Today’s Great Giveaways! 3 CD Set, Let’s Get PURSE-onal!, Personality Puzzle for Parents of Preschoolers, and Raising a Reader By: Cheri Gregory In these 3 power-packed CDs, Cheri not only helps moms be better moms by understanding themselves but she also shares the primary goal and two major needs of each Personality type so moms can understand and relate to their children better. She also presents 2 parenting DOs and 2 parenting DON’Ts for each one personality type. And in Raising a Reader, Cheri helps moms develop a love for reading in their children. Just Enough Light for the Step I’m …
Pure Possibilities
Ephesians 5:3 states, “Among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.” “Mom, is it even possible for me to grow up being sexually pure?” was the question my 13 year old son asked me that stopped me in my tracks. As we sat and talked, I was reminded of the real battle each of our sons and daughters have every day. The sexually tempting billboards along the roads, the relentless commercials flashing sensuality on TV, the constant drumming of sex …
eBabies + iTeens + YouToo: Questions About Kids and Technology
I first heard the term “Generation M” while reading the 2006 Time magazine article “The Multitasking Generation.” The explosion in technology, I soon discovered, brought with it dozens–even hundreds!–of new questions I needed to be asking as a parent. It’s easy to mistake kids’ technological sophistication for maturity. Parents and teachers often back way off because they feel like kids are so far ahead of them. But kids have no idea the kind of firepower they’re playing around with. Adult guidance and wisdom are not obsolete. Kids need us now more than ever. As part of an ongoing series called “eBabies …
To Count or Not to Count
It was hard not to notice her struggle, since she and her husband sat across from us while we all waited to board our flight. Her little princess was Pottery Barn catalog pretty, but she had an attitude that shouted “Diva!” With a patient voice and bottomless bag of tricks, the mom was trying to work her magic (emphasis on “work”) before we ever approached the plane. Nothing worked. Just then, she found hope in the form of another “traveling mommy.” Different kinds of moms Traveling mommy #2 took a different approach. She was streamlined. She was in charge. She …
Glimpses of Graduates and Goals
Parents and teenagers gathered around the pool, balancing plates of hamburgers and desserts, over napkins in school colors. The graduates splashing and playing looked a lot like the little boys of ten years earlier. My oldest teen congratulated her friends, her own high school graduation still a year away. It was just a glimpse of what was to come, a glimpse I imagined long ago while pushing her stroller draped with a diaper bag in nursery colors. The decisions we made while she was still buckled in have determined where she is now. It’s the glimpse of graduation, while still …
Just Do It!
By Guest: Lori Wildenberg Before kids – did you have a temper? I honestly didn’t think I had much of one. But…God has humbled me with my four blessings. Once I “acquired” children my false reality was shattered. I’ll admit it- I’m the not so proud owner of a temper. Parenting is the best-hardest job, filled with intense emotions. Because we are so passionate about and invested in our kids, we get annoyed and angry when they don’t do what we say. Cooperation is so much nicer than conflict. How come kids don’t get that? Most parents are exasperated and …
4 Solid Tips For Your Summer Road Trips
I couldn’t wait as a teen for summer to be here. Oh the freedom, the road trips, the memories. Flash forward to present day, I still love spur of the moment road trips but cringe slightly at the thought of being locked in my suburban with my three kids. If you dread it too, and are looking for ways to maximize peace and fun; and minimize the potential of world war III–I’m your girl. We have family in four different states and I speak often, in which case my family sometimes travels along. Your Summer Road Trippin’ Fun Tips Photo …
10 Ways to Win the Whining War
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, …
Complaint-Free: Who Me?
Complaint-Free: Who Me? As I thumbed through a copy of A Complaint-Free World five years ago, I considered myself the most optimistic, positive, encouraging (and obviously humble) person I knew. In fact, I joked to my husband that we needed to buy two (maybe three) dozen copies to give the long list of negative people in my life who drag me down with their never-ending complaints, criticism, and gossip. Than I read a little farther. And the author had the nerve to suggest that of all the negative people in my life, I might be the worst of the worst! That. …
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 …