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…
Don’t Miss It!
Note: I wrote this article ten years ago. And yes, I had forgotten these things again. Parents, this is exactly why we need to write our stories down! . . . Recently my children pulled out their memory books to…
My Family’s Favorite DIY Costumes
In our family, we don’t go all out for Halloween. We do think it’s fun to get dressed up in costumes and go ask our neighbors to give us candy, but that’s about the extent of it. Oh, and we…
Parenting a Puppy
Several weeks ago, my family decided that two dogs just weren’t enough for our family of seven humans. And so we added a third dog. A Golden Retriever puppy, to be precise. His name is Dallas, and he’s just about…
Making the Most of ALL This Family Time
These next weeks/months will likely set a record for the most family time any of us have ever had. Ever. We didn’t see this coming, but it’s here, and we are faced with a choice: We can either waste our…
Parents Seeking Better Relationships with Their Children: Experiences Required
When you think back on your most treasured birthdays, holidays, and other special times with your family when you were growing up, you probably remember the experiences you had with them more than you remember the gifts they gave you.…
Birthday Party Memories
Can you remember all of your childhood birthday parties? Some of them? How about just a memory or two? Think about which memories stand out to you and consider why they made an impact on you. Many times it has…
Setting Sail
This month my firstborn child will graduate from high school, and, as all parents of seniors, I am wondering how we got here so quickly. In lieu of sadness, though, we are choosing to celebrate Callie’s graduation, so she and…
Coach
I’ve been called a lot of things over the years, but “Coach” has never been one of them… until recently. My 13-year-old daughter Katie signed up to play in a recreational volleyball league, and they needed coaches. Since I played…
In Defense of Screen Time
I’ll be the first to admit that the overabundance of screens in our lives can have a damaging effect on our families. We so easily become distracted by and addicted to them, and the tendency is for each person to…
