In the early days when my girls were in preschool and kindergarten, endless car rides loomed in front of us. Day after day, we repeated the same routine on the…
Children
Courage: the Backbone of Character
If we were to write a classified ad for a parent, one of the parts of the job description would be character building. It is a non-negotiable for any conscientious…
Savvy School Supply Shopping
Sunday’s newspaper ads startled me into a quickly-approaching reality: school starts in less than a month! I lined up the ads to begin comparing prices from all of the local stores…
31 End of Summer Things to do in August
Summer will be over soon and our kiddos will be back to school before we know it. Take advantage of the last days of Summer and plan some intentional fun…
Make a Summer Memory Your Kids Will Carry in Their Heart
Do you feel like the summer days are fleeting and you haven’t done everything you wanted? Perhaps you had great plans to do something special with your kids and it…
Instead of Yelling, Try Helping
Recently, I was frustrated with a few of my children who were dawdling with their room cleaning. As I walked into their still-messy room to reprimand them for being so…
30 Ideas for Pent-Up Energy on Hot Days
School’s out, and the kids are in—because it’s hot. Real hot. But, you know, not enough to actually affect all that energy ricocheting off the walls of your house—and the…
Are You Willing to Die on THAT Hill?
“I can’t get my stepkids to eat healthy foods,” a stepmother shared with me. “When they are at their mom’s house they eat fast food and stuff filled with chemicals….
Fireworks in a Jar
Having fun as a family this 4th of July doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive, it can be as easy as opening your pantry! If your family loves fireworks…
Raising Good Conversationalists
Do you sometimes feel embarrassed in front of your friends because your child won’t talk and simply grumbles a “yes” or “no” to an adult’s questions? Do you have trouble…