It has been a rough week learning about Las Vegas and the tragedy there. From this tragedy I am reminded again of the importance of building each other up and sharing encouraging words. This is something that we can so easily do for the kids in our lives. Over the past year, I have been encouraged by teachers and pastors to write words of encouragement to kids in my life.
Category Archives: Parenting Tips
Continuing to Let Go
Six years ago, Jeff shared a post about Letting Go. He shared that his professor at Calvin Seminary had said one time, “You spend the first two years of a child’s life holding them tightly; you spend the next 16 years letting them go.” Our goal as parents is to move children from a place of complete dependence to a place of independence.
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Remember When
Someday “today” will become “remember when”. This past Sunday, my family was able to enjoy a wonderful skiing day with some extended family. Others spent Sunday watching a Superbowl game that turned out to have an amazingly shocking ending.
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Mom Says…
How many times have you overheard that phrase? “Mom (Dad) says….” As parents, we are often the primary source of information for our children. Our word is taken as truth and fact (at least for the first 8-10 years of their life). What do we choose to do with this power?
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Parent Fails and Positive Spins
Do you ever have a day that you just don’t feel like you are succeeding in your parenting role? It was just one of those mornings at our house. Trying to get the family out the door almost sent me over the edge. However, the important thing to remember each and every day is that there is a positive spin to all situations and just keep trying.
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Summer Learning Loss – Simple Steps of Prevention
I am one of many parents who LOVES the start of summer. Less morning routine obligations. Less lunches to pack. More options to relax and play. More vacations etc etc… And yet, I have read articles about the learning loss that occurs over these summer breaks. For example I just read that…
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Story Starters for Kids
As I read articles on parenting and teaching, I continually read about the importance of introducing our children to words, language and stories. Reading to them when they are young, encouraging them to read and write as they get older and using proper language pronunciation and words are so vital to helping kids get a good start in their language and vocabulary. One of my favorite activities is something I call “story starters”.
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Indoor Summer Play
Sometimes, it is simply too hot or rainy to head outside or you have a small time frame to fill before another activity. Here are some indoor activities that can be easily tweaked to be fun and age appropriate.
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Learning Compassion
Merriam-Webster describes compassion as “sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it”. A few years back our oldest daughter started riding the bus and it was not a smooth transition. Tears, pleas for mom or dad to drive her and sad glances out the bus window were a regular part of our morning routine for several weeks.