Parent conversations: Dealing with stress
From day-to-day stressors like homework and whom to sit next to at lunch to larger stressors like changing schools or facing a family medical issue, our children are not immune…
Heart to heart: Parent conversations: Nurture a proper view of stuff?
How can we nurture a proper view of “stuff”? Every year as Christmas rolls around, I can’t help but take stock of all the “stuff” my family has. This year…
Heart to heart: Parent conversations: How involved should parents be in a child’s homework?
I dread my daughter’s homework more than she does. From the time she was little, it’s always been a struggle. She seems to sail through school with a great attitude, but…
Heart to heart: Parent conversations: Are we modeling kindness for our children?
Are we modeling kindness for our children? “Forming character in children combines parental instruction and modeling,” notes Kenneth Kremer in his book Embracing Godly Character. “When parents lead a moral life, God…
Heart to heart: Parent conversations: What’s the best parenting advice you’ve received or given?
What’s the best parenting advice you’ve received or given? Years before I became a mother, I wrote a news article for Forward in Christ in which I interviewed a dad who described his nightly…
Heart to heart: Parent conversations: How should we handle it when people undermine our parenting decisions?
How should we handle it when people undermine our parenting decisions? I think that parenting is often like an ice cream sundae bar. No two people make exactly the same…
Heart to heart: Parent conversations: How can we prepare children for summer camp?
How can we prepare children for summer camp? When I was going into eighth grade, I went to band camp for a week during the summer. I had a blast,…
Heart to heart: Parent conversations: What’s a parent’s role as a child dates?
What’s a parent’s role as a child dates? It’s not often that I don’t chime in with my opinion on a topic, but this is going to be one of those…
Heart to heart: Parent conversations: How do parents find contentment?
How do parents find contentment? As parents, we all know that we need to savor each moment. Those older and wiser remind us that the time passes so quickly. So,…
Heart to heart: Parent conversations: How can we help a family with a sick parent?
How can we help a family with a sick parent? When we find out that someone we care about is sick, we want to help. Often, though, we don’t know…
Heart to heart: Parent conversations: How can parents model healthy cell phone use?
How can parents model healthy cell phone use? Do you ever feel like your smartphone use is out of control and you’re not sure how it happened? I am not…
Heart to heart: Parent conversations: How can we protect kids without scaring them?
How can we protect kids without scaring them? When I was a child, McGruff the crime dog taught us about “stranger danger,” and “Mr. Yuk” stickers alerted us to the phone number…