As we find ourselves full-steam into this holiday month, I am especially sensitive about the opportunity to intentionally mentor my children through the holidays. I want to help them embrace the fullness of remembering the Christ child’s birth, without heaping on extra responsibilities rooted in traditions that become a drain on their schedules and deplete their rest and joy. The challenge, however, is that my children are in distinctly different developmental stages. Oh the Teens My oldest, fifteen, is studying for finals while primarily being concerned with seeing her friends as much as possible before the long, family-focused break. …
{Moms of Girls} When Clothing is an Opportunity for an Eternal Investment
Can you remember the days when you were able to dress your daughter in a cute little onesie covered in polka dots or a little seersucker sundresses with matching white underpants? Once upon a time, we were mommies who got to play dress up with our little girl. But then she grew up and older and morphed into a tweenager while you still wanted to hold her hand and guide every single choice. Now clothing is no longer a matter of cuteness — it’s a declaration of independence. It’s the source of stressful conversations and potentially explosive drama, especially for …
When the Idea of Mentoring Makes You Cringe
Even though I’ve spent years mentoring teenagers and younger women, along with writing how to simplify the whole mentoring process, I still have my moments when the mentor word makes me want to cringe. I wonder if my investment of time is really worth it. I question if I am doing it just-the-right-way. And I still long for a mentor to live next door and have time to sip a cup of coffee with me face-to-face. Yet God never seems to allow me to wallow in my self-pity for long before reminding me of the beauty of mentoring — like …
5 Questions to Help You Connect with Your Teen
After living with teenagers for nearly 18 years, you would think I’ve figured out exactly how to connect on a heart-to-heart level, right? Of course, you may be wondering how does one live with teens for that many years? Well, my husband is a boarding school teacher, so I’ve literally spent my whole adult life with tweens and teens from around the world and across the United States. We eat together. Worship together. Enjoy life together. I get to see what they are really like when their parents aren’t watching and especially as they try desperately to gain the approval …