Giving Children Freedom to Grow
We love our children. We will do almost anything to help them grow and become the amazing adults we see waiting to burst forth from the guise of childhood. We know they have greatness lurking beneath...
View ArticleBoost Your Memory & Have Fun Doing It!
School time has returned. Morning routines need adjusted to accommodate school’s early start. Afternoon schedules get adjusted to fit in homework and extracurricular activities. In the midst of these...
View ArticleLaughter is No Laughing Matter for Families
Laughter is an amazing medicine. This is not new information. In fact, one ancient Hebrew proverb states that “a cheerful heart is good medicine…” (Proverbs 17:22). Laughter is like medicine, not only...
View ArticleEnjoy Parenting (or not) With These 9 Tips
Do you enjoy parenting? I do…most of the time anyway. There are times I’d like to throw in the towel; but overall, I really enjoy parenting. My kids are in the process of “leaving the nest” and I’m...
View ArticleChristmas–You Don’t Want to Miss This!
The Christmas Season is a wonderful family celebration. We fill our time with traditions and rituals that draw our families together and remind us of the true meaning of the season. Those traditions...
View ArticleChildren Thrive Under These 4 Parenting Practices
Darcia Narvaez, professor of psychology at the University of Notre Dame, suggests children thrive in an environment shaped by certain parenting practices (Learn More Here). Children who grow up in that...
View ArticleBuild Forts to Build Mature Children
I lived near a very small (I mean, very small!) patch of woods for part of my elementary school and middle school years. I remember the joy of going “into the woods” and finding natural enclaves under...
View ArticleInvesting Time & Attention in Your Children
Children have two currencies for LOVE: TIME and ATTENTION (Read Your Child’s Currency For Love for mistaken investments). When parents invest time and attention into their children’s emotional bank...
View Article5 Benefits of a Family Adventure
My family and I just returned from vacation. We had a great time…fabulous. With my daughters getting older, we decided to go someplace new, someplace none of us have visited before. We all love food...
View Article12 Simple & Creative Summer Activities for Your Family
Having fun with your family does not have to be expensive this summer. Try some of these ideas. Go get ice cream cones together. Go for a walk in the woods. Have a picnic at a local park…or in your...
View ArticleTwo Observations on Parenting (Than Can Save You Money)
Over the years of observing families, I’ve noticed a couple of interesting things about children and their interests. I’m sure you’ve noticed them as well. Children playing on a cell phone, watching...
View ArticleFind Your Family a Green Spot
I’m always on the lookout for family activities; but, I’m often surprised by the multiple benefits some simple family activities produce. For instance, taking the family to a “green area” (an area...
View Article3 Lessons from Family Camp 2016 (Plus a Cherished Experience)
We had another great Family Camp weekend at Camp Christian this year! Tim Jones was the speaker this year. He shared some fantastic insights for our lives and our families. Let me share three of these...
View ArticleNurture Your Child’s Attention Span
I love to watch parents interact with their children. Over time, I have observed at least three ways parent tend to interact with their children. The parent points out a toy or some object in an effort...
View ArticleWhat is Shaping Your Children’s Mind
Recent data from Extreamist showed children between 2-18 years old stream about 1.8 hours of content from Netflix, Hulu, Your Tube, or other online services each day. This adds up to 650 hours per...
View ArticlePlay for a Better Marriage
Play offers innumerable benefits to your marriage. Let me name a few. Play allows you to spend time with your spouse and enjoy your spouse’s company. This builds intimacy. Play can deepen and broaden...
View ArticleHow to Spend Quality Time with Your Children
Our children crave quality time with us, their parents and families. In fact, they need quality time with us. Quality time is the currency of love in our children’s world. It purchases their sense of...
View ArticleA Funny Happened on the Way to the…Donut?
Twenty-seven years ago I found a beautiful woman standing between me and a cream-filled chocolate-iced donut. She began to talk with me and I, with one eye still on “my” donut, spoke with her....
View ArticleYour Child’s Toolbox for Play
Maria Montessori once said, “Play is the child’s work.” All work requires tools, not just any tools but the right tools. It does no good to cut a 2X4 with a hammer or a screwdriver to pound in a nail....
View ArticleBeach Balls, Chopsticks, & Ping Pong Balls…Oh My!!
What do beach balls, chopsticks, and ping pong balls have in common? They teach us an important lesson about marriage. What? Really? Yes indeed. It’s true. They teach us to bring laughter into our...
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