Moms: When Being the “Fall Guy” is a Good Thing

One of my friends recently told me about how she had to be the “fall guy” to help her daughter, Kylie, get out of an awkward situation with some friends. I was really impressed and told her I’d be sharing this great parenting tip with the M.O.M. Initiative readers.  Here’s what happened. Kylie and some friends recently got together for a sleepover at a friends house. It was late, the parents had gone to bed and one of the girls, who was new to this group of friends, suggested they sneak out and go hang out with some guys from …

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4 Tips for Drama-Free Back to School Clothes Shopping

By Erin Bishop When my daughter was a baby and toddler I enjoyed buying clothes for her. There were so many cute options! It was around the pre-school age that I noticed a strong shift in clothing options. Gone were the soft, understated and feminine choices for little girls. I was suddenly stuck with loud, glittery, pop star style, poorly made, cartoon character covered and immodest clothing. I wasn’t about to dress my little girl in the Bratz clothing line or in t-shirts with statements that promoted self-righteousness. It took a lot of effort and shopping at multiple stores, but …

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Queen of the Road: Back Seat Traveling Made Easy

My family recently made a three-day road trip from one end of the country to the other. Stopping for meals, sightseeing and hotels each night still makes for very long days. I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but all the moms out there somehow got nominated “Road Trip Queens”. That means, you pack everything, you’re supposed to know where everything is at all times, and you hand things to people in the car when they need them.  It’s a very important job. I love being the queen of the road, but it does make reading more than three …

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When You Don’t Like Your Kids’ Friends

I believe God gives parents discernment on many things so we can protect our kids. I think He made my radar especially sensitive to lessons I’ve learned along the way, like choosing friends. As a kid and even as an adult, I’ve made some poor judgment calls in the friendship department. I knew this girl was trouble from the moment I laid eyes on her. Her mouth was pointed and her eyes scrunched together in a frozen frown. Her brown ponytails blew in a tailwind as she pedaled her Big Wheel down our street. I figured out her house was …

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Be Careful Little Eyes What You See

Do movie reviews influence your decision about the movies you watch or whether you will go see them in the theater or wait until they are released on DVD? My husband and I do both. There are some movies we go see without reading the review because the movie’s trailer draws us is. And sometimes we don’t even bother with reviews because one of our favorite actors is in the movie, or it’s a superhero movie, in which case we never miss it. What about when it comes to taking the kids to movies? If my husband and I are …

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Three Ways to Help Your Kids Choose Good Friends

Have you ever had to wipe the tears from your child’s face after someone hurt their feelings? It breaks my mamas heart when someone has been mean to my kids. I want to make the pain go away and protect their heart from ever getting hurt again. Something I’ve noticed as a mom to a teen is that once girls become friends with each other, they become fast friends; even best friends. They text each other non stop and want to hang out together all the time and have sleepovers. I enjoy watching my daughter have fun and goof off …

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