Give the Gift of Connection
Anna Braasch
Why I Love the Huge Dent in My Floor
In our kitchen, there is a huge dent in the floor. I see it every day. It is a reminder to me of the day in which I learned something important about myself when it comes to discipline. It was…
Does Giving Time Outs Actually Help Your Child?
I distinctly remember years ago sitting in a pre-adoption class through our agency and silently scoffing when the presenter suggested during discipline situations to take a “time-in” with your child rather than send them to their room for a “time-out.”…
Stressful Times Lead to Fertile Hearts
Painting pictures in my mind has been very helpful in my parenting journey. For example, when I’m upset and feel like my head is going to explode I imagine a balloon in my lungs filling and releasing air. When my…
How to Not Take Sides When Siblings Fight
In our family, one of the realities we face is siblings who fight. I tend to want to stop my children’s rivalry in its tracks, but I have found that I sometimes contribute to the problem rather than solve it. Ultimately, I really…
How to Turn a Parenting Fail into a Parenting Win
It was a Sunday evening. I was emotionally and physically done for the day and looking forward to a quiet house. Suddenly I overheard squabbling about who was the rightful owner of a large stuffed panda bear. My engagement with…
The Day My 7-Year-Old Sang “Let’s Go All the Way Tonight”
The day I overheard my 7-year-old daughter singing “Let’s go all the way tonight” was the day I knew our family had to do something different with music in our house. My end goal when I launch my kids into…
How Will Your Kids Remember Your Discipline When They’re 90?
Recently I attended a family reunion. We did lots of catching up, including reminiscing over family memories. A conversation that continued to pop up over the weekend was prompted by the question, “What is the maddest you ever saw your…
Hide God’s Word in Your Heart This Summer
You know those slips of paper that come home with your kids every Sunday from Sunday School? They might have a “what we learned” and a “try this at home” and always a memory verse to work on during…
A confession from a Connected Families employee…
I’ve read a ton of Connected Families content over the past couple years and, now that I’m on staff, I’m reading even more. By now, you could say that the Connected Families Framework has become ingrained in my psyche. I…