As parents, we put a lot of energy into our kids and making sure their needs are met. Are they eating enough vegetables? Should we do dance or gymnastics? Are they getting their homework done? But one area we often don’t focus on is our child’s mental health. Maybe because we don’t think about it […]
Teaching Our Kids to Argue
Teaching Our Kids to Argue and Disagree As a parent of three, I often find myself reminding our kids to stop arguing. Or I find myself telling them to stop arguing with me. But instead of using the word “stop” over and over (and over), I have found the need to teach our kids how […]
Resilience: The Thing Missing in Your Life
Resilience- What’s Missing From Your Life The stress of our society is strong. We are faced with stressors daily: car trouble, childcare issues, financial strain, work stress, family problems… Stress is more than just a word. It is an actual chemical reaction in our brain and body. The consistent release of stress hormones can […]
What is the Most Important Thing You Need to do With Your Kids Today?
Welcome back to Monday Mom Moment! I came across a quote that really hit home. “Today, what are the most important things I need to teach, say to, and do with my kids… Time with our children is fleeting. We think we have all the time in the world, but that way of thinking allows […]
How to Become a Safe Place for Your Children: Communication Tips for Openness and Trust
When our children are upset, who do we want them to talk to? We will want them to talk to us! Unfortunately, some kids do not feel their parents are a safe place to go when they are upset, need to confide in someone, are in need of help, or are in danger. How […]
7 Practical Ways to Help Our Kids Grow Responsible
The more we preach to our kids the less they absorb. How many times have you had to bug your child to remember their backpack? Or do to their homework? Or to clean their room? Now, how often do you do it for them instead of allowing them to deal with the problem? While we […]
Chores- To Pay Or Not To Pay
Chores- To Pay or Not to Pay? Whether or not you choose to pay your child for their chores is a family and personal decision. Depending on the family, opinions may vary on this topic. Some families do not pay for any chores, others offer allowances, while others do a commission system where the […]
Why I Let My Kids Do Chores
My kids are currently at the age where they love to help. Tonight while doing the dishes, they made an even bigger mess than was there to begin. But I will always let them “help.” Our daughter put away the silverware from the dishwasher. Forks were upside down, and the big and small spoons were […]
The Power of Choices
We may not even realize how much of our lives are made up of basic choices. We can choose to put gas in the car, or run out on the freeway. We can choose to pay the electric bill, or use a flashlight. When our children are young we can offer many opportunities for choices. […]
7 Ways to Build Resilience in Your Children
Today’s children are subject to a great deal of stress. From family life, to bullies, to school, to friends, to unforeseen trauma, there are many things that can cause our children to experience an Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE). Read more about ACEs here, and how to overcome your own ACEs here. As hard as […]
Overcoming Your Own ACEs and Breaking Generational Hurt
Have you ever read something that just clicked in your mind as an answer to a question you have had for years? That’s what happened to me when I first began researching Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). After suffering from chronic and unexplainable illnesses for over a decade, I came to the conclusion I […]
7 Things You Should Know About ACEs
The conversation on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) is still new, but researchers and medical professionals are beginning to understand the connection between adverse childhood experiences and adult health problems. Researchers have found a relationship between childhood abuse or family dysfunction and the leading causes of death in adulthood, including cancer, heart disease, liver disease, […]
Our Favorite Helpful Parenting Quotes
Our Favorite Helpful Parenting Quotes Quick Reminders for All Parents Parenting can be stressful. Parenting can be amazing. Sometimes we just need a reminder that we have support and to be encouraged in our journey. Here are a few of our favorite parenting quotes. What’s your favorite? […]
Could you ever be THAT parent?
Could you ever be THAT parent? Helping our kids become responsible adults is one of our most important duties as parents. Helping our kids become equipped to deal with the real world is a more manageable job than most of us probably think. Our kids learn about the world and decision making by […]
Multi-Tasking Martyrdom: Why Moms Need to Stop and How to do it
Multi-Tasking Martyrdom Why Moms Need to Stop and How to do it All three of our kids were asleep, so I thought I would catch up on the latest podcast from a pastor I like. While listening I thought, maybe I’ll just check out what’s happening on Facebook. Oh, look this person posted […]
6 Things We Have Learned Since We Started Love and Logic®
We were model Love and Logic® parents with our first child. From the time she was 8 months, we followed the lessons of this great parenting attitude and it worked! I just had to say, “Ut-oh” and she knew to rethink her choices. But then life happened. My husband was transitioning in […]
The Importance of Empathy: Working Through Big Emotions
Children need to know their parent will love them unconditionally and that we understand their position, even if we do not approve of their actions or decisions. Knowing they live in a safe environment, where mistakes are part of the learning process is important to a child’s development and security. Kids have meltdowns […]
5 Impactful Ways to Foster Your Child’s Self-Worth
You may have failed that test. But you are not a failure. You may have made a big mess with the paint. But you are not a mess. Our self-concept is how we view ourselves, while our self-esteem is how we feel about ourselves. Our self-worth is how we view our value. […]
How to L.O.V.E. Your Strong-Willed Child
From the moment our first son was born I said he was going to turn my hair gray. He was born late, and large, and refused to take his first breath for what seemed like an eternity. He also had to have emergency surgery for intussusception at 3 ½ months. This boy is so very […]
The Ultimate List of Share Day Show-And-Tell for Elementary School
When our first child started preschool the hardest thing for me was how much I missed her. The second hardest thing was helping her think of what to take for Share Day. My mind would draw a blank when trying to think of what toys started with the letter L. Every once in […]