Sleep-Overs the Pros and Cons

I’m just going to put it out there. I pretty much hated sleep-overs and slumber parties. I pretty much hated sleep-overs and slumber parties. Click To Tweet And not just because of tired cranky kids the next day.   Mostly I hated sleep-overs because I preferred to tuck my kids into their own bed at night. And..to be honest, I liked the element of control, knowing what they were watching and what activities they were involved in. If I could choose, I preferred to have kids come to our home to spend the night rather than my kids go to …

Share

How to Conquer Your Child’s Fear of the Dark

BEFORE WE GET STARTED, WE WANT TO ANNOUNCE THE WINNER OF DR. GARY CHAPMAN’S AND ARLENE PELLICANE’S NEW BOOK, GROWING UP SOCIAL!  DRUM ROLL PLEASE…. AND THE WINNER IS – Arianne de la Torre! Arianne de la Torre, you’ll be receiving an email from The M.O.M. Initiative today! CONGRATULATIONS! ———————————————————— S Supposedly a family of bears lives in my daughter’s closet. People-eating bears, I’m told. And when the bears take the night off, a monster steps in. Sometimes an alligator. Funny, but none of these critters show up when the sun is shining. (Silly Mom, bears are nocturnal. So are alligators. Sometimes I …

Share

Connecting or Disconnecting Because of Technology & a GIVEAWAY?

Today, we have a treat for you! A giveaway of GARY CHAPMAN’s and ARLENE PELLICANE’s new book, GROWING UP SOCIAL! Arlene is a guest who has shared here at The M.O.M. Initiative several times and I love her heart to minister to women! Today’s post is an adaptation from Growing Up Social and Arlene has graciously offered to give away a copy! SOOOOO… be sure to leave a comment for a chance to win. Winner will be announced in Sunday’s post.  – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – …

Share

But, I Don’t Wanna Let Him Go!

I had to let him go. I didn’t want to, but I had to. I had more I wanted to teach him. Time to spend with him. But it was time. Jordan, my first born child was moving out to set up his own home at his own condo. A high rise. 9th floor, overlooking parts of the Orlando city sky scape. He’s so excited, he’s about to burst. I’m so sad, I’m about to burst. It’s kind of what happens when you raise your child to manhood. He doesn’t need his momma anymore. Well, except for home cooked meals …

Share

5 Ways to Teach Your Children to Behave Themselves in Public

  It’s almost inevitable. Kids behaving badly in public and moms wanting to hide under a rock. It happens to the best of moms! So what’s a mom to do when her child begins to behave badly in public? How can a mom teach her children to behave themselves? 1. Begin setting very clear expectations at  a young age. Even when your children are only about two, you can convey your expectations to them and when you have defined the ‘code of conduct’ for your household, your children will begin internalizing those expectations and make them their own.  Remember, clear expectations …

Share

10 Ways to Make Your Child’s Lunchbox a Healthy One

You’ve heard it said before, “You are what you eat.”  So are our children. Recently, statistics have unveiled a startling truth about our children’s eating habits. It seems as though the number one food that children eat is chicken nuggets. Some chicken nuggets aren’t so bad, but I think because we think they are eating chicken, we forget that most of them are deep friend in hydrogenated oil. In The Making of a Mom, I wrote about how loving our children well includes making sure they eat well. But healthy doesn’t always come easily in a world full of drive thru’s …

Share

Psalms and Cell Phones?

Today I am so happy to share with you my precious partner in ministry, Bonnie Wallace. She is so gracious to work alongside me, in whatever way I need. She does it with a smile; expecting nothing in return. Listen to the wise words from this beautiful mother of 5.  Lynn Cowell …be filled by the Spirit: speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music from your heart to the Lord, Ephesians 5:18-19  I am a mama of five and I have four older teens living in my home.  I’ve been training my children …

Share

The Dark Place of Addiction ~ for Moms Whose Children Struggle with Addiction

The M.O.M. Initiative is going where some moms live so that we can offer hope and encouragement to those who are there now… for those who have children who are struggling with the dark place of addiction. Before you begin to read I want you to know that I believe there is always hope in every situation. I only write from what I have seen and experienced through my children and others who are on this journey. As addicts progress on the path of addiction, the partial light that once illuminated from the shadows gradually fades away.  The darkness begins …

Share

5 Questions to Help You Connect with Your Teen

After living with teenagers for nearly 18 years, you would think I’ve figured out exactly how to connect on a heart-to-heart level, right? Of course, you may be wondering how does one live with teens for that many years?  Well, my husband is a boarding school teacher, so I’ve literally spent my whole adult life with tweens and teens from around the world and across the United States. We eat together. Worship together. Enjoy life together. I get to see what they are really like when their parents aren’t watching and especially as they try desperately to gain the approval …

Share

The message your girl needs to hear

  “You are more than a body.” That was the powerful message of the 20-something, handsome young man speaking at the podium. He continued, “‘You are beautiful. And I want to be clear. If any boy does not respect you and your boundaries, they aren’t good enough for you. Period.” It sounds like something a mother might say – should say. But coming from this young man, it had an especially entrancing — and hopefully lasting — effect on the middle school girls in the audience. As part of a spring Mother/Daughter Bible Study at our church, I had asked our area’s Young Life Director …

Share