How to Talk to Kids about Bad Words
“Oh, shut up!” Lynne said (fairly playfully) at Jim in the banter after a staff meeting. This sparked a conversation among the staff about our respective families and what words were or weren’t permitted.
My Worst Parenting Nightmare…
It was every parent’s nightmare – over two hours at the allergist’s office with three young children. The kids and I all took turns alternately getting poked for blood draws, scratched all over our backs and arms for allergy testing, and puffing to check breath levels for asthma. The results? A bountiful diagnosis of asthma […]
How Will Your Kids Remember Your Discipline When They’re 90?
What stories might your kids tell about you in 30 years? Is there anything you want to resolve about any of those incidents? (Humility a little late is better than pretending it wasn’t a problem.) Next time one of your kids misbehaves, ask yourself – “What do I want my child to remember in 30 […]
When Kids Misbehave Throw a Party!
Every parent wants obedient children. But the parent who wants an obedient child without putting in the hard work to earn that child’s trust is on shaky ground. You see, true obedience grows out of the soil of trust. Compliance, though it looks like obedience, grows out of the soil of fear. Sadly, most parenting […]
How to Help Your Kids Repent
We received this story from “Shelly”, who was able to communicate love in misbehavior and saw it bear fruit with her 8 year-old-son… This morning my son Garrett was getting into his grumpy, yelling, the-world-is-against-me mode. I asked him, “It seems like you’re not feeling very loved right now. Is that what you are trying […]
What to Do When Kids Push Your Buttons
When kids act up, it’s a parent’s job to guide them through the difficulty. But kids’ trouble often pushes parents’ buttons. Need for control? Push. Desire for quick fixes? Push. Anxiety about what’s gonna happen with this demanding kid? Push. Inconvenient timing? Push. The kids get treated as if they’re the only ones in trouble […]
Want a Responsible Teen? Start Now!
I just watched a video from a youth ministry leader. He intentionally stated one reason it’s so hard to relate to teens, and unintentionally stated the real reason. His intended explanation is that teens are hard to relate to because of the big relational changes that happen as kids move toward independence. The authoritative […]
What Are Your Parental Super Powers?
Sometimes it can feel like parents need super powers to survive the day and keep everything together. Kristi, a mom of two young kids, recently sent us this story about her super powers — but they’re not what she thought they were…
6 Teenage Survival Tips that Don’t Totally Suck
In our work coaching hundreds of parents of teens over the years, we’ve hit on six themes that draw the parent-child relationship closer. Read through and let us know in the comments below which of the tips you want to implement in your family.
The Great Thing About Yelling…
The great thing about yelling is that it helps a parent unload a lot of frustration and for the moment feel a sense of control. The bad part is – that moment is short-lived. Whatever damage was done in the brief outburst (or in some cases the extended outburst) tends, in the hours and days […]
