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 […]
Parenting
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 […]
Do You REALLY Want the Children to Stop Fighting?
We’ve all been there. You’re tired. The kids are bickering. Again. If only they would just stop fighting. If only they could just quit all the arguing. If you had a magic word, you’d say it, right?(Hey, magic words might be better than the other kids of words you’re tempted to say when the children […]
5 Surprising Books that have Impacted My Parenting
Before I even had kids, I started reading all the parenting books I could get my hands on. I wanted to become an expert so I could be the perfect mom. What surprised me as I walked along this parenting journey was that some of the books that have shaped how I view my role as […]
Stop Snot-Shaming Other Moms
We just finished two weeks of sharing some kind of nasty bug, probably the flu. My husband was out of work for several days with a fever, chills, and whole-body aches. Many of the kids have had fevered nights as well. It’s definitely the pits. But could we please not add to the burden by […]
My Mama Superpower
I have a superpower. It isn’t x-ray vision, or even eyes in the back of my head. Given enough adrenaline and toddler mayhem, I could probably leap just about anything in a single bound. But that isn’t it, either. I’m discovering that I have the power to create a forcefield. And, mama, so do you. […]
Create a Custom Chore System
I remember once complaining to my mother, “It seems like I’m the only one who really cares about how the house looks!” She looked me right in the eyes and said, “That’s right. It isn’t as important to anyone else as it is to you.” Wow. Light bulb moment! It didn’t change anything. But it […]
A Mediator Worthy of Trust
I like the metaphor of the Mama Marriage Counselor, because so much of what we do as mothers of siblings is like marriage counseling, rather than playing judge. Your role as mediator is an important one and how you approach it can have a huge impact on your children’s ability to understand their own hearts […]
3 Kinds of “I’m Sorry”
I’m sure you’ve watched the scenario unfold in your home (as I have in mine). The brother takes the sister’s toy or says something rude. And you, the wise overseer of sibling relationships, say, “You need to say you’re sorry!” Out comes a hideous, grumbling “I’m sorry” muttered under the breath or flung out like […]
Win Your Brother
Remember that day I wrote about? That day when the kids were arguing and I wanted to just smack them around with a few Bible verses? Yea, that day. Matthew 18 was a mama-lesson then. But since then, it’s also been a great place to bring the kids for some heart-instruction in handling conflicts. It’s not […]