Tag compassion
Focus on the Good: The Surprisingly Awesome Thing About Your Child’s Misbehavior
Focusing on the good is powerful. “No one has ever said anything like that to me!” The rough-looking teen’s tough veneer had softened. I (Jim) detected tears in his eyes. What had caused this teen, a complete stranger and one…
6 Practical Tips to Tame Your Temper
Disciplining misbehaving kids is often a difficult and emotion-laden task. Our oldest son, Daniel, sometimes said to Lynne, “Mom, you just bursted all over us!” And he was painfully correct. Jim had his share of quick, harsh reactions as well.…
Consequences vs Punishment: What’s the Difference?
If you’ve been parenting any time at all, you likely have made a significant discovery: Despite your most graceful efforts to stay calm, connect well, and guide them with grace, your kids still misbehave. So what do you do in…
Parenting from a Donkey
Jesus was a different kind of king. This was evident in many ways, and highlighted by the unexpected way He entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Custom was that a king entered a town with a full show of prestige, power,…
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…
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,…
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…
The Real Reason for a Lot of Misbehavior
Have you ever noticed that kids rarely misbehave when they feel truly happy and deeply secure? There’s a reason for this. When our children misbehave, there is almost always underlying discouragement or anxiety that drives the misbehavior. Rushing to address…
This Kid Changed Overnight! Here’s How…
Sometimes it takes a while for parents to change in ways that lead to deeper respect from their kids. Sometimes it can happen fast. When Dan attended our weekend workshop he saw an immediate change by practicing what we call…
A Simple, Fun Cure for Dinner Time Chaos
Is dinner at your house a bit crazy? Perhaps it needs a little injection of purpose. When the meal is all about getting kids to settle down and eat their food, it’s bound to be a struggle. But when it’s…