A few years ago I had the opportunity to hear a young, successful woman talk to a group made up primarily of high school aged single mothers. The speaker believes that part of her success is due to the fact that she did not spend hours in front of the television.
Author Archives: Jeff Buursma
Spiritual Doubts
Since our youngest was about 2 and a half (he just turned 3), he has been asking us great theological questions. I expected to have a lot of great conversations about our faith as our kids grew up, but I was surprised when the first of these “deep” questions came from our two year old!
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The Power of Perception
As parents, its sometimes easy to focus on our child’s weaknesses. Our goal is to help our child to overcome those weaknesses so that they can live a full life. However, it’s clear that we can easily have a negative impact on our child’s view of herself.
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Passing on Values
I remember reading about a research project that studied moms, both in the United States and in Japan, and their desires for their children. The researchers determined that American moms, by and large, wanted their children to be happy. Japanese moms, by and large, wanted their children to be successful.
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When Do You Get Help?
While serving as a youth pastor for 13 years in a local church, I had the opportunity to witness children struggling with so many difficult issues. Many times it became clear that the struggles these kids were facing were deep and complex.
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Sibling Battles
It was sometime in college when I realized how much I appreciated my brothers. I realized how much I enjoyed spending time with them and how well we connected. The years leading up to that realization were not always so rosy. Like almost all siblings, we had our fair share of battles.
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Childhood Fears
Almost all children have fears. Some of these fears are reasonable and some are completely irrational. A few common fears that your children may deal with are the dark, thunder, strangers, death, animals, doctors, dentists, going somewhere without mom or dad, and getting hurt. How do we help our children to overcome their fears?
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Encouragement to Encourage
I just interviewed a nanny who talked about her belief in the importance of praising and encouraging children. I was excited to hear her passion and understanding of the value of encouragement.
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Avoid the Helicopter
I have recently heard some stories of parents who continue to be helicopter parents even after their children have graduated high school.
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The Value of Grandparents
This past Christmas, my parents gave each of their children a copy of their spiritual will. They explained that they wanted to clearly state for their children and future generations their values and beliefs.