As a young mom, I understood the need to be proactive in structuring my toddler’s day and that routine was important in his developing world. But honestly, I was stumped at times with what to do to keep him entertained so I could get something done. During this season I learned two things that helped me tremendously: First, I learned that my son didn’t need constant “entertainment” and I should think more in terms of training than just keeping him busy. It turns out, toddlers can be entertained by pretty much anything, so I considered each activity for its training value as much as its abili ..read more

              Noah Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines rivalry as “competition; a strife or effort to obtain an object which another is pursuing”.  With that definition in mind, sibling rivalry is therefore siblings competing against one another. Competition can be good for our children, but usually only when it is in games and sports. Competition is helpful when it encourages our children to become better people and try harder to accomplish goals. But competition among siblings who are striving for parental affection, or disagreeing constantly or fightin ..read more

by Julie Young To be honest, I’m not sure how Santa does it!  As a busy Mom of seven, I barely have time to make a list, let alone check it twice, and I already know who has been naughty or nice. ‘Tis the season again–the annual challenge of what to get our children for Christmas. Their basic needs are met and many “wants” satisfied by gracious grandparents, aunts and uncles, and friends. A few years ago, we came to realize how “individually centered” we have made Christmas. Don’t get me wrong, we love buying fun gifts for each child and watching their eyes light up with excitement on Ch ..read more

“Restlessness and impatience change nothing except our peace and joy. Peace does not dwell in outward things, but in the heart prepared to wait trustfully and quietly on Him who has all things safely in His hands.”                                                                  ..read more

  I think it goes without saying that all parents want their children to learn patience. Most parents don’t need a lecture about developing this virtue in their kids. We already know it’s important. What is hard, however, is actually getting this virtue into the hearts of our children and, if we’re honest, into our own hearts as well. Let’s look at the goal of patience and then work backwards, breaking it down, as I share some practical ways I’ve taught this very important virtue to my young children. The end goal of patience: As parents, we can set the example for our childre ..read more

  I think it goes without saying that all parents want their children to learn patience. Most parents don’t need a lecture about developing this virtue in their kids. We already know it’s important. What is hard, however, is actually getting this virtue into the hearts of our children and, if we’re honest, into our own hearts as well. Let’s look at the goal of patience and then work backwards, breaking it down, as I share some practical ways I’ve taught this very important virtue to my young children.   The end goal of patience: As parents, we can set the example for ou ..read more

  Good communication with our children is always important, but once they hit the middle and high school years, it becomes critical.  Communication is not just a one-sided lecture from Mom or Dad about your child’s attitude.  It is a dialogue, involving both parties. Conversations require listening as well as talking. As parents, we need to actively listen to our children and seek full understanding, particularly when conflicts arise. I’ve appreciated this verse when considering some “things” I can use to speak life to my middle or high schooler: “But also for this very reason ..read more

  Attitude is important.  When training our children, we need to insist not only on right action but on right attitude as well.  In part one of this blog, we looked at how to address our children’s attitude by: Proactively teaching God’s Word Promoting right attitudes and Promptly correcting   Now we’ll address how to rectify those attitudes. When correcting for attitude, we have the same tools at our disposal that we use for correcting behavior, including:   Biblical Reproof/Admonishment – Whether or not an additional consequence is required, your correction must ..read more

  As parents, we are keenly aware of when our children misbehave. We are quick to give a consequence for a wrong action. When they are little, this is usually enough to restore them to their sweet little selves. As they grow, however, even though we insist on and receive right behavior, we are often left with bad attitudes and a grudging obedience. We know we should get to their hearts, but how? What are we missing?   From the beginning, we teach our children right actions and right attitudes. Behaviors can be motivated by the sin nature (foolishness) or by innocent or ignorant idea ..read more

Part Three: The Preteen and Teen Years moving your child from obedience to responsibility We’ve reviewed getting back to the basics in our own lives as parents as well as what obedience looks like in the early years and how to move toward transferring ownership so that our children will become characterized by being responsible.  Now let’s look more closely at how this plays out during the middle and teen years. One critical point for parents to remember during this time is to not provide all the answers to questions you’ve answered before. I’ve often joked about this being the season wh ..read more