How do we give our teenagers something to do—not just a list of things to stay away from? How do we give them opportunities to collaborate with their family, serve their community, and discover how God has uniquely wired them to influence the world around them? What would a list of things they can do… Continue reading Five Ways to Help Your High Schooler Find Their Purpose
With the first day of school looming a few weeks ago, my youngest son—ready to stroll into kindergarten—looked at me and said, “You have to get all of your work done while we’re in school so you can play with us every day when we get home.” He did not follow this up with, “No… Continue reading How to Balance Being Productive vs. Being Present
Let me guess. You feel like you really need to de-stress. Of course you do…you’re a parent. Pretty much every parent I talk to is tired. Well, more than just tired. Stressed. Deeply stressed. And kind of exhausted. There’s a fatigue that comes with parenting that’s a little hard to describe. Throw a global pandemic… Continue reading Why Time Away Might Not Fix Your Stress
Six grandkids in six years has started me rethinking how I interact with my adult children, who are now parents. More and more, I’m met with the fact that parenting isn’t a formula, and every kid is very different. I can’t expect my adult children to parent their kids exactly the way I parented them.… Continue reading The Important Role Grandparents Play
“Well, I guess I can’t do anything right.” I stopped loading the dishwasher and looked at my daughter when I heard her say that. I knew immediately I was the reason she had said it. I had been picking her apart since she got home from school. I had corrected her for at least five… Continue reading Sometimes We Need to Hear What We’re Doing Right
Saying motherhood is a calling is an American privilege. Not every mother gets that choice. I know many single moms who would love to stay home with their kids—to make raising kids their job—but they can’t. The very fact that I’m writing an entire chapter about this topic highlights the privilege we have. Most people… Continue reading Motherhood Is a Relationship, Not a Calling
I love a good fresh start. I’m a sucker for Mondays. I dutifully write New Year resolutions every year. There’s nothing like breaking in a brand-new notebook. And Spring cleaning? That is my jam. If you’re anything like me, you are charmed by the magic of new beginnings too. And after the year we’ve all… Continue reading How Can We Make This Year Better?
I remember one time, I was walking off stage after hosting a game show for a live audience, and I about collapsed, I was so relieved that it was over. “I was nervous the entire time,” I told a coworker standing nearby. “I’m still shaking!” “What?” she responded, genuinely confused. “You’re like, the most confident… Continue reading 5 Things I Want My Daughters to Know About Confidence
By: Charlie Conder You parented your child for approximately 936 weeks from the day they were born until they graduated from high school. Welcome to week 937 and beyond. It’s the beyond part for me. When high school graduation hits, you hug and high five other parents because you made it. It feels like… Continue reading They’re All Grown Up. Now What?
In the next few weeks, most kids and teenagers will have returned to school. The beginning of any school year often generates feelings of nervousness, excitement, and the anticipation of what’s to come – for our kids and for us. Let’s face it, we were really hoping that in this school year, we’d be basking… Continue reading 5 Things Your Kids May Be Worried About This School Year