How in the world did people ever parent before the days of social media? I mean, seriously… Where did they get birthday party ideas? And how did they manage to distract themselves with completely irrelevant facts about the lives of their "friends" on Facebook while looking for birthday party ideas? And where did they post pictures of the aforementioned birthday party ideas that were carried out? In all seriousness, it’s pretty shocking to look back and consider how quickly social media has become ingrained in our lives. And while there are some benefits (hello, birthday party ideas!), there’s one glaring drawback: we have countless standards by which to judge ourselves. The problem is that most of these standards come from ... Read More...
12 Chapter Books That Will Build Your Child’s Faith
*Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. That means if you choose to make a purchase, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission that helps support this ministry. From the very beginning, I've tried to instill a love of reading in my children. I read books to them all the time when they were babies, toddlers and preschoolers. Some of my best memories are of snuggling up with them on the living room couch with a funny picture book or classic tale. I'm so thrilled that both of them now enjoy reading on their own. With this new stage they're in, however, it has been somewhat challenging to direct them towards good, wholesome books that fill their mind while shaping their character. Many books aimed at ... Read More...
Why You Should Homeschool When It’s Hard
I almost had a meltdown over a bottle of apple juice. Lunch was very late that afternoon, and I had already been feeling behind from the minute I woke up. The clock I was trying to beat all day declared its victory over me as I struggled to transition my kids out of "school and play mode" to sit down at the table for a hodgepodge meal I wasn't particularly proud of. Even though I had spent an hour before breakfast trying to catch up on laundry from the weekend, there were still three more loads in various stages of doneness. My efforts to teach that morning had been met with resistance and frustrations over seemingly small requests. And then, then I couldn't twist off the cap on the container of apple juice. As I stood there ... Read More...
8 Criteria For Evaluating Our Kids’ Media
My eight-year-old recently met his first Summer Reading Club goal and was eager to pick up his prize- a book of his own. An avid reader who reads at an 8th grade level already, he quickly skimmed past the picture books and chapter books with less than 50 pages to the tween selections. When he stopped at one with a creepy looking cover, I told him to put it back, but quickly realized the rest were equally as disturbing. Each one featured fantasy or horror themes with ghosts and magic. Finally, disappointed, he ended up choosing a book aimed at 2nd graders that took less than 20 minutes to read at home. Sadly, this is the state of our children's media these days. And obviously, paperbacks are just the tip of the iceberg. Today’s ... Read More...
3 Ways To Equip Your Tween with a Biblical Worldview
My eight-year-old son asks a lot of questions. I mean, A LOT. He didn't even ask this many when he was four. Only, he's not just asking questions so much for the sake of knowledge anymore. They're more like challenges. 8-12 year olds no longer accept what their parents say at face value, like they did when they were younger. They may push back, argue, or directly question our reasoning and commands. While it can be exhausting at times, it's actually a positive part of their faith development since it means they've grown past blind acceptance and are ready for deeper understanding. Our kids are seeking answers and unfortunately, if we don't have them, the world will be all too willing to provide those responses. You should be your ... Read More...