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How to Handle Tattling as a Gentle Parent
Were you raised with parents or caregivers or teachers who told you not to be a tattletale? Just thinking about this makes me cringe. Adults didn’t want to hear about the things that were upsetting to younger kids, tweens, or teens unless there was blood. And there are a lot of things that can happen that are wrong that don’t involve blood or imminent physical harm. So let’s talk about tattling. I was recently involved in a conversation online about tattling and it’s interesting to see the different points of views. But the overwhelming majority of moms in this conversation said that they basically didn’t want to hear about it…
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I’m Not Saying Gentle Parenting is the Only Way
But I am Saying That Spanking Your Child Isn’t the Way Parenting is one of the hardest, easiest things that I have ever done. If I had spent more time being guided by the God-given instincts and discernment than by the fear of man, I would have made much different choices earlier in my parenting journey. I have had to repent, relearn, and dig into that inner voice (Holy Spirit in my case) that guides my decisions. You see, if you know anything about my journey, you know that I wasn’t spanked growing up. To clarify, my mom tells me she tried once or twice because people in the church…
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Something to Remember as Your Transition Your Parenting Style
Going From Punitive to Peaceful Parenting Transition is always the hardest process. When you want to lose weight, it’s easier to stay the same or maintain when you get there. When you are an expert in your career field, it’s always easier than the process to get there. The truth is that transition is messy. It’s hard. And you are dealing with real people and personalities and unexpected emotions that arise in the process when you are trying to let go of punitive parenting ideologies and habits and replacing them with evidence-based and Christlike parenting. So breathe. Welcome to the journey. Welcome to the side of motherhood where you aren’t…
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6 Reasons to Be a Helicopter Parent With Technology
I admit that when it comes to technology, I am a helicopter parent. My kids have tons of freedom in so many ways, but technology is one of the things that I believe deserves a higher level of control as kids are growing up. There are many different reasons for this, and I am sure that you may disagree, but I hope you listen anyway. As a parent, one of my primary responsibilities is to protect my children. We as parents do this all the time when we tell our kids not to climb too high or run into the streets or talk to strangers. But I’ve noticed that many…
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The Importance of Engaging Face-to-Face With Your Children: 5 Reasons to Put Down Your Smartphone
I remember the day my oldest told me, “Mom, you’re always on your phone. You hardly put it down.” And daaaang. If that wasn’t a whole word, I don’t know what is. And while the old me might’ve been like, “no I’m not” or “well, your dad is on it more than me.” Instead, I put the phone down, looked him in the eyes, and said, “you know what, you’re right. I have been on my phone a lot lately.” The truth is, I was going through a really hard time (not related to the kids) and I was using the phone to escape from the hard feelings I was…
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12 Screen-Free Ways to Connect With Your Teens and Tweens
Parents of teens and tweens often lament the fact that it feels hard to connect with their growing children because of technology. I have plenty of opinions about using tech that I will share in another post, but for those of you trying to make a concerted effort to connect with your teens and tweens, here are some ideas to get you started. While building connection is of course important in the early years, it’s never too late to foster a healthy relationship with your child. 1. Cook Together: Cooking can be a wonderful bonding experience. Invite your teens into the kitchen to help prepare a meal. It’s not just…
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5 Ways to Improve Your Child’s Emotional Health
Raising kids in modern times means we have so much to think about. How much screen time is too much? Is it safe to leave my kids with a sitter? How can I share the love of Christ with them? How can I raise them to become decent humans as adults? One of the things that is gaining in understanding is emotional health. While we know a bit about mental health and physical health, emotional health is still a mysterious space that many people are uncertain of how to navigate. There are some things that experts can agree on and it’s that parents play a big role in shaping a…
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7 Reasons to Raise Emotionally Healthy Children
As parents, we all want the best for them. We work tirelessly to protect and guard them, trying to give them every opportunity in life. One of the ways we can help equip our children for life is to focus on doing things that build up their emotional health. Boys and girls who are emotionally healthy experience many benefits as compared to their peers who have poor emotional health. Here are the top 7 reasons to raise emotionally healthy children. They are Resilient in the Face of Challenges Life is full of ups and downs, and kids need to be equipped to handle them. Emotionally healthy children are better able…
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I Loved the Barbie Movie – Here’s Why
I never would’ve thought that a movie like Barbie would stir up so much controversy in different spheres of society. From staunch religious conservatives to liberal atheists, everyone who has seen it has an opinion about Barbie. Some good, and some not so good. I’ve hesitated to write my own thoughts because unlike many of my Christian peers, I actually enjoyed, and dare I say — LOVED — the Barbie Movie. *****Quick Note – There are some spoiler alerts, so read at your own discretion.***** Based on many of the conservative voices I heard opinions on the movie from, I fully expected to head into the Barbie Movie to hear…
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Healthy Mom Life – Managing the Household
One of the most important lessons that I have learned as a mom is that it’s not necessary to have a perfectly clean home. The laundry does not need to be color-coded and ironed and put away instantly. Some toys sprinkled throughout the house is not really a big deal, and if I let some dishes go overnight my house will not suddenly melt into a disastrous oblivion. The truth is, I am a terrible homemaker. I am better at building businesses and writing than I am at making sure the house looks spotless or figuring out something creative to cook for dinner. It’s not that I don’t clean, because…
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