A former music pastor in our church used to always say “There’s something about life that is so daily.” Can I get an “amen?!” Same chores, same job, same people, same, same, same!! Often it can all get a little too monotonous. But can I let you in on a little secret? Children crave routine. They love it. They thrive in that environment. Predictability provides security, one of our most basic human needs. Kids love to know what’s going to happen next in their day. With so much of their lives completely out of their control, a reliable routine gives
Category: parenting
“Jesus loves me, this I know For the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong, They are weak, but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me Yes, Jesus loves me Yes, Jesus loves me The Bible tells me so.” I became a born-again Christian at the age of 20, so I didn’t learn this sweet little children’s song until I was an adult. The words are so simple, yet so powerful. This was one of the first songs each of our children ever learned. Lots of truth in those few lines. I’ve had a lot of wonderful
Kids today have so many fun and educational activities available to them. Soccer, ballet, gymnastics, martial arts, little league, 4-H, Scouting, pottery, music lessons, theater productions…and the list goes on and on. Certainly a lot different than the limited number of activities I could choose from as a kid growing up in rural Idaho. I love that there are so many wonderful learning opportunities in our community. However, I wonder if we as a society have over-emphasized the need for our children to participate in so many structured activities. Yes, each of these pursuits can help our kids develop great
How do your kids know that you love them? Do they know because you work hard every day to make sure their needs (and many of their wants) are met? Or is it because you clean up countless messes and do never-ending loads of laundry for them? Do you say “I love you” every night when you tuck them into bed? Yes, these are all wonderful ways to show our kids that we love them. But today I want to share a little secret with you that I actually learned from my mother long before I had children of my
When I was the PTA president at my girls’ school a few years ago, I received this piece of advice- “When you’re looking for someone to head up a committee or a project, ask one of the really busy moms. They know how to get things done!” At first this seemed somewhat counterintuitive. If she’s so busy, then won’t she just say no? I learned very quickly, however, that this was indeed sound advice. The busy moms were more likely to help. They know how to juggle lots of things and get stuff done. Most of us would classify ourselves as