Character and Values | Faith | Imagine The End
Compelling Your Kids to Serve
There’s a film adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s autobiographical novel Little Women that includes a moment when Jo, the heroine, receives criticism from her German professor on her first novel… “It is not written from your heart, it is not written from your soul; when you have courage... Read More
Birth - 5 years | Celebrations | Imagine The End
What Your Preschooler Really Needs for Christmas
My “baby” is now 20-years-old. I consider myself to be a fairly good gift-giver, but his 20th birthday had me stumped. He is living in an apartment at college, semi-independent, cooking his own food and cleaning his own bathroom. He doesn’t need “things” from me, and he is... Read More
Celebrations | Character and Values | Imagine The End
Christmas and the G Word
Hi. My name is Carey, and I’m greedy. (This is the point where you all say, “Hi Carey.”) Gosh, I hate to say it. I mean no one goes around and says they’re greedy, right? We might think other people are greedy (it’s just so easy to spot... Read More
Celebrations | Create A Rhythm | Imagine The End
Low Expectations: A Key to Christmas Happiness
Expectations rarely run higher than they do at Christmas. From what to give to what to serve to the pressure to host well, expectations hover just beyond reach of achievability for most of us. A few years ago I was listening to a speaker who was talking about... Read More
Why I Have No Plans to “Let Them Be Little”
You hear it a lot . . . Let them be little. It’s a sentiment so perfectly nostalgic and sweet, I totally get why it’s a favorite parenting mantra and a consistently trending #hashtag. Only, when it comes to parenting my three daughters, I have no plans to... Read More
Birth - 5 years | Imagine The End | Social Life
How to Coach Friendship in the Preschool Years
Making friends and keeping them are important life skills. Just like learning to walk, talk, self-feed, and potty-train, there are steps that babies, toddlers, and preschoolers will master as they learn the skill of making and keeping friends. It takes a long time to learn these skills. I... Read More
Elementary (K-5th) | Imagine The End
What I Learned About Having The TALK
If you haven’t read THE TALK – Part 1, I would recommend you check it out before reading further. The Talk – Part 1 Recently, I had THE TALK with my third-grade daughter. Do you guys remember the TV show Blossom? It aired in the 90’s on NBC... Read More
Faith | High School (9th-12th) | Imagine The End
Should You Make Your Older Kids Go To Church?
I recently read an article about a family who loved to hike. Actually, not all of them loved it. One son shared how every weekend, rain or shine, he was forced to put on his hiking shoes (yes, forced) and he was loaded into the family car for... Read More
High School (9th-12th) | Imagine The End
When It’s Up To Them
Some days don’t turn out the way you planned. Some lives take a different course than expected. I think that’s the hardest part of being the parent of a Junior or Senior. Or even a young adult. You guide, you direct, you help where needed, but ultimately the... Read More