How Oranges Can Teach Compromise
Your kids are arguing – (again!) – about what game to play, who got the bigger serving of pie, and who had more time playing video games. You want to teach your kids the valuable skill of compromise, but you feel helpless and frustrated as your kids tune out your well-intended words. What comes naturally […]
Tired of Sibling Fighting?
Parents of siblings… did you ever think it would be this hard? You imagined your kiddos as best friends, being there for each other throughout life, and always having each other’s backs. And yet, here they are, yo-yo-ing from best friends to bitter enemies several times a day. Sometimes it seems like the “best friend” […]
I’m a Therapist, But I Choose to Coach. Here’s Why.
Coaching parents has been the greatest joy in my professional life! I’ve seen countless kids’ lives change for good while witnessing greater parent confidence and satisfaction. Those results are why I stopped providing therapeutic services to teens and began coaching parents.* In my experience, the power and influence of a parent with a plan can […]
Feel Like Swearing at Your Kids? This Is for You.
As a parent coach, primarily working with parents of teens, I’ve found commonality in the issues parents want to address—especially wanting their kids to obey. NOW! For the past 20 years, I’ve been doing some form of helping parents and I really enjoy it. I love the unique stories and challenges, and equipping families to […]
Are We Dealing Drugs To Our Children?
Did you know you may inadvertently be dealing “drugs” to your children? Dopamine has been called the brain’s “pleasure chemical.” It is released when pleasure is experienced. It creates healthy motivation to pursue various life-giving pleasures such as accomplishing a goal, taking on a new challenge, or connecting with others in meaningful ways. According to […]
Persistent Kids, Peers, and Pace of Life
Entitlement. If we mention the “E-word” in one of our workshops there are audible groans and eye-rolling. Parents are overwhelmed by this complex problem which seems to be spiraling out of control. Last year we surveyed parents about their top felt needs, and they were begging for help with the entitlement in their homes. Another […]
What Could Have Ruined Our Marriage
During our 30+ years of marriage we had occasionally heard of couples ending their marriage due to infidelity. But, for whatever reason, in 2015 Lynne and I heard story after story of marriages falling apart caused by affairs. It broke our hearts. And we knew it could have been us. So we talked and prayed and talked […]
From Power Struggles to Peace at Meals
help for kids who are picky
Fighting For Love – Even When It’s Hard
Valentine’s Day and anniversaries are often viewed as a barometer for our romantic relationship. But it’s NOT roses and romance a couple days a year that define a relationship — it’s the deep commitment to fight for connection no matter what. — ROUND 1 — Jim’s and my 25th anniversary evening was an adventure to […]
Tired of Not Feeling Christian Enough?
Here’s a confession: throughout my life I have periodically wrestled with the suspicion I was somehow “not Christian enough.” In some ways, it sounds silly, because being a Christian isn’t a quantity that you can have more or less of. But the way Christian culture sometimes presents itself, it feels like there’s a measuring stick for better […]
