Most of us are pretty diligent to read books to our children when they are toddlers. It promotes great lap and cuddle time, they love to look at the pictures and turn the pages (5 at a time) as we read, and many of those stories are so sweet! Read-alouds are great for calming them […]
This past weekend, I had the privilege to speak to families on the subject of the power of our words for our children. In that workshop I focused on just a FEW of the verses in the Bible that address the power of the tongue and the importance of our speech. Now, if we were […]
Do you sometimes feel like you need to wear a referee shirt during the day, just to keep the peace between your children? Does it seem like a constant challenge to deal with bickering and to teach sharing? I know that there were days I felt this way. My heart would be hurting as I […]
Do you have a child like this? You know, this child is excited to tell you about something new and amazing he or she just saw outside. You hear your name as they run into the house and begin telling you all about it, but after the first few words, they hit an impasse: “Mommy, […]
Have you been there? Your child has done something that is unacceptable, whether it is disobedience, pouting, unwillingness to share, or just about any other thing that grates against your being. There are just some things that are objectionable, and you are going to make sure you address those things with your child. But as […]
How was your morning? Were you curled up in a big, comfy chair, sipping a cup of tea and having some quiet time? …while you ate a scone? …in your fluffy robe? No? Me neither. In fact, sometimes I think the image of a woman resting like that is a fable. Well, maybe not for […]
Last fall, I was at a high school volleyball tournament, watching my daughter play with her varsity team. She has the privilege to play on a homeschool high school team (which thankfully wears a bit more modest uniforms than most). During a tournament, her team has to play several schools each day. As they began […]
I love gardening metaphors. They really help us understand some of the challenges we face as parents. You know…our home is the garden; we are the gardeners tending it; the fruit coming out of the garden is our children; the fertilizer is..well, you can’t take metaphors too far. I’ll have to think on that one. […]
I remember several years ago having a conversation with one of my children about doing his schoolwork. He said, “Mom, I’m not smart enough to do this.” Mentally, I took off my “Teacher” hat and put on a “Cheerleader” hat. “Of course you are smart enough. It just takes practice and some more time. Here, […]
In preparing for a workshop for an upcoming conference, I have been spending time in the Bible, looking for parenting, children, and marriage encouragement. We all want to know how to be the best parents. We love our children from the moment they are placed into our arms. Our entire lives are changed at that […]