“Yes, Mom. I’ll obey. Right away. All the way. The happy way.” What would you do if your six-year-old answered your instruction with this little mantra? What if I told you I know children who have done this? Would you … Read More
What does first-time obedience look like in your family today? After teaching GFI parenting classes for over 20 years, this is the question we began asking parents that were part of our Growing Kids God’s Way class. First-time obedience may … Read More
Sometimes parenting can seem like playing a game of Whack-A-Mole. Like those little moles, seemingly unrelated attitudes and misbehaviors in our children can begin to pop up with increasing frequency. We deal with one, only to have another appear in … Read More
A cold look, being ignored or laughed at, or a stuffy “You’re not invited” can be hurtful to anyone. Relationships are complicated. I am a math girl. I think in equations and flowcharts. If you do this, then the result … Read More
What is freedom? The dictionary defines freedom as: the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint. How do you know when to grant a particular freedom to your child? Here are some … Read More
When I was a young mom, I think I judged most of my young children’s behaviors and attitudes that were less than the standard as forms of disobedience. I had set an expectation and trained my children to respond, “Yes, … Read More
Many of us have a love-hate relationship with boundaries, but the reality is that boundaries are a part of our adult lives on a daily basis. The speed limit signs dictate how fast we can drive on the highway, on … Read More
When our daughters turned five, we took them shopping for their own tea cup and saucer. Our oldest daughter, being a lover of purple, chose a tea cup with beautiful purple flowers. Our youngest daughter, smitten with roses, chose Prince … Read More
I recently sent an SOS email to a seasoned Growing Families mom, Jill Everson. Our youngest, who is 4, was really struggling to gain self-control on her own. We would send her to “sit on the rug and gain self-control” … Read More
As parents we can sometimes unwittingly undermine our own authority. One of the ways we do that is by consistently parenting outside the funnel. Oh, we have boundaries and do our best to maintain them, but there are subtle ways … Read More
My mom passed away when she was 56. I was only 29. I had two young children and had just had a kidney transplant two weeks before. At the funeral, my 6-year-old daughter looked in the casket and then … Read More
