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Gentle Parenting Isn’t Working
Parents should absolutely be gentle with their children. We should be loving, patient, and caring. But somewhere along the way, many parents began believing that being gentle means avoiding conflict, preventing disappointment, and rescuing their kids from the challenges that build resilience. Recently, I was standing in the checkout line at a store when I…
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Sometimes, You Have to Step Forward First
The Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. After decades of waiting, they were finally standing on the edge of the Promised Land. The journey was almost over. The promise was right in front of them. And then they were stopped by a flooded river. “It was harvest season, and the Jordan was overflowing…
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Why Your Teen Needs a Parent, Not Another Best Friend
Have you seen posts where doting parents call their teenager their best friend? While I love to see a tight bond between parents and teenagers, teenagers still need parents. The teenage years can be confusing because our role begins to shift. We aren’t tying their shoes anymore. We aren’t packing every item in their backpack…
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Is the Grass Greener on the Other Side?
When I was in seventh grade, I had an opportunity to join a basketball team. I participated in the first practice. It was hard. After a very long practice, the coach walked us outside and said we could head home as soon as we ran to the stop sign and back. It was a mile…
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I Want My Kids to See This in Me in 2021.
Do you ever look back on your childhood and think about how your parents handled different situations? I sometimes think about the different things my parents had to go through, and I’m amazed at how they not only overcame challenges but also did so with courage. Now that I’m a parent, I realize that my…
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Parents, We Are Being Watched
In August, we were so excited because we found out that soccer season was going to happen! In the days of Covid and not getting to have a spring season, we were pumped! The fall season kicked off with a scrimmage. During one of my son’s games, everything was going great until a player from…
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Let’s Just Ask Teachers to Work for Free
March 2020 was going great. We were in a routine and getting ready for spring break. And then, Covid hit. Suddenly, I not only had a full-time job to manage but now I had my four kids that needed schooling at home as well. I was so impressed with the teachers at my kids’…
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Racism is Taught, But So is Kindness
Picture courtesy of Isaiah May 🙂 With the recent news about the horrible death of George Floyd, I have seen so many people offering their thoughts. He should never have been treated that way. As I was thinking about the whole situation, I kept asking myself, “How can I help?”. It feels overwhelming because I…
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Playing with Snakes
When I go to bed, I am usually so tired that I go to sleep and sleep solidly until my alarm. Dreaming doesn’t usually happen. Maybe that’s what four kids, a full-time job, and now full quarantine will do to you. Ha! However, last week I had a dream that was so real, I cannot…
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Why Can’t My Son Read?
Parenting is hard. No guidebook can truly prepare you. And, what I’ve figured out so far in my parenting journey is that one of the hardest things occurs when your child is struggling and you don’t know how to fix the problem. When one of my boys was in 1st grade, his teacher shared some…
