Mom the Enforcer or Mom the Evaluator by Lori Wildenberg

Do you sometimes feel like you are the Enforcer? Or the Parent Police? Okay instead be the EVALUATOR!  Summertime is filled with countless decisions because of the additional flex time. Evaluating every activity deciding, whether or not to give the go ahead nod  or deliver the dreaded no is exhausting. No matter the age of your kiddo, youngster to young adult, constantly  thinking  on your feet to determine if your answer is a  yea or nay is such a brain drain!  Constantly thinking on your feet to determine if your answer is a yea or nay is a brain drain! …

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God in the Strife and Struggle l Lori Wildenberg

Exhaustion. Part of the parenting experience. Little ones challenge us physically and emotionally and bigger kids physiologically, emotionally, and spiritually. Neither path is…smooth. But God is faithful in the strife and struggle. Even though there are times it doesn’t feel like this, he has perfectly chosen and equipped you and me to be our child’s parent. Even though there are times it doesn’t feel like this, He has perfectly chosen & equipped us to be our child’s parent Click To Tweet Many parents of tweens, teens, and young adults are perplexed by the issues their kids are facing or by …

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15 Risky Games Kids Play l Lori Wildenberg

Games. Most of us love it when our kids play games or make up games. We love to see them using their time doing something other than screen-time. But there are some games that are harmful and others flat-out terrifying.  Don’t these games sound innocuous? The ABC game, Skittling, Hide and Seek, Trunking, Surfing, Chubby Bunny?  or European Vacation, Robotripping, Ghosting, The Eraser game,and Neknominate?  These are all names of games tween to young adults are playing. Each one risky. Some even result in death. The Eraser Game or The Eraser Challenge: This game has received some media attention lately. It isn’t …

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Don’t Freak Out Over School Choices, Google Doesn’t

This is the time of year moms and dads start freaking out about where their youngster or young adult will attend some sort of learning institution. Worry and concerns that sound like,  What if my child doesn’t get into ______ then he won’t be able to get into______.  fill many parents’ minds. You know the mantra, don’t you?  Okay. Stop. Don’t. Freak. Out.                                                                           …

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Love Your Kids, Train Your Kids to Pray

   TODAY’s GIVEAWAYS… Mama Needs a Time Out by Heather Riggleman 21 Ways to Connect with Your Kids by Kathi Lipp ENTER TO WIN by COMMENTING, SHARING this POST through Twitter or Facebook, and get EXTRA BROWNIE POINTS for sharing a BLOG ON YOUR SITE about the CONFERENCE (bloggers are added to our BLOG PARTNER LIST when you email us and let us know when and where to find the post!)  *WINNERS will be announced in SUNDAY’s LIST OF WINNER of our WEEK OF LOVE!  _______________________________________  “I’ll be honest, I am not comfortable praying in front of anyone, including my …

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My Embarrassing Mama Moment

“Here Mom, I have no where to put this.” I dutifully held out my hand to receive my child’s ABC (already been chewed) gum. His chubby little fingers deposited the wet slimy substance into my open palm. I recall feeling grateful my waiting hand did not receive a direct deposit from his mouth. “Thanks, Mom!” “No problem.” I knew my role, I was,  The Garbage Mom. Rummaging through my handbag I found a loose tissue. Carefully, I wrapped the discarded gum into the Kleenex and tossed it into my purse while my son ran off to play. “I’ll throw it …

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Affluenza!

  I almost felt sick. How could it be? I just cleaned out my kids’ closets and you NEVER would have known it. They were still full! I didn’t think I was guilty of spoiling my children. But it was clear, I have participated in… overindulgence! Why do we (by we, I mean I)  have so much stuff?  I filled at least five big garbage bags of old stuffed animals, unopened crafts, half done word puzzles, clothes(some still with price tags), and shoes. After doing my mission of closet reduction, I organized the things to be kept and returned each to …

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Caught on Camera!

    Albums that chronicle my little family’s life fill the study in our home. Recently, I was pouring over those photos to pick just the right ones to include in a family DVD.  Special memories were triggered by the  moments captured by the camera.   Of course the obligatory birthday party pictures happen to be  included in the Kodak collection. Looking over those pictures gave me a warm, happy feeling…until I came across the infamous  four-year-old birthday party. There were at least a dozen pictures of this event. One of the twelve was a moment I had almost  forgotten; a picture …

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911 or 411 It’s Halloween

911 – that’s the number that many neighbors called when seeing a bloody body on a driveway, crushed by a garage door. Johnnie Mullins from Oklahoma really gets into Halloween. He plans on adding a second body to the Halloween props on his property.  Fun? I guess each person has a different definition of  what is a good time.  So…along with the crispness of fall comes the inevitable spooky holiday. Many Christian parents give at least some thought to how and how much family participation should be had in Halloween. Personally, I’m not a huge Halloween fan. Many of my …

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Parent-Teacher Conflicts

  Okay, it’s almost a month into the new school year and… the honeymoon is over. So… you have an issue with your child’s teacher. What are you going to do? Concern or conflict is never easy when our children involved. I’ve been on both sides of the desk. Most parents are reasonable and so are most teachers. Usually issues can be resolved amicably.   One mom told me her daughter said she was going to have to go to summer school because she wasn’t reading out of a particular book. The child was so distraught she didn’t want to go to school. Thankfully the …

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