Want to Increase Your Child's Self-Esteem?
What parent doesn't? I've not yet met a parent who's said, "I hope to instill such a low sense of self-esteem in my kids that they struggle with self worth for the rest of their lives." Despite our best intentions, self-esteem issues arise in almost all of us. Why?...
12 Keys to a Miserable Christmas
Christmas is a bit nerve-wracking, isn't it? I mean the stakes are high, and you've accumulated a few bad experiences along the way to remind you that things don't always go as planned. Despite our best intentions, Christmas is a high stress season with so much at...
The Lesson of the Ringing Bell
I’ll admit it. I battled a cynical attitude for the ringing bell. I would purposefully walk to a door on the far end of a store’s entrance just to avoid the clanking kettle and eager face petitioning my contribution. Internally, I wrestled both annoyance and guilt on...
How to Be Rich
With December here, we don't have to wonder what our kids are thinking about. They're making their lists and checking them many more times than twice. It might be a toy car for a child or a first car for a teenager. From Fisher-Price to Ford, there's something for...
Beauty: Reshaping our View
No one has to be reminded when it’s swimsuit season. Imperfections become obsessions and the pressure to look photo-shop perfect is almost unbearable. It is tough to instill a “character counts” mindset in our children when they are surrounded by the societal message...
Improv Parents
Guest Post by Jon Williams Improvisational Theatre. In my mind, there is truly nothing more exciting than watching two to three performers take a couple of completely random suggestions from an audience and make a complete story right in front of me. As an audience...
How To Forgive
So how do you encourage your kids to forgive? It might be more difficult than you think. And here's why: many of us parents have never learned the art. While we might believe that love keeps no record of wrongs, for the most part, we do. And we're not sure how to let...
Humiliation and Humility
We've all been humiliated–kids are no exception. I remember being in seventh grade when a classmate whispered across the aisle and called me an embarrassing name. I really didn't know how to respond. All I knew was that I was ashamed. And even though we hung out and...
Courage is Confusing
We know this isn’t courage, but when you’re a kid, it can be confusing. When do you walk away and when do you stay and fight? What does it look like to stand up for what is right? You can help your kids live courageously!
Let Me Encourage You
I have never met anyone who has been over-encouraged. I mean, have you ever come along side someone and tried to lift their spirits only to have them say, "That's enough. I've had more inspiration and motivation than I can handle. I don't need more support. Please...
Preteen Rhythms and a New Rule
One of the greatest adjustments I had to make in parenting happened when my kids soared past their tenth birthdays. It had to do with shifting rhythms, and I really found myself unprepared. I could deal with the rhythms of the first ten years of parenting fairly...
Where's the Line?
Great conversation so far this week about how to inspire our kids to keep dreaming. On one level, we all want our children to pursue their dreams. But this inevitably creates tension. We've probably all been at the talent contest where someone is singing off key and...