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Christmas greetings from Connected Families
Messes. You’re likely surrounded by a bunch of them. Piles of dishes in the kitchen. Wrapping paper on the floor. Tired and over-sugared children. Stressed relationships. Just like parenting, Christmas is both messy, and beautiful. Today we celebrate Jesus coming…
How to Break the Cycle of Crabbiness and Negativity
“I’m bored. No one wants to play with me. I hate my classes and that teacher. I’m no good at anything! Everything is just dumb!” Sound familiar? Kids can be pretty good at complaining and crabbing their way to get…
Should We Demand Immediate Obedience?
For a more in depth look at requiring immediate obedience from our kids (and the possible pitfalls) please check out our expanded version of this article titled, “Should I Require Immediate Obedience from My Child?” Do you require immediate obedience…
Encouragement from a Dad Who’s Been There
Hey, dads! I’ve been thinking a lot about you lately. You see, Lynne and I have this amazing opportunity to speak to groups of parents all over the country. Most of these workshops, however, are filled with a majority of…
It’s OK to Mess Up
Catie came for coaching to address sibling conflict and disrespect. During one session she confessed, “I get so mad when one son hits the other, and I just blew it yesterday. I got so angry, and yelled, and it all…
Would Jesus Say “Black Lives Matter”?
I believe that if Jesus came to us today, he would in some way say to all of us, “Black lives matter!* Be humble, listen, and love with my love.” My heart is troubled. As I look at the various…
An Open Letter to the Cincinnati Zoo Mom
Dear Cincinnati mom, You. Your son. An encounter with a gorilla at the zoo. These things have made you an unsuspecting internet sensation. We don’t know you. But, we do know that parenting is hard enough without the world scrutinizing…
The Biggest Parenting Responsibility You Have
The biggest parenting responsibility you have isn’t what you might expect. It isn’t to make sure your kids turn out a certain way. It isn’t even to stop their misbehavior.
What I Learned from a Really Ugly Moment Last Week
You know how sometimes you look back and think, “WHY in the world did I say that!?” I had a moment like that last week. It was ugly… but I learned a lot! Here’s what happened: In a state of discouragement and stress,…
How I Got My Kids to Obey Immediately… and Why I Stopped
I remember like yesterday walking in the door after work to what I believed were out-of-control children in my wife’s care. She’d lean into me for help and I’d quickly get the kids in line. “Why can’t Lynne get this?”…