Seven Minutes of Life-Changing Parenting Wisdom
When it comes to raising your kids, we know how frustrating it can be to put your whole heart into it over the years and continue seeing the same issues, the same misbehavior, the same fights, repeat themselves over and over again. You read as many parenting books as you can get your hands on. […]
How to Thank God for Your Kids’ Misbehavior
When kids misbehave, often our default is to pray for patience or even for the misbehavior to go away. But have you ever thought about thanking God for your kids’ misbehavior? Check out the powerful way this mom of three looked for the gifts behind her kids’ misbehavior, and then thanked God for it!
Why You Should Teach Your Kids to Break the Rules
I grew up being really good at following rules. As a child (and even as a young adult), I really struggled with having grace for people who either didn’t or couldn’t follow the rules. Kids who did poorly or misbehaved in school, my younger sister who was less “shiny” than I was, non-believers, or even […]
Help Kids Handle “NO” by Getting Great at “YES!”
If you want your kids to respect and value your “no’s!” work harder on your “yeses!” It’s good to teach kids the various “No’s!” in life. The best foundation for doing this is to help them habitually experience the resounding joy of the “Yes!” For example… If you want your children to say “no” to mistreating […]
3 Signs of Unhelpful Consequences… and How to Fix Them!
One of my favorite parenting videos
At Connected Families we teach that focusing on getting right behavior as your primary goal is a setup for power struggles and frustrations of all kinds. We teach instead to focus primarily on the messages your kids get from you about who they are. The following video shows how the greatest basketball coaches think similarly. […]
The Best Vacation Ever
Tom was worried about taking his family on a short mission trip to a South Dakota Indian reservation. He told me, “We’re really interested in this trip. We think it would be good for us and for our kids. But we’re a bit scared that our stressed family dynamics will be exposed in that setting. […]
Skiing, Tears, and Grace
At a recent ski meet I found myself twice in tears for people I’ve never met. The first time was when a young competitor “skied out,” meaning he missed a gate and was disqualified from the race. Nearby his parents gasped and grew visibly angry. I understand being upset by my kids’ failures. We want what’s […]
When is defiance better than obedience?
I’ll never forget her statement. I was speaking to a grade-school teacher in a Christian school about behavior problems with her students. In the context of the conversation she actually seemed more upset about the obedient kids than the defiant ones. She declared, “I can always tell the kids parented by strict parents who […]
Build Kids Up with Nourishing Affirmation in 30 Seconds
Kids need encouragement. But not all affirmation is created equal! Some affirmation is empty — like popcorn or cotton candy — but nourishing affirmation builds kids up by helping them see how their actions benefit others or build their character. So, what does nourishing affirmation look like? In this 5-minute video, Lynne shares an easy-to-remember […]
