Childhood Archives - Page 9 of 11

Why Moms Should Keep Their Promises

“The godly walk with integrity; blessed are their children who follow them,” (Proverbs 20:7, NLT). I spent fifteen dollars on a snow cone. Crazy, right? Of course this wasn’t just any snow cone. This was a super-sized, rainbow flavored, tantalizing treat scooped into a commemorative Tinkerbell mug. Yes, my husband and I took our girls to the Disney on Ice show, and one glance around the arena told us we weren’t the only parents forking over ridiculous cash for souvenirs. Why? What kind of mother buys a fifteen-dollar snow cone? A good one, I think. Not because good mothers pay …

How to get kids to help with Spring Cleaning

There was a day when I imagined that when our children could drive, apply for college, and deposit a pay check, they would help with Spring Cleaning without even being asked. I was deluded. There will never come a time when the woman of the house doesn’t have to get her hands dirty in guiding her family in the care and cooperation of her home. If you want to get your kids to help with Spring Cleaning, you have to throw out your rotten habits and bring in some fresh ones. Kids of every age need moms to encourage, equip, …

Mentor”ish”ing on the Trail + Monday M.O.M. Link-Up!

by Erin MacPherson I’m part of a run”ish”ing group with six of my girlfriends. We call it run”ish”ing because if you’ve ever seen me run, you’d know that I certainly could not be labeled a runner. Run”ish”er is a stretch. But regardless, every Saturday morning we get up bright and early and meet at a local park to go run”ish”ing. We even have shirts to remind us of our athletic prowess (or lack thereof). Now, I know it sounds crazy (who gets up at 6 am to do something sporty?) but it’s become the part of my week that I …

You Might Have a Strong Willed Child IF…

Do you have a strong willed child? When I was writing, The Plan A MOM in a Plan B World, I asked moms to share some of their experiences with their “strong willed” children. Can you “feel their pain”? You Might Have A Strong Willed Child IF: It’s not your child but you who’s crying when your husband comes home from work. You threaten to throw away all his toys, and he tells you he doesn’t want them anyway. Your child insists on having the last word, even after being warned not to say another word. She weighs the consequences …

If Birthdays Make You Sentimental

I’ve discovered a crazy thing about kids. They just keep growing up. Today I’m baking brownies for my firstborn’s sixth birthday treat. Next week, baby sister turns three. I call this “birthday season” in our family, and every year it melts my heart to a nostalgic puddle. To me, birthdays aren’t just childhood milestones. They’re a chance to shout, “Yay, God!” for creating each daughter unique, beautiful, and according to his perfect plan. More than that, I celebrate my girls’ birthdays as a type of anniversary for me—(1) the day I entered motherhood, clueless, bidding a shocking farewell to my …

Raising Kids to be Independent Adults: How to LET. THEM. GO. & The M.O.M. Initiative Monday Link Up!

with Karen Ehman My friend Sheila Wray Gregoire asked a great question last week: “When Does Childhood End?” I agree with her premise that one of my duties, as a mom, is to help my kids find their route to independence, maturity, and purpose. So it’s been hard to admit that I was a “smother mother” when my daughter was in high school. I ran interference with my daughter’s teachers so often, she did not learn how to advocate for herself. She didn’t know how to ask, “When can I come make up the quiz I missed yesterday?” or “Why did …

Misunderstood Momma

* A flask of gunpowder and a bag of bullets were absent from this quick-draw-duel with my four-year-old son. One child stood alongside me in the elevator nice and happy. The other stood determined on the outside not about to get in. His glare along with his high-pitched voice screamed his defiance as he stood his ground. He had been testing my authority all morning and saw this as yet another opportunity. Time stopped as the showdown began. Who would win this battle of the wills? As my mouth told him to get in, my brain cried out a prayer that this time he …

Top 10 Things We’ve Done Right as Parents

Subscribe today for your FREE copy of… FACING YOUR FEARS – 31 STORIES FROM M.O.M. Mid-life isn’t treating Daniel kindly. He’s taking every immature choice of our college-aged kids personally, asking, “What did I do wrong?” Last night I told him, “I need a list of ten things we’ve done right as parents.” “10? As in the fingers on both hands?” he asked incredulously. “I married you. That’s my one.” I insisted he wasn’t getting off so easily with a cop-out, no matter how endearing. And after just a few minutes of brainstorming, he was surprised — …

eBabies + iTeens + YouToo: Kids and Cell Phones – the WHEN and HOW

Subscribe today for your FREE copy of… FACING YOUR FEARS – 31 STORIES FROM M.O.M. eBabies + iTeens + YouToo: Kids and Cell Phones – the WHEN and HOW Re-Viewing WHY Before we discuss the WHEN and HOW, though, I want to touch on one WHY that we didn’t discuss last time: emergencies. Many parents give their children cell phones so they can communicate in the event of a crisis. A few examples of how such proactive planning may not always succeed: When we still lived in southern California, we experienced a strong earthquake. …

eBabies + iTeens + YouToo: Kids and Cell Phones – the WHY

Subscribe today for your FREE copy of… FACING YOUR FEARS – 31 STORIES FROM M.O.M. eBabies + iTeens + YouToo: Kids and Cell Phones – the WHY I couldn’t wait to see Annemarie’s face as she opened her final 8th grade graduation gift. The video camera was rolling and my husband was strategically positioned to catch close up photos. “You have to guess what it is before you can open it!” I said, handing Annemarie a simple gift bag. When the bag began ringing and vibrating, she almost dropped it in surprise. Shock and comprehension …

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