A few years ago, I read an article that said a parent’s goal should be to raise healthy 25-year-olds — emotionally, socially, spiritually, and physically healthy. The article gives parents in the trenches a little breathing room and a lot of perspective. That tantrum you are dealing with today may give you just the teaching moment you need …
I am pretty sure that, until my third child was born, I didn’t fully understand the challenges parenting can present — challenges that have nothing to do with the number of kids I have but with the personality of this strong-willed child. I would have said parenting is hard — physically, emotionally, and mentally exhausting. But I usually got …
I use a timer often throughout my day. I didn’t know how much I depended on it until my timer stopped working properly. I use it throughout our homeschool day and generally in my parenting. Here are some ways I use a timer to help simplify our day. Taking turns When the kids have a major issue sharing a …
Did you ever go through one of those seasons where you felt like you were just treading water? You made no progress. You literally fought with everything you had to keep up with life. I am sure most people would answer yes to this question. I often hear moms talk about their being in “survival mode,” trying to …
I got a text message from a friend last week about the horrors of having her recently potty-trained son pee in a cup while driving because there was nowhere to pull over. While this wouldn’t have helped her at the time, it reminded me of my very favorite tip for kids who need to use …
I’ve been wanting to create family rules for a while. I love the idea of having something in writing that I can refer to when I am talking to the kids throughout the day — something that will help create an understanding of how they need to behave, without having a list of 75 specific …
This past week my parents took two of my kids with them to see Disney On Ice. My 5-year-old son, Judah, chose not to go because he thought it would take too long. So it was just him and our 2-year-old at home for the evening. Over the course of the evening, he built skyscrapers …
The change in season means it is time to update my stash of kid supplies in the car — a stash for the inevitable kid emergencies, like my 2-year-old jumping in a puddle and ending up completely wet in the middle of winter. Every fall and spring I switch out a bin of clothing to make sure …
Self-control is hard. Seriously hard. It is hard for me so I can only imagine how hard it is for my kids. My 5-year-old struggles with self-control more than the rest of my kids so I have worked to find ways to make it more tangible for him. I want to give him tools that will …
While on vacation a year ago, the ultimate showdown occurred over a few bites of a casserole my mom made. Our then 5-year-old daughter refused to try it, even though she had eaten it before and liked it. My husband pulled aside 5 bites and said she needed to eat it. What happened next was a …