Your child is “playing doctor” with a friend

The Connected Families Framework is an effective tool for parents to utilize in a variety of challenging scenarios, including teaching children healthy boundaries. It provides four powerful messages to kids; even in hard situations as we desire to pass along God’s grace and truth. The following two scenarios were questions posed to our parent coaches […]

“Go Away, I Want MOMMY!”

It’s a challenge to know how to respond when kids pick a favorite caregiver, regardless of whether it’s mom, dad, a grandparent, or even a daycare provider. It’s no surprise that the most common scenario is a young child who wants mom over dad. This question came to us from Sandra:   Julie has always preferred […]

What Changed My Mind About Dad

Dear Connected Families family, I write to you today with a heavy, but hopeful, heart. The reason? My dad passed away on October 14th, and his funeral was October 25th. His passing was expected, but came much faster than we anticipated based on the doctor’s prognosis. Because several friends have suggested that his legacy is […]

4 Simple Ways to Bridge the Mother-Son Divide

Father-daughter dances bring delight as tall suits and little skirts whirl around the dance floor. A mother-daughter brunch is bright with “girly chatter.” Adventurous camaraderie abounds at father-son outings. But how many of us have ever been to (or even heard of!) a mother-son event? There seems to be an assumption in our culture that […]

When Out-of-Control Kids Can’t Hear Your Gentle Voice

Whether it’s angry sibling conflict or just wild and silly craziness, it’s hard to know how to engage kids’ mayhem without using a fast, large, and loud response to intimidate them. Let’s face it. Oftentimes, out-of-control kids can’t hear your gentle voice. Jack and Lisa, who came to us for coaching, described this challenge well: “What […]

Discipline That Connects With Your Child’s Heart | Ep. 15

In this podcast, Jim Jackson interviews Stacy Bellward, online course moderator, in a fun and heartfelt conversation. (Find out what even got Jim a little teary!)  You’ll get the real scoop on the Discipline That Connects with Your Child’s Heart online course, so you can know whether or not it’s a fit for you and […]

Teaching Kids to Be Responsible for Their Actions | Ep. 14

Today, Stacy Bellward interviews Jim and Lynne Jackson as they dive deep into ways to correct kids’ misbehavior with the message, “You are RESPONSIBLE for your actions”. Misbehavior is like the tip of the iceberg. If we make misbehavior our primary focus we miss guiding our children toward lasting change and growth. During this episode, […]