Give the Gift of Connection
Category Discipline
Are Little Kids Able to Resolve Conflict Peacefully?
Our mission is to help families find “peace and connection at home.” Sarah Donatelle, mom of two, took the Connected Families Siblings Conflict online course, and told us about how she was able to teach her children to reconcile with…
Respond to Sibling Conflict with Wisdom and Confidence (Video link)
Kids fight. Sibling conflict is a reality in just about every family. It is hard to know how to parent with wisdom and confidence in the middle of a battle over who has the most space in the backseat or…
Advice for Dads
Dear Dads, We are a big deal. Our kids look up to us in a unique way. They need our affirmation and approval. Statistics show that kids who get a father’s love tend to soar well into the world, and…
Announcing our new tagline!
Hey friends, We’re excited to introduce our new tagline to those of you who helped form it. With your fantastic suggestions regarding the value you find through Connected Families, we condensed and interpreted what you told us. Here it is:…
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…
3 Secrets to Grow from Screen Time Madness to Gladness This Summer
Are you feeling a little fear and trepidation about your kids’ free time this summer and the issues it brings? Summertime means long stretches of downtime. It also means that computer, television, and smartphone screens are an appealing way to…
The Power of Defiance
Jesus was defiant. He defied Satan’s temptation. He defied the religious structures of the day. He defied legalism. He even defied death. One of our problems as parents is that we treat our kids’ defiance as if it is entirely…
The Big Do-Over
Here is another story from Joel and Amy Nelson, parents of two sons, who have previously shared their story here. Enjoy! Parenting may not come with a manual, but I sure have read a lot of the parenting books out…
Is Your Child Entitled to a Trophy?
A young mom queried me intently after our talk on Entitlement in kids. “What do you do about the culture around us that guarantees that every child is a “winner” at participating and receives a trophy, even for last place?”…
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.