4 Tips to Surviving Family Holiday Gatherings
This time of year really is my favorite. Starting with football and Thanksgiving dinner, then watching kids as the magic of Christmas begins to invade every bit of space in their world, it’s easy to fall in the love with the wonder of the holiday season. But as...
Words of Wisdom
There I sat, probably with slumped shoulders at this point. Mind totally saturated with gallons of new information, dates, deadlines, fees, dos and don’ts. I had already made a dozen mental to-do lists for the coming weeks, all while still processing the fact that I...
Finding Out Your Child Has Autism
The day I discovered I was pregnant with our first child was one of the happiest days of my life. My husband and I had been married for three years and were ready to expand our party of two. My pregnancy was a healthy one, and I was thrilled about our next stage of...
Be Kind to Yourself
It doesn’t take long to realize that we tend to develop our identity based on our behavior. That’s true for your life and for your kid’s life. If we have gold stars for behavior, then we believe we have a good identity. And if we mess up or fail, then we believe those...
How to Coach Friendship in the Preschool Years
Making friends and keeping them are important life skills. Just like learning to walk, talk, self-feed, and potty-train, there are steps that babies, toddlers, and preschoolers will master as they learn the skill of making and keeping friends. It takes a long time to...
How to Make Good Memories Without Grumpy Side Effects
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. We’re on the cusp of all things holiday and fun. The festivals. The fairs. The pumpkin patches. And the promise for more parties and holiday spectaculars just around the corner. It’s the kick off to a magical—if not...
What I Learned About Having The TALK
If you haven’t read THE TALK – Part 1, I would recommend you check it out before reading further. The Talk - Part 1 Recently, I had THE TALK with my third-grade daughter. Do you guys remember the TV show Blossom? It aired in the 90’s on NBC and dealt with issues like...
Should You Make Your Older Kids Go To Church?
I recently read an article about a family who loved to hike. Actually, not all of them loved it. One son shared how every weekend, rain or shine, he was forced to put on his hiking shoes (yes, forced) and he was loaded into the family car for what he described as a...
Be as Brave as Your Kid
One night, while driving home from youth group, my oldest daughter came up with an idea. “Dad, tomorrow, I’m going to ask my English teacher if I can use her coffee pod machine.” As teens are known to do, L.E. has developed a taste for coffee. Apparently, getting up...
How to Know Your Kid is Ready for THE TALK
Part 1 - THE TALK You know which talk I’m talking about. THE “TALK” talk. THE TALK that no parent looks forward to, but all parents know is critical. THE TALK that reduces most of us to our middle-school-selves, all tongue-tied, darty-eyed, and fidgety. THE TALK...
Parenting Through the Transitional Year of Fifth Grade
Fifth graders are weird. Okay, maybe that’s too strong. But you have to admit they can seem a little hard to understand at times.
When It’s Up To Them
Some days don’t turn out the way you planned. Some lives take a different course than expected. I think that’s the hardest part of being the parent of a Junior or Senior. Or even a young adult. You guide, you direct, you help where needed, but ultimately the choice is...