As a child, I grew up with a controlling mother. She micro-managed everything I did, even into adulthood. It felt confining and, at times, suffocating. I felt as if I didn't get a chance to become an adult independent from my family. Although she did it to protect me, I had difficulty making family bonds through adulthood.Now that I'm a parent of two adult children, I have difficulty finding the tension between giving my support and my opinion. As their parent, I was the primary disciplinarian. I did my best to raise them into independent, well-adjusted kids. Now that they're adults, it is mor ..read more

When a child repeats phrases like, "I am brave," "I am kind," or "I am enough," it's not just wishful thinking – it's planting seeds of self-belief ..read more

Family night is a great way to bond together while doing activities that every person finds enjoyable. However, for families that participate in family night often, it is easy to get into a rut and not have many ideas for new and different activities. Depending on what you can spend in your budget, there are great, affordable activities. Instead of going to watch a movie where everyone stares at a screen, there are some unique bonding experiences that every person can do that are fun for the whole family. Here are some fun ideas for your next family night:Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Geber86 ..read more

The years of being a loving couple are rewarding, even if they sacrifice much of our time. Be sure to invest in your relationship in as many ways as possible while sacrificing time, money, and other resources. Spouses who emotionally invest in their relationship may find that as the kids grow up and move away, their relationship is stronger than ever ..read more

Encouraging kids to read can be a difficult task. To be completely honest, I didn't enjoy reading until I was in the seventh grade. For many of us, it takes trial and error until we finally find a book that makes us fall in love with reading.The same is true for your children. Your kids need to find a book that sparks their interests and makes them want to read. This book will be different for each child, but once you find this book, your child will be hooked on reading. If you are hoping to get your kids eager to read books, you are in the right place. Here are five books to encourage yo ..read more

Studies have shown that less than five percent of American men take paternity leave. Paternity leave is the equivalent of maternity leave for mothers; however, it is not as well known. Most of the time, when a couple has a baby, only the mother takes time off from work. This is a great misfortune because men can also benefit from paternity leave.By taking time to go home and spend time with their wife and new baby, new dads will be able to cultivate their relationship with their family. Even though the average time men take off for paternity leave is one week, new dads need to take more time o ..read more

Effective financial planning creates a stable foundation for your family, fostering an environment where love, support, and shared experiences flourish ..read more

It’s difficult to deny the influence that television has in the lives of children around the world, many of whom will spend hours every day in front of a screen. And what exactly are they seeing, hearing, and receiving when they watch television? That is a question that has haunted Christian parents for decades.I don’t think it is a stretch to say that for every one good show on television, ten more fall into the category of moral and intellectual filth. Parents know this better than anyone. And yet, many moms and dads will regularly sit their kids in front of a television or tablet every day ..read more

Have you seen that picture of the momma lioness crouching down, head hovering just above her little cub, with a haunting stare that pierces right through your soul? Her eyes say it all: "Don't mess with this one!" Yep! That's the image I want you to think of as we approach this subject matter.I'm not going to sugarcoat it; Satan is after our kids (1 Peter 5:8-10)! We can't back down and must be ready for this fight because we are in a full-on spiritual war! It isn't hard to see that the devil's sneaky tactics have only gotten bolder and more manipulative. As a momma who strives to protect her ..read more

As our kids engage in sports, their skills improve, but equally important, we want to develop their character in the process. Sports provide a platform for kids to exercise the fruits of the spirit. You may not think of sports when considering the fruits of the spirit, but it’s love for others, exhibiting kindness when interacting with others, learning patience and joy, and displaying self-control.Sportsmanship is treating others with respect and demonstrating appropriate behavior while involved in sports. This includes how you interact with your teammates, the opponents, coaches, parents, and ..read more