9 Ways to Raise a Rebellious Kid

Fact: Kids love to push the limits.  Fact: Rebellion is a human condition.  Yet there are things we do as parents that encourage the growth and intensity of a rebellious heart. Here are 9  ways to fan the flames of rebellion. Expect perfection: Performance based parenting focuses on the outside observables  rather than internal  notables. Notice outcomes but focus on developing your child’s character. Rather than only commentating on appearance or performance, “You look so beautiful” say, “Thanks for helping your sister today. You have such a kind heart.”  Punish for every infraction: Instead start saying what you want. When the child messes up, retrain. Next move to a natural consequence, …

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Internet Safety Every Parent Should Own

  One of my friends choked back tears as she poured out her broken heart. Her son, who she thought could not access pornography on the home computer, had done just that. Her tears came from knowing how hard she tried to manage the internet and her children’s safety, and yet the ugly pictures defeated her goals once again. My Friend Isn’t Alone Over the past ten years, I have also faced the challenge of our own internet safety in hopes of protecting my young men from the powerful tide of porn. Over the years I have tried just about …

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How to See Eating Disorders in Kids

On the day she shared her story with me, Katie Kluke’s blue eyes were full of hope. She wore a soft gray sweater that draped easily around her slender frame. Her voice was calm as she told how she once used her Daddy’s stability wrap to encircle her girlish self, making her feel wonderfully “small.” She recounts how she didn’t want “thunder thighs” or the way they made her look: not petite, even in second grade. By 8th grade, family stress stirred the lies in her heart and mind and a full-blown eating disorder in her body. The United States …

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Is Your Child on Something?

She looks different to you.  Her eyes are glassy. Or is that a twinkle? Giggling, she can’t keep quiet. Gushing all of the great things about him, all conversations now lead to this one subject. If she were back in her light up shoes, the strobe light would be blinding as she twitters around the room. It’s like she’s on something. And she is. It’s infatuation. Although it’s not deadly or illegal, it does give this mama heart cause for concern. It’s a drug that can blind our kids, causing them to miss what is glaring to everyone but them. …

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Precious in My Sight

  I wasted a year of high school starving myself. Tall is fine when you’re 30-something, but back then my 5-foot 9-inch healthy frame didn’t fit the tiny sophomore cheerleader mold, and I concluded—I must be a big girl. I was a smart girl, too, who should’ve known better. Straight A’s looked great on college applications, but they did nothing to enhance the mirror image. So I did what good overachievers do. I set a goal. My goal was to be skinny—and I chased it with gusto. For breakfast, I rationed exactly half a cup of cereal because the box said …

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When Life Throws Us More Change

  Welling up with tears, I began my apology to my daughter. Seems like I’d been doing that a lot lately. This time I had failed to order her graduation announcements. What kind of mom am I? My girl smiles at me as I blubber my confession. She reassures me: this is not an emergency. Tilting her head, she looks at me as if I’m from another planet. Not because I forgot, but because I’m crying. Who is this woman? I imagine her asking in her thoughts. I know she must wonder about me these days. Lately, I haven’t been …

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Top 10 Teen Must Reads

Top 10 Teen Must Reads Click To Tweet “…the books read and the philosophies absorbed in one’s teens and twenties erupt with a delayed effect, exerting redoubled influence in one’s middle years.” -Ravi Zacharias* From the thick, bite-marked board books of yesterday to the tattered worn pages of chemistry and algebra books tossed on the table today…each book has taken its turn shaping my children.  As we witness our older children’s youthful journey coming to an end and their life as teens beginning to bloom, what should we encourage them to read?   Here are the top ten teen must reads, …

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How Children Can Hear God

When hormone-crazed emotions mix with future-impacting decisions, quick answers such as ask “Just ask God” can leave our children feeling frustrated, fearful and filled with more questions than before! We can help teach them how to hear from God. Anxious to be independent as fast as I could, learning to drive was so exciting for me! When my mom compared a streetlight with hearing from God, I listened. Try this explanation with your child as well. You can open the door for a great conversation on your next road trip or errand to the store: Heading somewhere new, your eyes …

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Is Your Girl Dieting?

In my interactions with moms, many have shared with me that this really is a scary topic; one many even see as taboo to some degree. I truly believe God when He tells us in James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” He can give us the wisdom we need to speak truth and life into our children, even about those oh-so-tough topics like body image!  You might be thinking, “My daughter is young; I don’t need to be thinking …

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How to Talk to Your Child about Divorce

  It’s an unfortunate truth in society today: half of all children will go through the break-up of their family, and their parent’s divorce. Though it’s obviously not God’s ideal, it does happen, and needs to be approached with grace from those on the outside, as well as those on the inside. One of the biggest mistakes parents make while going through a divorce is leaving their child out of the conversation. They have suffered a loss as well, are grieving as well, and need someone to work through it with them. So, how do you talk to your child about …

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