intentional parenting

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…

There may be nothing a parent dreads more than having “the talk” with her child. You know the one – the talk where we explain the so-called birds and bees,…

When I was a kid I used to get so disappointed when my mom told me we were having leftovers for dinner. I don’t know why, but for some reason…

My friend Sarah is in a panic. Pre-school isn’t even out yet and she’s already anxious about how she’s going to get through each day during the summer with three…

“The juggler in the circus,” “A stay-at-home mom in the business of raising successful children,” “COM (Chief Operations Manager),” and my favorite, “Your Majesty.” The above resulted when I asked…

“Mama, look!” “Mama, watch this!” “Mama, why is the sky blue?” “Mama”… followed by a five minute narrative about favorite cartoon characters, movies, or toys. “Mama, why does that lady…

“What can I get for you this morning?” the young man asked. I walked up to the counter and ordered my usual  Americano with cream – extra hot. We exchanged…

I recently heard a minister on the radio say that as Christians, we should live our lives like we’re on a war ship, not a cruise ship! The analogy resonated…

“There’s no such thing as special needs children. All children are special, and they all have needs.” I stared at the screen, re-reading the statement above in an online forum….

This past fall a photo stream of parents dropping their kids off at college filled my social media newsfeeds. Proud, teary eyed parents, beaming teenagers, decked out dorm rooms, and…