Parenting Archives - Page 2 of 94

Top Qualities of a Successful Wife

Tension fills the room each time Mary and her husband Andy come around. Mary’s non-stop disdain of her husband makes everyone uncomfortable. Inwardly, all around silently cringe with embarrassment and sadness for him. Even when away from his wife he isn’t protected. Mary’s mouth drips cutting remarks which harm her husband as well as his reputation to anyone who will listen. Who can find a capable wife? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will not lack anything good. She rewards him with good, not evil, all the days of …

How to Make the Best Summer Memories

I was lying beside him in the top bunk, scratching his bony back as I tucked him in on a warm summer night. The school year was looming just ahead, but we weren’t talking about that yet. For now, we were still savoring the lavish gift of summer. Soon we’d trade flip flops for tennis shoes and swimsuits for school bags. We’d embrace reading minutes and math homework and lunch packing, but in that quiet moment on the top bunk, I longed to know if the school-free months we’d shared had been all my seven-year-old had hoped they would be. It had …

How to Teach Kids to Respect Police Officers

A lot of us learned about people in our neighborhood from Mr. Rogers. Fred Rogers used to say one of his life lessons came from his mom. “When you see something scary,” she said, “Look for the helpers.” Maybe that lesson inspired the character of Officer Clemmons, a black man who grew up in the 60’s and struggled with his own view of police officers. He turned his own real hardships into a force for good in the lives of children, becoming one of the “human helpers” on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. In our kids’ world, it’s more challenging to look …

Trusting God With Your Children’s Future

Do you ever worry about your children’s future? The world is so unsettled right now. There is so much violence occurring on a daily basis. People are angry and confused. Everyone feels they have the right to believe whatever fits their fancy. No one has the right to tell someone else he is wrong. Children are indoctrinated with views that are contrary to God’s word. Many are falling away from the Biblical model that their parents provided for them. What will happen in fifty years when we are gone and they are left to fend for themselves? What will they …

Dear Woman Who Witnessed My Child’s Meltdown

I was shopping not too long ago when my son had a major meltdown. MAJOR! After receiving a few looks and hearing one unkind comment about my child’s meltdown, I decided a post was in order. Dear woman who witnessed my child’s meltdown, I know how bad that meltdown must have looked. Believe me. I know. (I was there too, remember?) While he was screaming and throwing himself around on the floor, I know it didn’t reflect well on my ability to parent. I know he was loud. I know he was bothering those who were around us. I know …

H is for Habits

Habits….actions we routinely do. Some are good; some not so good. Here’s the good news: you can help your kids develop life long GOOD HABITS. However, give in to their every, “Mom, I don’t want to….” and they’ll have you to thank for their poor work ethic, negativity, laziness, sarcasm, lack of self control, you name it. SO HOW DOES IT WORK? Train a child to make their bed right when they get out of it, and that will be their default – their normal. Let them get in the habit of not making it and well, there you have …

Internet Safety Every Parent Should Own

One of my friends choked back tears as she poured out her broken heart. Her son, who she thought could not access pornography on the home computer, had done just that. Her tears came from knowing how hard she tried to manage the internet and her children’s safety, and yet the ugly pictures defeated her goals once again. My Friend Isn’t Alone Over the past ten years, I have also faced the challenge of our own internet safety in hopes of protecting my young men from the powerful tide of porn. Over the years I have tried just about …

Four Tips to Teach Kids Good Stewardship

My kids own enough toys to fill a Costco aisle. Their clothes closet…jam packed. Take a quick look around our house and you might think we’re one of those excessive American families with no sense of money’s value. But come a little closer. You’ll discover most of the clothes my children own were handed down from their cousins—or bought on super clearance because Momma loves a bargain. And those toys? Gifts, mostly, or else acquired through our semi-annual Christmas and birthday splurge. We appreciate our material things. But we know they’re not everything. I want to teach my kids to …

Through Deep Waters and Shallows

Fair warning, dear moms: Any story that begins, “So the guy at the bait shop said…” is going to be a doozy. Here goes… So the guy at the bait shop said that if we started out kayaking at the mouth of the river, it would be only 4 miles to the next docking station/place where my husband and two other children could go fishing and meet us. My cell phone was dead, but no biggie. It’s only 4 miles. What could go wrong? My teenage daughter and I set off on our merry way, drinking in the sights and …

Dream The Biggest Dreams

What dreams do you have for your children? Proud moms like us can see all the potential stored up in in our offspring. Even before others discover their talents and gifts, we have inklings of what each of these precious ones can become. From their youngest years, it is easy to begin dreaming about what their future holds. My daughter was singing beautifully at age two. My son threw a football across the nursery when he was nine months of age. Each of my little ones displayed qualities for which I knew they had talent. I wondered how they would …

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