How to Help Your Kids Get Along
Child 1: Mom . . . (insert sibligs name here) just hit me. Child 2: No I didn’t . . . I just gave him a high five and hit his face. As a mother of four (each fifteen months apart), I am outnumbered on so many levels. The fact of the matter is there is no easy task...
The Truth About Parenting Preschoolers
Before we had children, a friend once told us that, “Kids simultaneously ruin your life and make it awesome.” Now, as the parents of a one-year-old and a three-year-old, we ruefully refer to this comment on a regular basis. It’s the truth of our story right now. We...
Building Bridges With Your Kids
Picture it. Family movie night. You’ve just popped an industrial-size bowl full of popcorn. You’ve got a mug of hot chocolate for each kid, with exactly 13 mini marshmallows each. Everyone’s snuggling under blankets and settling in for some much-needed R&R. Then,...
The Importance of Clarity
As a parent, it’s your job to speak with clarity. Not because your kids will take advantage of you all the time, but because it helps set boundaries. It helps clearly communicate expectations.
It makes obeying a lot easier. Clarity is a gift you give your kids and yourself.
Ready or Not
Fresh out of college, my son’s first grade teacher vibrated with enthusiasm for her students. She wore a constant smile, too. I liked her. I liked her so much that I volunteered to be Room Mom. And then we had our first parent/teacher conference where she looked me in...
What Middle Schoolers Are Watching on YouTube
One of the most prominent things I’ve noticed about this generation of teenagers is the increase in middle schoolers' involvement with social platforms, and especially their involvement with YouTube. In fact, recent studies have shown between 80-95% of Generation Z...
Kids and Screen Time
After over twenty years of working with teens, I find myself in a very interesting place. I’m now a parent of two teens and a third who, because of his older siblings, believes he’s a teen. And, though I never ever thought parenting would be easy for me, I did think...
Why It’s Important to Have Family Traditions
What does your family do during the holidays? How do you celebrate together? How important do you think it is to establish traditions for your family that become memories? Experts claim that good traditions are healthy for kids—there is an intrinsic value in creating...
The Battle of the Bored
Sometimes, love means saying no. Love means prompting kids to use their creativity. Sometimes, love means taking away technology and kicking kids outside. It means letting your kids be bored
Lessons I’ve Learned From Being a Clueless Dad
Father’s Day always reminds me of my first day as a father. It was a crisp fall; the leaves were turning a heavenly gold as the squirrels gathered the last nuts before winter. Finally, the anticipation was over, and this would be the day I would become a dad. After a...
Leaving a “Legacy” Feels Overwhelming
There are some people who are intentional about leading. They love leadership. They listen to podcasts, read books, and go to conferences, all to be come a better leader. They love words like “legacy” and “heritage.” Words like that seem overwhelming to me. I get that...
What Parents Need to Know About Kids Who Self-Harm
Discovering that someone you love is self-harming is frightening. It is also very confusing. As a parent, it is difficult to comprehend that no matter how much love you give to your child, it may not be enough to prevent him or her from hurting themselves. Who...