The 2003 remake of the movie Freaky Friday with Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan has been a family favorite for several years now.  The movie begins with the typical crazy morning rush to get the family out the door and off to school and work.  As the mom is dropping off her teenage daughter at school, she calls out the window after her, “Make good choices!”  The daughter sighs and rolls her eyes as she is walking towards the building. After we had seen this movie for the first time, I would often say this phrase to my girls

Children are naturally self-centered beings.  Because they are always growing and learning, it comes as no surprise that their focus is often primarily on themselves.  However, left unchecked, the tendency towards being self-centered quickly leads to selfish and demanding behavior. How do we combat this?  I think the best way is by helping our children to develop an attitude of gratitude. Gratitude is defined as the quality of being thankful or appreciative.  Learning to be thankful puts the focus on what we have, rather than on what we don’t have.  Since whatever we focus on gets bigger, we need to

O-B-E-Y obey your mom and dad; O-B-E-Y it makes them very glad. Listen to the words they say, obey your parents every day; O-B-E-Y obey your mom and dad. We used to sing this song every day with our girls when they were little (and on a few occasions as a good reminder even when they were not so little).  Parents, why is it so important that our children obey us?  Well, an obvious reason is to keep them safe.  Additionally, it is also important for our kids to learn to submit to authority because they will have numerous situations

Twenty years ago author Dr. Gary D. Chapman wrote a book entitled The Five Love Languages.  This bestseller has since revolutionized the way that thousands of couples relate to one another (including me and my husband).  Five years later he released a version of this teaching specifically geared towards parents and children called The Five Love Languages of Children.    I consider this a must-read for any parent.  Dr. Chapman’s research and insight provide valuable information that any parent can use to build and improve relationships with their kids.  If you haven’t already read this book, then please consider adding