Sore Losers: Why They Melt Down and What You Can Do [Video]
0Playing games with our kids can be a fun way to connect. But what happens when one or more of the children struggles with losing gracefully? Enjoyable playtime can quickly morph into a frustrating outburst. Kids are upset, other players are uncomfortable, and everyone may …
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R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Can I Get a Little?
No matter how hard we try to keep calm, sometimes we blow it. When that happens, we can be open to ideas from the Holy Spirit, as was Brenda, a mom who receives our email tips. When we heard her story we invited her to …
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How Family Meetings Can Un-Spoil Kids
One day, my wife and I looked at each other and noticed ourselves doing many things for our kids that they were fully capable of doing for themselves. We also noticed that our kids, to varying degrees, would plead ignorance or inadequacy…
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Can Family Meetings Really Work?
Family Meetings: just the words send some parents into a state of anxiety while kids yawn and get immediately distracted. But with a few simple guidelines, family meetings can be fun, build cooperation, unity, and even leadership skills!
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Are Your Easter Traditions Leaving a Legacy of Faith?
We live in a time and place in history that makes living a routine lifestyle extremely difficult. Yet research reveals that one of the most important ways parents can build faith and values into their children is through traditions and rituals. When night-time prayers, shared …
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Planning a vacation this year? Read this first.
Your kids are watching you. Constantly. All the subtle messages from the way you live life are being absorbed by their active little minds, even if neither you nor your child are aware of it. How you do vacations is no exception. So it’s a …
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The Best Plan for Teaching Faith!
We had it all figured out. With strong desire to be more intentional about teaching faith at home, we’d put together a little lesson plan for a family Bible study. Complete with some fun object lessons and activities, it was sure to be a hit! …
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Would Your Children Say You Love Them?
Have you ever asked your kids what you do to make them feel loved? It’s worth the ask and you might be surprised by their answers. Once they answer, keep working at communicating love so the kids can’t miss it! These five ideas have helped thousands …
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Building the Family Team: A Solution to Chore Wars
7-year-old Bryce was a master “chore evader.” When asked to help with chores, this distractable drama king would slump over and whine, “But I wanted to play!” His parents, Sandy and Jeff, had run out of ideas and came to me (Lynne) for help. …
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The Gift of Not Giving: What Kids REALLY Want for Christmas
It’s not even Thanksgiving yet, but the Christmas aisles have been stocked for weeks already. Commercials for Black Friday “doorbusters” are rampant, and there is even controversy about some stores beginning their sales on Thanksgiving Day this year. The holiday materialism debate is not new: …
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Thankfulness in Three Dimensions
As we prepare for the upcoming day of “giving thanks”, take a moment to reflect on these three dimensions of thankfulness. First Dimension: Thankfulness for Blessings Big and Small When we think of thankfulness, we often give thanks for things — turkey, pumpkin pie, or …
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The Joy of Family Chores: A Tale of Two Moms
In a family, we all need each other. We are a team, and we share in the responsibility of the household. “God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be” (1 Cor. 12:18). Each child …
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How to Have Positive Politics in Your Home
On Tuesday we talked about the importance of practicing what you preach at home. Practically speaking, if you want your kids to learn respect and responsibility, you need to set the stage for it at home. Here’s an idea for developing great “politics” in your …
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Cooperation Made Easy! (…At least this time.)
A few years ago, I took my two young nephews camping. Just the three of us. One morning I got up early to think and pray about our day. The previous night had been fun but exhausting, so I enjoyed the refreshing solitude, focused my mind …
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5 Reasons to Laugh With Your Kids
1. It feels great! Few things in life feel better than hearty laughter. 2. It brings people together! Few things are more connective than enjoying a huge belly laugh together with those you love. Laughter releases a variety of “feel good” chemicals in our brain …
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How to Help Your Kids Like Each Other
After a long summer, is sibling conflict driving you crazy? Here’s great proactive strategy… At times children naturally enjoy each other. But conflict is inevitable. If parents allow it, isolated conflicts can turn into a persistent rivalry that has the power to dominate their children’s …
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Pass the Peas, Pass the Faith!
How can you pass the values and faith while you pass the veggies and fruit? These are important questions. Ask your kids questions about their thoughts and ideas!
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The Most Important Thing Your Child Can Do!
“Research shows that the most important thing a child can do to assure long-term well being is eat meals with his or her family. The more meals together, the better!” Over a shared dinner table, kids enjoy the time together and are embracing their parents’ values. So make a commitment. Share more meals!
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Connected Families | Learn to Parent with Contagious Love and Faith!