GotchaYou know that moment. That moment when you can see as clear as day that your child is wrong. And he or she either doesn’t realize it, or won’t admit it. You want to get to the bottom of the issue. You want to settle the sibling dispute. You want to end this debate once and […]
Parenting
6 Questions to Ask When the Kids are Fighting (Again)
In our church, children are baptized as babies. Then, when they are ready, they make a public profession of faith and are welcomed to take communion as full members. When my oldest children were younger, I really struggled with the issue of how to know when they were ready to join the church. I’d look at […]
5 Quick Fixes for When You’re Overwhelmed with Constant Sibling Bickering
If it isn’t one thing, it’s another. Nobody wants the blue cup. They all – down to the toddler to who can’t even talk yet – are demanding the red one. There is a giant mess in the family room that it seems was caused by anyone and everyone except “me”. And all parties are equally and […]
Teach Your Kids to Apologize Backwards
Do your children have trouble saying they are sorry or apologizing when they hurt each other? You might be going about it the wrong way. Instead of teaching your children beginning at the first step, I recommend teaching them backwards. Here’s what that looks like. Pin0 Share0 Tweet0 Going Downhill FastA couple of years ago the […]
When “Sorry” is a Sign of Strength
Last week, I posted a little rant about Barbie and her vlog on “Sorry”. Barbie is afraid that saying “sorry” when we haven’t done anything wrong damages our self-confidence. I begged to differ. Maybe you agreed with me. Or maybe you thought I was dismissing something that really does need some consideration. Today, I’m going to […]
Do We Say “I’m Sorry” Too Much?
Have you heard the latest controversy over the phrase “I’m sorry”? Some folks are worried that saying “I’m sorry” when we haven’t done anything wrong means that we are taking blame for things we didn’t do and handling relationships in unhealthy ways. Is that really true? Should we teach our children to stop saying “I’m […]
Why We Aren’t “Trusting God” with Our Family Size
Has anyone ever told you “We are trusting God with the size of our family”? Did you agree? Did you feel a little shamed or confused? I love being a mother of eight kids. I always wanted a large family. My husband loves having a big brood. But we’re not “trusting God” with our family size. […]
Real Help for Angry Mom Days
The other day, an online personality I admire shared a graphic with three helps to stop the yelling. Here were the tips (in summary):Believe that you can change.Look to Jesus for strength.Ask friends for help.So true. And also … so general. This could also be labeled as a list of tips for starting a new […]
News Flash: You are Not Raising Ideal Kids
Last week we talked about yelling and what pulls us back into that habit, even when we don’t want to go there again. I promised we’d talk more about real strategies for handling the anger. Here’s the first one. Adjust your expectations.Expectations vs. RealityAnger happens when there’s a disconnect between our expectations and our reality. It […]
You Yell at Your Kids Because It Works
Do you ever have one of those days? You know the days I’m talking about. The days when you lose your temper and yell at the kids? Maybe you’re tired. Maybe you’re frustrated or overwhelmed. But no matter what the case, you always feel rotten afterwards. No more yelling, you determine. And you promise yourself not […]