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,…
Tag compassion
6 Practical Tips to Tame Your Temper
Disciplining misbehaving kids is often a difficult and emotion-laden task. If only you could figure out a way to tame your temper! Our oldest son Daniel sometimes said to Lynne, “Mom, you just bursted all over us!” And he was…
The Awesome Thing About Your Kid’s Misbehavior…
The rough-looking teen’s tough veneer had softened. I detected tears in his eyes. “No one has ever said anything like that to me.” Just minutes before, I met this teen in a line at our local amusement park. After a…
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…
Do Your Consequences Build Up or Tear Down?
Sometimes, in spite of parents’ most graceful efforts to stay calm, connect well, and parent with grace, their kids still misbehave. They are “beloved sinners” (just like us) and need corrective guidance (just like we do), with the goal of helping them learn the powerful message, “You are responsible for your life, your relationships, and your decisions.”