When my middle daughter was in the first grade, she got the lead part in her class Thanksgiving play. She was SO excited! They performed it during the school day at the local retirement home, and I couldn’t wait to see her. The morning of the play, I remembered. I reminded my husband about it….
One of the most important keys to having a happy home is making it a house of prayer. It’s good for children to learn at a young age how important it is to include the Lord in our lives and to rely on Him for strength and for guidance. I want their first thought to…
Technology is here to stay—start teaching children responsible use of technology now. I love technology. I love it enough that I might burst out in song about it, a la Kip from Napoleon Dynamite. It is so amazing! I don’t know what I ever did without things like my computer or my phone. (Okay, so…
Redirect your children’s temper tantrums with gratitude. It really works! It’s amazing how entitled my kids can be sometimes. Shocking, really. Related: The Entitlement Trap Book Review I’m sure I acted that way as a kid, too, but I’m still surprised every time the entitlement rears its ugly head at my house. Don’t get me…
5 good reasons to give experience gifts instead of more toys. I love giving my children gifts, I really do. There’s something about seeing the excitement they have as they open their present to see what it is and knowing you chose just the right thing for them. It’s a little bit addicting, actually! I’m…
Saying “I love you” isn’t the only way to tell your kids you love them. These 50 ideas will help you show love to your kids in new and creative ways! At our house, we say “I love you” many times each day. In fact, we say it so much that sometimes it becomes a…
Every kid wants to feel super special on their birthday! Here are some great ways to make sure they do. This morning my husband and I dragged ourselves out of bed really, really early—like, before 6:00 am early—to give our newly minted 15-year-old breakfast in bed. She leaves to early morning seminary by 6:25 every…
Looking for new and fun ways to engage with your kids? Try these fun conversation starters! I don’t know about you, but we spend an awful lot of time in our car. As soon as the kids get home from school we are jumping in the car to go to dance and music lessons, cross…
The other morning my youngest daughter was having an emotional meltdown before school. In fact, I could probably write that sentence on any given day because on most mornings she has an emotional meltdown before school. Usually it’s because she is feeling rushed (the bus comes awfully early), and she doesn’t like her parents nagging…
As a parent, do you often find yourself saying “no” to your kids’ requests? Here’s why you should turn that around and say “yes” as much as you can. “Mom! Can I invite Elizabeth over?”“Mom! Can I make myself a snack?”“Mom! Can I watch a movie on Netflix?”“Mom! Can you please buy me new shoes?”“Mom!…
Are you ready for your kids to pack their own lunches for school? This free printable will help them to pack healthy lunches that have every food group included. I want my kids to be self reliant. I try hard to give them as many ways to be independent as possible so that they are…
A couple of days ago, my 9-year-old had her very last violin lesson. Yes, you read that right. I let her quit music lessons after four years of sticking it out. It wasn’t an easy decision for me at all and I feel like a great big failure of a music mom. My husband is…