child? We all do. But, in reality, there are lots of decisions which moms must make along the way with different answers for each child. Have you fallen into this cycle? Your child breaks a rule. You discipline (or, yell). Child breaks same rule again. You discipline (or, yell). Child breaks same rule… again and again and again! There is a way to break this…
Even with a growing number of only children, about 80% of Americans have at least one brother or sister. And like it or not, they are to some extent stuck with each other for their entire lives! For most people, sibling relationships are the most enduring of all relationships, outlasting that with parents, spouses, children, or friends. But sometimes, it feels like children were born not to get along with each other. As a parent, I am WAY too familiar…