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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Your Brain on Books: 10 Incredible Benefits to Reading
A brain on books is proven to be better than a brain without books. Statistics show that a quarter of Americans have not read a single book in the past 12 months. Come on now, we need to be reading a lot more! Here are 10 game-changing and incredible reasons you should be reading more […]
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 […]
The Brave Work of Protecting Free Play and Family Time In Our Over-Scheduled Culture
I struggle with wanting my kids to be the best. I want them to be outstanding students, accomplished in their strengths and be good citizens. This is not about them or even about competition – it is about me. With their achievements comes praise for me, for I must be smart… and accomplished… and a […]
6 Expectations Every Family Needs And Can Be Implemented Today
Have your kids ever thrown back statements like, “You expect me to be perfect all the time!” or “It’s impossible to do anything right with all your rules!” when you hold them accountable to expectations? This has become a hot topic for my family. So much that I personally found the need to take a […]
The Best and Only Reason You Need To Suffer Through Cafeteria Lunches With Your Child
There is very little desire in my flesh to spend an hour or two in my children’s elementary (public) school cafeteria watching my kids eat a Sonic grilled cheese. Of all the things I need to do on my day off work during the week – including the things I only think I need to […]
