Gratitude: Let’s Follow Pollyanna’s Lead
Pollyanna gets a bad rap, and I always want to come to her defense. I know she is a fictional character, but she has been one of my favorite people since the first time I saw the classic Disney movie…
Summertime Challenges and Rewards
Last year my husband Kevin came up with a great strategy for encouraging our kids to make good use of their free time in the summer. He posted a list of various challenges and offered a monetary award to anyone…
Summer Fun with the Grandparents: Teachable Moments Included
Over the last year, many of us were unable to spend time in person with extended family members – especially grandparents. So our gatherings this summer will be particularly special. And, parents, we can make this time even more meaningful…
Avoid the Summer Slump with Teachable Moments
Just as teachers want children to avoid the “summer slump” of digressing academically June through August, we as parents don’t want our children to forget what WE have taught them either. That’s why it’s so important for us to look…
Teachable Moments in the Lenten Season
The season of Lent has already begun. If you and your family are getting a late start on this observance, or if you’ve never actually observed Lent before, it’s not too late to start. For families who profess faith in…
They’re Watching Us!
When my daughter Katie was four years old, she enjoyed pretending to cook in the play kitchen at her grandparents’ house. One time my mother-in-law, who was laughing hysterically, called me into the room to observe Katie, who was watching…
An Education in Life: Taking Advantage of Teachable Moments During the School Years
Not all lessons taught during the school years involve textbooks. And they’re not all taught by teachers in classrooms. In fact, most important lessons are taught by us parents, and we do our teaching at home, in the car, in…
It’s So Tempting…
Have you seen video clips of the marshmallow test? You know, the one where they put a big marshmallow on a plate in front of a kid and tell him that if he can wait 15 minutes without eating that…
New Starts
It’s quite possible that I say this in every January issue, but it’s true. I love new starts! There is something so refreshing and inspiring about a new year, a new beginning. In fact, I love to think of each…
Trust: We’re Either Building It or Breaking It
We talk about trust a lot around our house. We believe that, pretty much all the time, we are either building or breaking trust with one another through our words and actions, whether we realize it or not. We stress…
