Parent conversations: How can I help my child have an optimistic outlook?
I have seen many calls for 2020 to end so that we can start fresh in 2021. Yet let’s be honest. By the time January 1, 2021, ends, we’ll already…
I have seen many calls for 2020 to end so that we can start fresh in 2021. Yet let’s be honest. By the time January 1, 2021, ends, we’ll already…
For better or worse, Christmas is filled with traditions. Some of these traditions help celebrate Jesus’ birth—the Christmas Eve candlelight service or the children’s Christmas service, for example. Others may…
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). It’s a familiar passage, and it’s also my…
In my opinion, this is the toughest part of being a Christian parent—letting the gospel shine in how I deal with my kids. It just seems to come naturally to…
My kids and I have spent almost no time apart since mid-March. With school starting soon, I’m a little nervous about how my youngest, who is six, is going to…
How should families prepare to go back to school? That’s quite a question this year, isn’t it? After all, education is likely to look different depending on what school you…
Each phase of childhood comes with its own unique set of blessings and challenges, doesn’t it? Teenagers get a bad rap, but as my daughter enters high school, I have…
This month’s column might not be what you are expecting. It doesn’t include endorsements for the latest security apps to keep your child safe online or to measure how much…
As the editorial staff developed the May issue of Forward in Christ, the mandatory quarantines had just begun. We had no way of predicting what would be taking place when…
Warning: The two articles this month are a completely accurate portrayal of life with children. Tantrums happen. Parents lose it. If we’re being honest, most of us will admit that…
Should I or shouldn’t I? It’s a question I ask myself each Lenten season. Should I give something up? I know I don’t need to, but would it help me…
Let’s be honest. Worshiping with children does not always feel . . . worshipful. I believe that most parents desperately want to engage their children in worship—but we just don’t…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…