Best of 2016

There’s no better way to start off a new year than a Year in Review list. The best of the best all at once! Here are our top 5 posts on Parent Cue in 2016 –

1. THE SIMPLEST WAY TO TEACH YOUR KIDS SELF CONTROL

We define self-control as: “Choosing to do what you should do, not what you want to do.” Today, I’m going to teach you a really simple way to teach your kids about self-control. Are you ready? Here are the steps.

1. Tell your kids that it’s dangerous to use your phone in the car.
2. Don’t use your phone in the car.
3. Repeat as necessary.

Was that too quick? Let’s jump into a little more detail. [Read more…]

2. HOW TO RESPOND WHEN YOUR CHILD ASKS YOU QUESTIONS YOU CAN’T ANSWER

So your kid comes up to you and asks, “Dad, how do we know there’s a God?” And you…freeze.

You say something like “Because I believe there’s a God,” or “We just know,” or “Because there is,” or “Because the Bible says God exists.”

Then your kid does what every kid does: he asks you another question. A tough one. Like “Why?” The little-kid routine of asking why seventeen times in a row can really expose how little you know as an adult. [Read more…]

3. IT’S JUST A PHASE SO DON’T MISS IT [VIDEO]

Kids grow up fast. If we aren’t paying attention we can miss it. That’s why we started a project called “It’s Just a Phase.” We don’t want adults to miss the distinctive opportunities that are present at every phase of a kid’s life. We created this video as an illustration for parents, grandparents, educators, mentors, and anyone who influences kids and teenagers. It’s a way to say, “Pay attention. Time is moving forward. So be present. Show up for the kids and teenagers in your home and community. They will not be children forever. What you do for them in the phase they’re in now can give them a better future.” [Read more…]

4. JUST PUT AWAY THE UGLY BLANKET

Well, friends. I may have done something halfway decent as a mama today.

Hold your applause, because there’s ample time left for me to mess up my girls to the tune of thousands in therapy costs, but today…today, I actually paused before disciplining my seven-year-old, Lilah.

Now. If you’ve read any of my other posts, especially Just Wear The Stupid Gym Shorts post, you know that Lilah is not a typical kid. (Which is what most moms would say about their kid, but I’m a mom. So…yeah.)

Lilah is sensitive. She gets very uncomfortable by serious conversations. She brings up things I’ve said years ago. Last year, her teacher told me Lilah is often afraid to try new things because she doesn’t want to fail. [Read more…]

5. YOUR TEENAGER IS A LIAR

I like teenagers. I’ve spent over fifteen years choosing to spend time with them. I’ve slept on basement floors, ridden on charter busses, and eaten my fair share of camp food just so I can hang out with them. Honestly, given the choice, I would rather hang out with a group of teenagers than a group of adults—most days. They are fun. They are uninhibited. They are creative. And they are liars. All of them.

It’s kind of impressive actually. Adolescence is the playground of ingenuity. Most teenagers possess an innate ability to come up with some fairly creative, inventive, and almost probable scenarios on the spot. [Read more…]