Messy One-Year-Olds
I’m not sure what captivates me more . . . the spontaneous belly laugh or the drool-mouthed wonder on their angelic faces. I can fall in love with a one-year-old faster than they can stink up a room with a saggy diaper. The cherub cheeks and adorable fat thighs draw...
Raising Kids Who Embrace Those Who are Different
“Mommy, what’s wrong with that kid?” Your child just blurted out an earnest question. . . in front of someone who appears to have a disability or simply looks different, somehow. Yikes. As a mother to a child with autism, my son has often prompted such innocent...
The World is a Tenth Grader’s Oyster
“The world is my oyster!” I’m fairly certain Shakespeare was around the age of fifteen when he first wrote this phrase. I haven’t fact-checked that tidbit of trivia, but it makes a lot of sense to me. It’s a phrase to describe the feeling of someone who’s young,...
When Asking For Help Is Not Enough
If you’re anything like me, you find yourself in this situation often: eyes closed, fists clenched, blood pressure rising, and the only words you can grumble are . . . God, help me. The chocolate milk has been spilled for the fourth time in one meal. God, help me. The...
Figuring Out Seventh Graders
“Wow . . . really?” “God bless you!” “I’ll pray for you!” These are the top three responses I get from people when they learn I work with middle school students for a living. And usually, it’s said in a tone of confusion or skepticism.
Why We Make Our Kids Do Chores
But there are a couple of reasons we keep pushing to make the chore chart a regular part of our lives anyway. For one, I am looking for any reason to get school lunch making OFF MY PLATE FOREVER. Sorry kids, but I’ve earned my right to pawn off unwanted responsibilities to you. I do it all in love, of course. But the other reason is because of a big word that tends to get a bad rap these days, responsibility.
My Unexpected Goal as a Dad
When it comes to parenting, it’s easy to think of a few goals for yourself. You want to help your kids find something they are passionate about. You want to give them a healthy self-image. You want to challenge them and encourage them to grow. You hope that they...
Inviting Grandparents In
I will just go ahead and say it, my grandkids are brilliant geniuses. First grader Maggie can read the word ‘pinkalicious’, four-year-old Mollie can smell chocolate a mile away and baby Mason can fill a diaper like nobody’s business. Okay, some might say brilliantly...
How I’m Praying For My Kids Now That They’re Older
I’m a “fix it” mama. Sibling argument? I’m there to mediate. Upset stomach? I have medicine for that. Shoes have a hole? No problem. I can buy new ones. Difficult homework? We can figure it out together (thanks to YouTube tutorials). Yep. I was pretty good at the...
The Best Way to Help Your Four-Year-Old Learn
Who really knows what provokes that mischievous glint in the eye of a four-year-old just moments before they deliver the kick that makes the block tower tumble? I suspect it’s something about the thrill of destruction combined with the wondrous spectacle of discovery....
How to Help Young Children Cope with Change
“Change” is a powerful word. One that invokes countless reactions depending on who you ask. Change is also unavoidable. Sometimes it’s within our control, but most often it’s not. Certain changes such as the loss of a loved one, serious illness of a parent, and...
What Your New Baby Needs Most From You
Regardless of how many friends, family members, and perfect strangers try to paint an accurate picture of parenthood, there’s nothing anyone can say that adequately prepares you for that heart-stretching moment you hold your newborn for the first time.