Introducing a New Baby Into the Family

“I wish you would turn into a ball and roll away.” Apparently my second oldest wasn’t too excited about my pregnancy with our fourth child. Adding a new person into the family fold causes adjustments for all family members.  Adding a new person into the family fold causes adjustments Click To Tweet Because this was child number four, I wasn’t too worried. (I may have felt alarmed had this been my second baby.) Our home in La Mesa, California was very…shall we say..cozy.  We decided it was best to have our girls (the oldest and the third) share a room …

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Encouraging First Time Obedience

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.” Ephesians 6:1-3 (NKJV) First time obedience is a goal parents desire for their children.  Parents desire it so children learn to respect authority, for their safety, and our sanity.  However I often wonder if the goal for first time obedience removes the human element from our children. Children are not robots. They have plans, desires, dreams, and wills of their own. Therefore children will get frustrated when …

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{Moms of Girls} When Clothing is an Opportunity for an Eternal Investment

Can you remember the days when you were able to dress your daughter in a cute little onesie covered in polka dots or a little seersucker sundresses with matching white underpants? Once upon a time, we were mommies who got to play dress up with our little girl. But then she grew up and older and morphed into a tweenager while you still wanted to hold her hand and guide every single choice. Now clothing is no longer  a matter of cuteness — it’s a declaration of independence. It’s the source of stressful conversations and potentially explosive drama, especially for …

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Avoiding the ER

Minnesota, Colorado, Virginia, Utah, California are all states where at least one Wildenberg child has made a  trip to the ER.  It isn’t an official family vacation until we take at least one trip to Urgent Care or the Emergency Room.  I prefer to avoid the ER. There is another -er that would be good to avoid. The suffix, er. The er  that comes at the end of a word: Smarter Happier Sweeter Nicer When we compare our kiddos to one-another we can do some damage. Theodore Roosevelt said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” It’s true. Comparison can turn admiration into envy …

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The #RAISINGLEADERS Challenge & 10 Tips to Help

Do you want your children to grow up to have a strong faith, live godly lives, be courageous for the cause of Christ and serve the Lord all the days of their lives? I think pretty much most Christian moms do…but when you’re smack dab in the middle of parenting those precious little tikes from toddlers to teens, it’s so easy to get caught up in the moment that you miss the point of it all. Parenting is something we do every day, but parenting intentionally is hard. But parenting with a plan an a purpose is what separates intentional …

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Teaching Kids to Guard Their Eyes

Sex is everywhere. It is on the covers of magazines in the check-out line, the subject of T.V. shows, uninvited In pop-up windows while surfing the web, and sometimes graphically plastered on the walls of the boys’ bathroom at a local park. I can turn the T.V. off and put a firewall on my on my internet, but I can’t put blinders on my kids every time we leave the house. I could complain about the way other women dress or the culture that idolizes sex, but I can’t control the world. Instead I must teach my kids to guard …

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5 Things I Want My Kids to Know

Before we get started, I’m excited to announce the winner of yesterday’s giveaway of MAGNETIC by Lynn Cowell. DRUM ROLL PLEASE……… And the winner is – Micah Day! Congratulations Micah! You’ll be receiving an email with info about how to receive you book! SUPER EXCITED for you! —————————————————————–   My momma used to say, “Hind sight is 20/20.” But I never really understood what that meant until I was old enough to look back and discover that time is like a really good teacher that showed up to give you all the answers after you already graduated. Looking in the …

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5 Reasons Why You Should Read to Your Children?

Do you read to your children? When my children were young, I loved curling up against the headboard with my boys in my arms and a book in my hand as I read a story to them before I tucked them in. I LOVED story time – and so did they… even when they were older. But to be honest, with dishes to do, baths to take, teeth to brush, homework to finish and laundry to fold, I often struggled to settle down long enough to read to my children. Maybe you feel the same way too. Always something to …

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Why You Should Let Them Cry

My teenage son walked down the stairs with a frown on his face. College classes have gotten the best of him. My pep talk with him yesterday apparently wasn’t as good as I thought it was. My future as a motivational speaker went down in flames.             When I brought my first child home from the hospital cries were immediately met with a soothing rub and my full attention until the whimpers quieted. From baby tears to teenage sulking, I want to make my child happy. I’ve exhausted myself trying to make this happen. I’ve finally realized I can’t make …

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21 Family Conversation Starters

Meal time is about more than a meal. It’s about making memories, laughing together, crying together, discovering each others fears, failures, trumps and trials. It’s about diving deep and laying the foundation for a life time of open conversation. Today, I want to share with you 21 table-talk family conversation starters to help you begin a dialogue with the ones you love most. I’ve also included a FREE PDF for you to download to make it easy, peasy for you and your family. CLICK THIS LINK for your 21 Family Conversation Starters. What’s your favorite movie and why? Tell us …

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