How do we teach our kids counter to a culture of spiritual, social, & moral decline? Here are 5 priorities that can you can begin with today.
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
3 Keys to Teaching Your Children Money Management
“I want that!” My daughter’s eyes widened as she grabbed a colorful stuffed animal at the toy store. At that moment, a wave of frustration came over me. After I just bought her a toy the day before, I could hardly believe my ears when she wanted something else. Doesn’t she have enough? I thought to myself. Surely she can’t be that consumeristic, could she? As her face changed from jubilation to disappointment at my refusal to buy the toy, a startling reality came over me: I caused her selfish attitude. I didn’t do it intentionally. My husband and I …
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 …
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. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – …