Killing the Silence: 3 Ways You Can Prioritize Face-to-Face Communication in Your Home
If you go to a Middle School party, you’ll be sure to find huddled up pre-teens, still small in their stature yet confidently boasting large smart phones. If a moment gets awkward or when 2 minutes have past (whichever comes first) they’ll reach for this technological security blanket. They’ll be messaging their friends who stand […]
How to Make ONE WORD Change Your Family’s Life
My husband and I recently had a discussion with our adult child about the difference between DREAMS and GOALS. She boasts of her dreams for a great life. A life of success, joy, and peace. A life that eludes her, as it presently appears her life is directed by the shake of a Magic 8 […]
Big Dreams: The One Thing Children Desperately Need From You
Children love to dream. Whether they dream about life, the future, or fantastic stories from their imagination, they know how to dream big. From the moment they begin speaking and through their adolescence they blissfully proclaim their desire to be a princess, a doctor, the President, or the next big NBA basketball star. As parents, […]
Before You Gift it – RESTRICT IT
What’s under your Christmas tree? Did you buy your children a device this year for Christmas? A screen of some sort? Something that connects to the internet, perhaps? A smart phone, iPad, or Xbox? The average age for ownership of these beloved gadgets are younger every year. NINE year old children now proudly posses smart […]
How to be BRAVE on Black Friday
Gratefulness is the hot button word of the day. If you aren’t reading something encouraging you to give thanks for all you have then you’re reading the Black Friday ads looking for deals. Isn’t it interesting how we give thanks for what we have one day and then the next buy a bunch more stuff […]
Forget About the Character of Our Candidates and Focus on the Character of Our Children
My 15 year old daughter often melts in frustration under the weight of our family rules. “MOM! I am the only Freshman in High School without any social media!” I listen then give her the same calm and confident reply every time: “That may or may not be true, however, your character will make you […]
5 Crucial Answers You Need Before Sleepovers
The silent buzzing of my phone against my nightstand assaulted my consciousness. Terribly confused why my phone would be ringing at 4:30am, I fumbled to answer the persistent caller. The voice on the other end was a parent friend, her voice was somber and serious. “There’s been an incident at the birthday party involving your […]
5 Media Standards For Babies & Toddlers
A recent study found that 97% of US children have used a mobile device, most of which began before the age of 1 year old. By 2 years old children are using a device daily; by age 3 they are using devices completely on their own, with one-third of these 3 year olds multitasking with […]
The Instagram Games Girls Play (And Why My Answer is No)
For the thousandth time, my daughter breached the topic of social media with me. This time, however, I saw it coming. I knew she had a big question on her mind to ask me. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be following me around as I cleaned. As she worked up the courage to ask, I decided I […]
4 Lies Your Teens Want You to Believe About Social Media
*updated for 2019 Honesty and Social Media….do these two coexist? By the most recent statistics, 76% of teens in the US are using social media. Similarly, 77% of adults are using social media. If we are equal consumers, is it safe to assume we all use it the same? No way. We may represent an […]
Don’t Believe the Lie: Monitoring is Not Spying
I often hear parents and news articles refer to monitoring their child’s phone as “spying.” Most often this is referred to in a negative light, “I don’t feel right spying on my kids to see what they’re doing on-line.” While the definition of the word spying can mean (1)to observe secretively, which certainly can feel […]
#Flawless: How a Hashtag is Destroying Our Daughters
The evening sun was still blazing hot as my daughter and I found the tiniest patch of shade to settle our chairs in. We had 1.5 hours ahead of us while we watched my youngest son’s football practice. Without consideration of what my daughter planned to do, I selfishly and quickly settled into the book […]
Losing Your Mind Over Media? 3 Quick Fixes You Can Start Today
All of the dishes rest clean and dry in the dishwasher while their dirty counterparts pile higher and higher in the sink above. The chore of putting away those clean dishes lies with the child, who, at the present time could be found hiding behind the sofa. As I softly coax him out from behind the […]
SEXTING: What Parents Need to Know (and Do!)
Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links to products for which we may receive a commission. What you know about sexting probably depends on your age and the age of your child. If you have middle school aged children in the public school system, you may have heard stories directly from your children or perhaps you have already dealt with […]
7 Character Building Family Activities
Nine months have quickly passed and we find ourselves surrounded by the endless possibilities of summer. If you are like most parents, you stand at the end of May in disbelief another year has flown by. We can wish for time to slow down but in reality the time with our children is fleeting. We have […]
The One Reason Kids Need Parental Restrictions on Phones
A recent study by Pew Research Group showed that only 16% of parents use parental controls to restrict their child’s cell or smart phone. To restate this in a more obvious and ominous way: 84% of parents DO NOT USE parental controls to restrict phone usage. As a parent in the 16% I assume this […]
Parents Need Second Chances
I recently gave my Canon point and shoot camera to one of my children to use for fun. I loved the idea of supporting her interest in photography. I anticipated seeing the world through her eyes as I uploaded the pictures to my computer. What would be the primary focus of the pictures? People, nature, […]
Maintaining Boundaries: A Simple Way to Avoid Resenting Your Children.
It was 7:54am. I just returned home from my second trip to the schools to hear my middle school daughter lamenting about having to walk out into the morning mist and humidity with her freshly straightened hair to catch the school bus at 8:02. This girl can go from smooth and sleek to afro in 3.6 […]
5 Reasons To Stop Wishing Yourself Rich
It’s so easy to conclude all our problems would be made easier with more money. It’s such a lie. The lies I tell myself are: more money would mean my family would be able to travel when the kids are out of school (the ‘peak times’ we currently have to avoid). More money means my […]
The Key Difference Between SELF and SELFIE
We have a rule in our home of “No Selfies.” None taken, none texted, and none posted on social media. None. And we don’t just state this as a rule, we ensure it is complied with by restricting all pictures from being sent and received on our kid’s phones. If selfies are found, the camera […]
