Faith | High School (9th-12th) | Middle School (6th-8th)
Just Because
Have you ever felt like your kids aren’t listening to what you say? Do you sometimes struggle with finding time to talk with your kids about something more than what time they need to be wherever they need to be and how they need to clean their room... Read More
Being Present During the Awkward Years
Last week, I was sitting with a group of teenagers at a retreat in the mountains. The high school guys at the table were humoring the youngest in their group. You could tell this was their role, to laugh with this kid, a middle schooler, sometimes at him,... Read More
High School (9th-12th) | Middle School (6th-8th)
Why You Haven’t Completely Blown It as a Parent
Ever feel like you’ve completely messed up your kids, and now it’s too late to fix them? If you knew what you knew now when they were babies, you would have been such an amazingly better parent. But you didn’t. And now they’re wrecked. Or, at least warped. ... Read More
Elementary (K-5th) | High School (9th-12th) | Middle School (6th-8th)
When Your Daughter Asks “Do I Look Fat?”
Do I look fat? My mother probably heard that phrase more times than she could count. Every other thought in my head as a nine-year-old was about my image. My first diet happened at that age. At age ten, I was called fat at a pool party. I... Read More
High School (9th-12th) | Middle School (6th-8th)
Stop Freaking Out, Mom and Dad!
I don’t gamble, but if I did, I’m confident I would lose the house, the car, and maybe the kids in about 32 seconds. Why? As my friends and family have told me all my life, I have a terrible poker face. I just don’t hide my emotions... Read More
High School (9th-12th) | Imagine The End | Middle School (6th-8th)
3 Things Every Parent Should Do Before Your Kids Leave Home
So you might be just beginning this parenting voyage . . . and can’t even bear the thought of your chubby little gem growing up to leave home one day. Or maybe you’re well into this thing called parenting and you realize that in a few years, your oldest son or... Read More
A Parent’s Survival Guide to Middle School
During our parent orientation at our kid’s school, the counselor assured us that it is possible to survive the middle school years if you will do 3 things Read More
High School (9th-12th) | Middle School (6th-8th)
Middle School Changes
I can’t say I feel old enough, but it’s true: we have a child in middle school. A new school. A new chapter. A whole new world. And as much as we sometimes feel like a deer in the headlights, thankfully, we’re not on our own during this transition to... Read More
High School (9th-12th) | Middle School (6th-8th)
Cats and Dogs
Ah, middle school. The smell of axe wafting through the air. The endless group texts. The hormonal mood swings. It really is a magical time, isn’t it? When my oldest son was a middle schooler, my wife and I were blindsided by the changes. We were constantly second-guessing... Read More