Growth & Development Archives - Page 10 of 24

Sounds Asleep with Sleep Machines?

Most moms have had a moment (or ten or 1,000) when they declared, “I’d give anything for good night’s sleep!” New parents once had to pace the floor, drive the neighborhood, or prop up fans, but that all changed with the invention of sound machines. When parents find themselves battling colicky characteristics, they’re even more desperate to find relief! Babies come home now to sound machines in stuffed animals, clipped on furniture, poised on night stands, or generated by iPhone apps. Are there potential dangers in consistent use of a white noise producer? What should expectant parents consider before they …

31 Ways to Keep Your Kids Cool

The 4th of July is just around the corner, not only will your kiddos be turning on the heat to their favorite fireworks, but the heat will be tough to beat for the rest of the summer. Here is a quick and handy list to pin for 31 Ways to Keep Your Kids Cool! 1. Redneck Water Sprinkler: Grab an old pop bottle, poke dozens of holes and thread onto hose. I’ve seen others attach it with duck tape. 2. Water Balloon Teamwork: Divide children into two teams. Have the children pair up within their team with a partner, back to …

The message your girl needs to hear

“You are more than a body.” That was the powerful message of the 20-something, handsome young man speaking at the podium. He continued, “‘You are beautiful. And I want to be clear. If any boy does not respect you and your boundaries, they aren’t good enough for you. Period.” It sounds like something a mother might say – should say. But coming from this young man, it had an especially entrancing — and hopefully lasting — effect on the middle school girls in the audience. As part of a spring Mother/Daughter Bible Study at our church, I had asked our area’s Young Life Director …

Downplaying Your Teen’s “Drama”

I’ll never forget the day my then 14-year old (now 16) daughter argued, “Well, I’m not you, Mom. I haven’t been abused like you were, but my pain still hurts. And I hate admitting that to you.” I’m not gonna lie, I learned something that day. But even now with a 19-year old son and 16- & 14-year old daughters, I’m still tempted to revert back to showing them how much better they have it than I did (or many others do). And you know what? Dismissing, downplaying, diminishing…dissing my teen’s troubles, though understandable at times, is the wrong approach …

Mom the Enforcer or Mom the Evaluator by Lori Wildenberg

Do you sometimes feel like you are the Enforcer? Or the Parent Police? Okay instead be the EVALUATOR! Summertime is filled with countless decisions because of the additional flex time. Evaluating every activity deciding, whether or not to give the go ahead nod or deliver the dreaded no is exhausting. No matter the age of your kiddo, youngster to young adult, constantly thinking on your feet to determine if your answer is a yea or nay is such a brain drain! Constantly thinking on your feet to determine if your answer is a yea or nay is a brain drain! …

You’re a gardener, mom.

AND THE WINNER OF YESTERDAYS TICKET GIVEAWAY IS A BIG SURPRISE! WE HAVE A SPONSOR WHO HAS SPONSORED EACH OF YOU TO WIN ONE TICKET AND THE WINNER OF THE TWO TICKETS IS SUE WALTERS. Sue Walters, Maria, Tanyia Rowan, and Cheryl Stovall… YOU ALL WILL RECEIVE AN EMAIL WITH YOUR TICKET IN YOUR INBOX BY MONDAY! CONGRATULATIONS and a BIG THANK YOU TO OUR GRACIOUS SPONSORS! For Mother’s Day a few year’s ago, my son gave me a hand-painted ceramic pot with a fabric flower inside of it: It was the perfect gift for me because …

Why Your Teen Needs Peer Pressure

Dr. David Stoop is a Christian psychologist and family counselor and ordained minister. His doctorate is from the University of Southern California and he is a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California (also my Alma Mater). Dr. Stoop is an adjunct professor at Fuller where he teaches courses associated with family therapy. I was privileged to have Dr. Stoop as one of my professors at Fuller and have always admired his work. Dr. Stoop has authored over 30 book, and was the co-editor of the Life Recovery Bible. You can learn more about Dr. Stoop at his website. I follow Dr. …

Mommy Fears

Today, we’re super excited and honored to have a sweet friend, Celeste Barnard with us sharing about something we all deal with… MOMMY FEARS! Always do what you are afraid to do ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson Mommy Fears. We all have them. I wish I could put on some mommy armor that would render these fears ineffective. But they’re real- and they affect me. Most people I meet have something that scares them or there’s something holding them back from being all that God has created them to be. The older I get, the more I realize how much these fears affect …

A Story Like Yours… or Maybe Not ~ But a God Who Makes Beauty Out of Ashes…OH…and a Conference You Just Can’t Miss!

Hey you. Yeah. You! The one who may have had a rough day, a bad past, or are feeling a little lost in this great big wide world. I want to share a bit of my heart with you about what God has brought me from and what God has brought me to. It’s not a rags to riches story…but is is beauty from ashes story. It’s a story about a girl…a girl whose story might be like yours…or maybe not. But it’s about a God who is really good at making beauty out of ashes. It’s a story about …

how to talk to your teen girl so she will listen

She longed to be a princess. And in my eyes, she was. As a little girl, my daughter spent countless hours playing dress up and imagining she was Belle, Cinderella, Jasmine or one of the other magical characters from storybooks. It was a time that holds so many sweet memories. Fast forward about six years. Suddenly my “princess” is acting more like a pill. And I’m totally caught off guard by the transformation. Overnight, it seemed like “Mommy, what do you think?” was abruptly replaced with, “I know, Mom! You’ve told me this stuff, like, 1,000 times already! Do I really …

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