Parenting

Note: This post first appeared in 2017 but has been overhauled. 🙂 Rebellion in kids often takes parents by surprise, but the reality is that rebellion begins in the heart way before it’s expressed verbally or behaviourally. There are always early telltale signs of rebellion long before it manifests itself. Rebellion is not something any parent enjoys, but many tolerate it because they think it’s part of normal development. But rebellion is not ok.  It is not “normal”.  In fact, the Bible reveals how serious a sin it is – Deuteronomy 21:18-21 tells how…

Note: This post first appeared in 2017 but has been overhauled. 🙂 Over the years I’ve learned to recognize rebellion in children.  I’ve seen it in the eyes of an 18 month old boy, in the lack of obedience in a 6 year old child, in the back chat and facial expression of a 13 year old, and in the quiet resistance to be told how to do something in a 19 year old. Rebellion, plainly put, is resistance to authority. A rebellious child will resist his parent’s efforts to direct his life and assert his will against…

Good manners are hard to find these days, yet they are essential for success in life.  Clarence Thomas said, “Good manners will open doors that the best education cannot.” What are good manners? Good manners includes more than eating properly. Emily Post, famous for writing about etiquette, put it this way:  “Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others.  If you have that awareness, you have good manners, no matter what fork you use.” Manners are an outward expression of an inner feeling toward others. While they shouldn’t be a pretense, practicing them can…

“I don’t like myself!’ Tears flowed down my son’s face. I was astounded to hear such words from an eight year old child and didn’t know what to do. Every parent wants their child to like themselves, to feel good about who they are, and to have self-confidence. What is self-esteem? Simply put, it’s about how happy you are to be you. How valuable you feel and believe you are. A lot of what poses as self-esteem is vanity and pride yet the Bible tells us to love our neighbour as ourselves…

In a world where social media rules, families are losing touch with each other. The only way to counteract the erosion of the family unit is to be intentional about spending time together, talking, having fun, learning together. Why have quality family time? If children don’t find companionship and sympathy in their parents and in their home, they will look to other sources for these needs. As parents, you need to be companions for your children, winning their love and affection, so you can counteract the influences they are bombarded with daily.   Benefits of quality family time As…

Note: This post was first published on November 20, 2019, but has been updated. Your kids are squabbling. AGAIN! You’re frustrated, overwhelmed and desperate. The thought of leaving home yourself or selling your kids on E-Bay has crossed your mind.  (Did you know that in 1915 U.S. parents could mail their kids via the postal service? They put the stamps on the kid’s clothes and the mailman delivered them!) But seriously, sibling rivalry is exhausting! You really want your kids to have a warm close relationship that they will carry with them into their adult years…

Note: This post was first published in 2017, but has been updated. Please, please, please, remember that discipline is never about venting your anger or irritation. Neither is it merely punishment for wrongdoing. It is about winning the heart of your child. Consequences are the means to this end, not the end themselves. “We change our behavior when the pain of staying the same becomes greater than the pain of changing.  Consequences give us the pain that motivates us to change.” –Henry Cloud  This is the reason we give consequences. As a motivation for change. Whatever…