Family Life | Fight For The Heart
How No-Drama Discipline Helps Me Communicate With My Toddler
My toddler daughter, Arden, is very toddlery these days. And by toddlery, I mean I can’t help but look at the clock and wonder how in the world I’m supposed to make it to bedtime without us both collapsing in a puddle of tears. I’ve always been told... Read More
Why You Should Go on an Adventure with Your Family
I come from a family of campers. Tent campers, to be exact. I suppose it’s always been in my DNA, with parents who loved National Parks and toured us all around the great American West. I can still vividly remember that cold, foggy campsite on the Sonoma coast,... Read More
The Power of the Parentheses
“How can you endure giving kids back after they’ve lived with you?” It’s a good question. It’s often asked. And the answer is, “It’s really hard.” At some point, all foster parents face the reality of packing up suitcases with accumulated clothes, toys, and mementos. They wonder if... Read More
High Hopes
We all have high hopes for our future, especially for our kid’s future. We all want the “perfect” family and we even try to fake it to the world through social media. But the truth is, we are not perfect. Our lives are filled with imperfect moments. But... Read More
5 Quick Ways to Help Your Kid Finish the School Year
Do you know what matters to you and your kid right now? Getting to the finish line of the school year. May and June are the busiest/slowest months ever. You have more to do than ever before but less motivation to do it. It’s a terrible combination. How... Read More
Write Your Own Narrative
Do you ever wonder how this type of thinking might affect our kids? At school and with activities, they’re getting more and more specialized. They define themselves early on as performers, artists, soccer players, or STEM experts. This is a good thing—mostly. But what if we let all... Read More
Family Life | Fight For The Heart
The Myth of the Perfect Kid
We parents are an emotional, neurotic mess, aren’t we? Sure, some of us are better at hiding it than others, but push the right button or confront the right issue, and every one of us comes to a point when we feel . . . helpless. clueless. lost.... Read More
How to Be an Intentional Parent With Your Words
When it comes to your words, are you reacting in the moment and saying the first thing that pops into your head, or are you choosing words that are helpful and healing? Intentional parents understand that words are powerful, and that their choice of words can either build... Read More
Family Life | Fight For The Heart
Nothing Will Change How Much I Love You
Before becoming a parent I thought I would do best with having a teenager right off the bat. If I could skip the sleep deprivation and toddler tantrum-ing and bedwetting, I’d be good. I wanted to get right to the place where I could have a conversation and... Read More
Family Life | Fight For The Heart
How to Communicate in a Way That Values Your Relationships
I think it’s kind of fun that God puts families into a little box called a home—where they bump into each other daily for years on end—and tells them to love each other. Nice experiment. It’s always amazed me that many of us have a tendency to communicate... Read More