Julie Sanders, Author at The Mom Initiative

How to See Eating Disorders in Kids

On the day she shared her story with me, Katie Kluke’s blue eyes were full of hope. She wore a soft gray sweater that draped easily around her slender frame. Her voice was calm as she told how she once used her Daddy’s stability wrap to encircle her girlish self, making her feel wonderfully “small.” She recounts how she didn’t want “thunder thighs” or the way they made her look: not petite, even in second grade. By 8th grade, family stress stirred the lies in her heart and mind and a full-blown eating disorder in her body. The United States …

How to Find a Mentor on Your Christmas List

For years I’ve wanted a Dust Buster for Christmas, but I have yet to score. Sometimes we repeatedly ask for something, but we fail to make it happen. A lot of women want a mentor and have put it on their “wish list” in conversations, but they remain mentor-less. Having a mentor sounds great, but how do we actually get one? As we approach a new year, you can have the courage put “Mentor” on your wish list and do something about it! I’m putting a MENTOR on my Christmas list! Click To Tweet Having a mentor makes a difference. …

The 3 R’s of Successful Homeschooling

I’m done homeschooling. My season of curriculum choices and co-op duties are done. I’m looking back at the patchwork of schooling formats we used across states, cities, and nations. We’re far enough beyond our homeschool days to look back and know if it worked. I remember days when I begged God to help me help my kids learn well. Even with an education degree, I wasn’t a whiz in all subjects, and my flesh often mixed with my best intentions to be an A+ teacher. Did we learn enough and grow enough? I hoped so. If you’re just starting homeschooling …

5 Questions to Prepare for Parent Teacher Conferences

It’s been long enough. Families who use a traditional classroom or co-op format for schooling have been in school long enough to expect and receive feedback. For many, it’s nearing the time when progress reports and parent conferences will be scheduled. Some schools make this a regular, even required, part of the learning process. Others put the option out there, letting the parents take the lead on scheduling. There’s nothing quite like face-to-face conversation with the teacher to nurture partnership between parent and educator. When it comes to parent-teacher conferences, memorizing James 1:19 is preparation for a successful meeting: “Everyone …

Leading Our Kids to Christ: Good Intentions but Bad Results

Parents who experience life in Jesus want their kids to know him too. After walking in darkness, we long for our kids to live in light. We do all we can in leading our kids to Jesus. How can a parent’s good intentions lead to bad results? We may push our kids to Jesus. God’s plan of salvation is set into motion when He draws us to Himself. “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him,” (John 6:44a). His Spirit ignites our faith, prompts us to believe, and calls us as disciples. We …

Back to School Supply List: 21 Resources

‘Tis the season for supply lists. Unfortunately, the back to school supply list can really add up! More than one mom has approached her homeschool list or classroom list with excitement, only to walk away with a grown up case of test anxiety. As a teacher and a mom, I want to encourage you to keep a few things in mind, if your list has you stressed. Your kids don’t need to have the latest and greatest option out there (= most expensive) If the list is long, prioritize what’s needed most (= a key life “lesson” for all of …

Fighting Teacher Trouble with the PTA

I hope you won’t have teacher trouble this year, but you might. The first conversations of the school year may come after looking at the class lists on school windows, opening mail, or signing up online. You and your kids might discover you’re assigned a teacher or coach you dread. Sweet mama-friend, you may be in for “teacher trouble.” Moms do their best to be positive and patient, letting the new school year get going, but we still might find we’re in for trouble. How can we take action and be godly at the same time? PRAY through teacher trouble …

The ABC’s of Vacation Bible School

I was born into a family where “vacation,” “Bible” and “school” didn’t go together. Before my parents began a relationship with Jesus, the Bible was a way to ruin our vacation! But once our family learned about God’s plan for moms, dads and kids, summer became a special window of opportunity to grow in faith. It’s a season when signs start popping up on street corners advertising “Vacation Bible School” for kids. If you haven’t been part of a church community for long, you might wonder why VBS should get prime real estate on your summer family calendar. What’s so …

Tips for Summer Trips and Technology

Somewhere between the first thousand miles and the second, I realized tech could ruin our togetherness. While it didn’t qualify as “vacation,” our travel across America was much needed time with our son before he spread his wings in college. We mapped out our route, activities, and low-budget accommodations, but failed to anticipate one hazard of family travel today: technology. What do we do with summer trips and technology when we travel? Whether you use iPads for little travelers or iPods for bigger riders, technology can be dangerous. If we let it take us for a ride instead of managing it …

How to Make More Out of Mother’s Day

They sat around the living room in various stages of brokenness and healing. Two women had arrived that week, and another one came that morning before I arrived. Some have stayed through low times, angry times, and desperate times. Some are barely recognizable when I think back to their first days at the women’s shelter. Chapel started, and I asked the group, “Why is Mother’s Day so hard?” Murmurs poured across the room with words like, “passed away, shame, failure, abortion, infertility, abandonment, disowned.” You won’t find these themes on Hallmark cards, but it’s the very real experience of many …

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