Family Life | Fight For The Heart
A Safe Place to Land
My oldest daughter is 10, and for the past year and a half, she spends most of her free time at the farm. She has always had a great affinity for horses. When she isn’t riding, she’s working at the farm—cleaning stalls, catching horses in the field, or... Read More
Family Life | Make It Personal
It’s All In Your Head: Taming Negative Thoughts on Parenting
About 50,000 thoughts pass through our minds each day. FIFTY THOUSAND. I suspect that number is even higher for parents of preschoolers! It’s true that many of these thoughts are the equivalent of mental space junk— Add milk to the grocery list . . . This sippy cup... Read More
Family Life | Make It Personal
3 Ways to Avoid Yelling at Your Kids
I yelled at my little one the day after Christmas. Talk about a way to land the jolliest season, right? I know, I kind of jumped right into this thing, but it is our reality and the truth is my heart is still so sad about it. So, I’ve... Read More
Family Life | Make It Personal
Do as I Say, Not as I Do
Have the words “Because I said so” ever come out of your mouth? This “quick fix” answer we sometimes give our kids when they ask “Why?” can ultimately undermine our authority as parents. “Because I said so” was never a satisfying answer when you were a kid; it’s... Read More
Balancing Fun and Order
If there’s one thing I can’t deny about my four-year-old Dylan, it’s that she likes to have fun. But, not your typical day to day type fun folks. She’s the kid that asks what we’re doing and where we’re going every five minutes just to make sure that... Read More
3 Ways to Raise the Perfect Child
I know—click bait is super annoying, isn’t it? But if we’re being honest, we’ve all probably clicked on articles promising us if not the perfect child, at least a healthy, well-adjusted one that will care for us in our old age. But have more than one child, and... Read More
3 Unusual Things the Christopher Robin Movie Taught Me About Parenting
My name is Ted. My daughter’s name is Teddie. Ted and Teddie are a lot alike. In fact, my wife calls us “the Teds” because what is true about one of us is often true about both of us. We are both sensitive for others . . .... Read More
Family Life | Make It Personal
How to Get Your Kids to Do What You Want
There was an article recently in TIME Magazine that revealed the results of an American Psychological Association survey showing that a third of teenagers no longer read books for pleasure. As parents, a survey like this may cause us to lecture our kids about the importance of reading,... Read More
Family Life | Make It Personal
What Parenting Taught Me About Life
As parents, we are tasked to train our children and prepare them for the world . . . but sometimes those roles are reversed. Our children become the teachers, exposing us to our own weaknesses, allowing us to grow alongside them as we navigate the unknown together. Before... Read More
Second Chances: Some Truths About Being a Blending Family
There are some hard hills to climb when you get a second chance. While consistently working on our relationship as a couple, one of the biggest struggles in our marriage have come through our parenting journey. Read More