Over the years I have observed and interviewed numerous moms whose children have grown into godly adults, all of who serve the Lord, whether as a stay-at-home mom, in full time ministry or in a secular vocation. While this is not a scientifically based observation, I was able to narrow their success down to twenty common traits. Here are the first five of those twenty. #1 She gets into her child’s WORLD “You will always be your child’s favorite toy.” — Vicki Lansky One of the greatest gifts you can give your child is your time. For your little ones, …
Seven Insider Tips for Pioneer Parents
By Featured Guest: Mary E. DeMuth Adapted from Building the Christian Family You Never Had (WaterBrook, 2006) Some of us grew up in stable, Christ-loving homes. Others did not. What happens when people from difficult upbringings want to raise their children in a Christian home? How do we pioneer a new path for our children? Pioneer Parents are parents who don’t want to duplicate the homes they were raised in. They share many common traits, the most common being fear. They ask themselves questions like: Will the hurtful words my parents said to me fly out of my mouth in …
A Box of Chocolate & A Bubble Bath
This past fall, my oldest child, Kyle, entered his junior year of high school. As a homeschooler, I’m a bit anxious about it. Ok, I’m a lot anxious about it! “Everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way,” according to 1 Corinthians 14:40 (NIV). Paul’s referring to regulations for speaking in tongues. (By the look on my kids’ faces, sometimes they think I’m doing just that!) However, it’s also good advice for teaching. Problem is, I struggle to do anything in a fitting and orderly way. Recently, I carried a basket of clean laundry to my bedroom, where …
Getting Over the Homeschool Holiday Hump
It happened every year. Thanksgiving and Christmas would loom largely over our homeschool plans and as we began to shut things down for the holidays and take a break from class. We loved the time we had together during those precious days – the only problem was that once the holidays were gone and we launched into the new year, we always had a hard time getting back on the homeschool track. Every year we were on three good months into school when the fun and festivities of all the holidays seemed to derail our well laid plans. Definitely not …
Say You’re Sorry
Recently I watched my daughter-in-law teaching her little girl to say, “I’m sorry!” It was a heart-wrenching but beautiful thing. She’s only 2, but in many cases, she is already well aware of what is right and wrong. She understands that saying mean things, talking back to her parents or adults, taking toys away from her friends and lying are all bad behaviors. The Bible teaches us that we are all born with a conscience (Romans 2:14-15) and so we naturally know some things are just wrong. Understanding the scope and gravity of other behaviors and attitudes comes with time. That’s …
Stop Interrupting Me!
Have you ever been in the middle of a conversation with someone and your child began to constantly interrupt you? “Mommy! I need you! Mommy! Moooommmy! Mom!” as they relentlessly tug on your shirt.” It’s not only frustrating and aggravating – it’s a little embarrassing. What do you do? How can you teach your children to respect you and your time with others? Is it possible to teach them how not to be rude without making them feel as though they are unimportant or that you’re ignoring them? When my children were younger I had that problem and I had …
It’s Scary Being a Mom
Babies don’t come with instruction manuals and mommas don’t automatically know what to do. Are you surprised by that? I remember the day I first brought my newborn baby boy home. I was so awed by that sweet little bundle of humanity that I could barely speak. But my over-joyed heart quickly transformed into an overwhelmed flood of fear when I realized the responsibility that came with that 7 pound 14 ounce treasure of pure pleasure. All I could think is, “What am I going to do with him now?” “What if something goes wrong?” “What if he cries and I don’t …
Preventing Picky Eaters
Is it really possible to raise children who aren’t picky eaters? Are there any tips to make mealtime a healthy haven of eating pleasure? It’s a dilemma most moms deal with at some time or another. The journey to healthy kids who eat healthy food and make mealtime more relaxing and less contentious begins before they are ever born and their propensity to prefer healthy foods over junk food is nurtured throughout their childhood. So, how can we prevent picky eaters… Begin in the womb and while you breastfeed. While your sweet little bundle of joy is developing within …
Conception
From the time the chromosomes collide, fertilization takes place and a baby begins its journey in life. It takes about three days for the baby to makes its way to the womb where it will reside for the next 39 weeks or so. But make no mistake about it, this little life tucked in your tummy is now your child. Scientifically speaking the processs goes something like this: After ovulation the egg which has been released into your fallopian tubes awaits fertilization. When one sperm cell penetrates a mature egg it becomes a fertilized egg and instantly the sex of …
Rockabye Baby
Newborn babies sleep a lot. But they wake up a lot too…especially during the first six months. New moms who often describe their nights as sleepless and their days as long may be able to get some much needed rest if they try to implement the following five tips. 1. BE CONSISTENT – Consistency is the number one key to almost every area of development for your little one. In our crazy, busy, non-scheduled world it’s important to know babies thrive on schedules. You may not be used to watching the clock and keeping a dairy of your day, but …