It has a way of grating on your nerves. Whining can drive a momma up the proverbial wall. How do you stop a two year old from whining when it’s time for bed, when you take her favorite toy away or when she doesn’t get her way? What do you do when your 5 year old whines about what you feed him for lunch, when you make him play outside or when you make him take a nap? Somehow, whining is a universal language for children between 1 and 18… and if it’s not dealt with before they become adults, …
Because They are Listening
“Jesus help me,” I whispered barely audible. My last nerve pulled tight. My eyes flashed with anger. Hot words piled up in my mind begging to be released. “Jesus,” I breathed. “I can’t do this. Help me. Please help me.” “Mommy, why are you saying help me?” I didn’t even know she could hear me. “I am frustrated sweetheart and I don’t want to do or say anything in anger. So I asked Jesus to help me – do what is right and be a good mommy.” “Oh,” she wrinkled her nose and ran off. Our kids actually listen. When …
Transform Discipline with Debriefing
I sighed and prayed as I walked to her bedroom. She wailed, fearful of her punishment. Earlier she spoke out of anger and frustration. Her disrespectful words hit their mark. Anger flashed in my eyes, my tone betrayed my wrath, but by God’s grace I did not yell – a sign of His fruit in my life. I opened the door and encouraged her to calm down. She took heaving breaths as tears soaked her bed. When she quieted we talked. It was a humbling time for both of us. We admitted our faults and failures. Then talked about how …
Glorify the Giver (NOT the Gifted)
Intelligence Blake was by far the most intelligent student I’ve ever taught. His reading speed was dazzling. His memory was photographic. His grasp of concepts was both deep and divergent. Not surprisingly, he scored 5s on all his AP exams and was a National Merit scholar with a near-perfect SAT score. And yet, he was by far the most miserable student I’ve ever taught. Everything annoyed him. Everybody frustrated him. All class assignments were deemed “stupid.” Other students’ insights were “a waste of my time.” I watched Blake seethe under the loathsome requirement of sitting through my detestable AP English …
When parenting means… having a gentle answer
Some days, parenting is hard. That was my exhausted thought as I drove my daughter home from swim team one night. The whole day had been a battle. I can’t even remember as I write this what the issues were, but it just seemed like everything was a challenge that day. Maybe it was because we had a busy schedule and I was being impatient. Or maybe it was because she’s a pre-teen and she’s becoming more independent. Whatever the reason, I was frustrated. She was mad. And it was one of those days. There we were, driving along on …
Packing a Young Person’s Heart
Last Friday we took our daughter on a college visit. Serene lawns and still hallways echoed the time year: Spring Break. As we toured the campus, thoughts about our sweet girl’s future exploded in my mind like kernels in an air popper. I longed to see some students as evidence that when kids grow up they’re okay. But they were on Spring Break. Inside the dorms, our guide was kind (bold? crazy?) enough to show us several rooms where it looked like the Rapture had taken place. Books, guitars, clothes, pizza pans, and shoes littered the floors and beds. There …
The “Joy” of Parenting in the Friendly Skies
Oh no, I groan inwardly as I slide into my seat on the crowded Southwest Airlines plane. The only remaining isle seat is not just at the very back of the plane. It’s also next to a woman sitting next to her preschool son. Her loud preschool son. This is going to be the longest hour-and-twenty-minutes of my life, I gloomily predict. I am wrong. As time literally flies by, I am first amazed, then awed, and finally deeply moved by the vibrant relationship I witness beside me. After we land, I wrack my brain for a way to tell …
Shaping The Heart
Raising strong-willed children is like having an army of toddlers in your home. These iron-willed babes will test every boundary and challenge any directive given. Please tell me you know what I’m talking about, do you have a stubborn kiddo that you love so much but he/she makes you want to pull your hair out? I’m hoping y’all can relate to the limit testing sessions my youngest has been devising since she entered the terrible three’s (Twos were a breeze mamas; it’s the threes we need to prepare for!) She has decided that pottying everywhere other than the bathroom is way …
Teamwork – Lessons from a Toddler
While learning to walk, Jonathon had clung happily to our fingers, leaning on us for support. We had held him safely between us. Now that he could walk on his own, however, he wanted nothing to do with either parent. If I carried him, he squirmed to get “down.” Once on terra firma, he scurried away as fast as his wobbly legs would carry him. Terrified for his safety, I dashed after him, clamping my hand around his chubby fist. Then I endured ear-splitting screams of protest as he tried to free himself from my restrictive vice grip. (Oh, and …
5 Ways to Help Kids Set & Fulfill Goals
As we enter a new year we find ourselves reflecting on where we’ve been and looking forward to where we hope to go. We make plans, develop lists and chart a course for the coming year. But what about our kids? Do you help your children set goals and then help them fulfill them? Do you help your children set goals and then help them fulfill them? Click To Tweet I remember when I was teaching my son to read more proficiently and I gave him his first real book. It was My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George. It wasn’t really …