Category Connect
How to Help Kids Like Each Other… with Photos!
Ever feel like the moments where your kids actually like each other are few and far between? Or like deep down they love each other, but they forget as their connection gets lost in the shuffle of sibling conflict and…
Why This Mom Loved Her Messy, Lopsided Christmas Tree
While this “creative” design might have your fingers itching to straighten those dangling garlands, the mom whose tree it is decided she liked it how it was. Why? It was decorated by her children, a 2-year-old, a 4-year-old, and a…
5 Awesome Ideas to Make the Most of Your Family’s Christmas
It’s that time again — time for Christmas carols, snowflakes, and Advent candles, but also time for hectic schedules, slushy boots, and the Christmas cookie sugar crash. Christmas (and Advent) can be a wonderful time to share meaningful connection as…
What Tone are You Setting for Your Home?
A mom of three kids ages 10 to 14 emailed me this story this week: A friend once told me she worked to greet her children with enthusiasm, even if they had just come into the kitchen from the living room. I…
When Connecting with Kids Just Feels… Awkward
Have you ever tried to connect with your child and just felt… awkward? This is not uncommon. Parents sometimes express to us that connection can be awkward, such as, “We just aren’t a huggy family.” Feelings of awkwardness around one form…
What Do I Do If I Don’t Like My Child?
Let’s face it: sometimes you find yourself saying, “I don’t like my child right now.” In Scripture, children are described as a heritage, a reward, a blessing from God, and lots of kids in the family means lots of blessing!…
Why You Don’t Need a New Parenting Strategy
John was fed up. He told me that everything he’d tried had failed. No matter what consequences or logic John put in place, his 6th grade son Ben just wouldn’t take responsibility for getting himself up and moving and out the…
Love – No Matter What!
For I am convinced that neither arguing nor defiance, neither sibling conflict nor disrespect, neither bad grades nor failure, neither whining nor lying, neither forgetfulness nor messes, nor any other misbehavior will be able to separate you from my love…
Don’t Get Busted by Your Kids: Watch, Ask, and Listen!
A mother of five told us that her older children once “busted” her and her husband with an insightful observation: “We know you’re not listening when you say, ‘Wow, that’s great!’” The children were able to discern that the parents…
“It was hard to be mad when you were so kind to me.”
In my role as a parenting speaker I do a lot of role plays with people in the audience. Though I had seen a lot of yelling, whining, and laughter from these role plays, I had never seen tears —…