Category Foundation
My Kids’ Messes Drive Me CRAZY!
For years I have struggled with the mess that our lively, spontaneous, creative, frequently disorganized children made at high speed. I used to call it “Trash and Dash.” Since their father has somewhat more “relaxed” standards of housekeeping than I…
Stay Committed to Your Parenting Goals with One Simple Reminder
Parenting is a beautiful gift. It can also be some of the toughest work you’ll ever do. As we work to “train up our children in the way they should go,” sometimes it’s hard to keep focused on the…
Why “It Is NOT OK to Talk That Way!” Doesn’t Work
There are many ways in which parents intentionally or unintentionally model positive character qualities: self-control, caring, diligence, faithfulness, etc. But we can also model negative character qualities, especially when we’re not thoughtful!
Why We’ll Never Stop Having Kids
Although I’m 62 and won’t be giving birth to any more children any time soon, I recently reflected that God gives us children in many ways, some biologically and some spiritually. It is a privilege to build into the…
What to Do When You Dislike Your Child
During the very difficult years of early parenting, I would go through long times of despair, as well as periods of dislike for one or more of my children. I felt horribly guilty as well as angry with my family…
Tired of Not Feeling “Christian” Enough? This is for You.
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13) I remember the sign on the men’s dorm wall during my freshman year at a Christian college. A spiritual disciplines checklist was posted…
Your Parenting Skills Are Not the Most Important Thing. This Is.
Jesus said that “smart carpenters” build a sturdy house on solid rock. Then when the storms of life hit, nothing will move the house. This doesn’t mean storms won’t pelt the house from time to time, and even inflict some…
One of my favorite parenting videos
At Connected Families we teach that focusing on getting right behavior as your primary goal is a setup for power struggles and frustrations of all kinds. We teach instead to focus primarily on the messages your kids get from you…
“How can I be loving and supportive when I think my spouse is wrong?”
Recently we received this question from a mom in response to one of our posts. Q: When I watched the video about Jim and daughter Bethany’s conflict I realized that Lynne answered the phone but didn’t intervene. My impulse would…
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…