Children make mistakes. Just like when a toddler learns to walk, by leaning too far one direction then too far another, they learn to balance properly. It’s during those countless “mistakes” of not getting balance perfectly that they learn to balance. A child has initial up and down experiences that supply a massive amount of information about gravity and strength. Then back and forth with use of hips and toes. Then walking, staggering really, and [...]
Teaching children self-control is one of those dilemmas that really challenge parents’ abilities, intellect, and emotions. Because teaching self-control doesn’t come all wrapped up with a pretty bow, it usually arrives with a temper tantrum, a fight with a sibling, a punched wall, or a slammed and broken drawer. When the opportunity arrives to teach self-control, it’s not clear as to what it is and what to do. As young parents at the Marr house [...]
When you’re a young parent, you are likely in your 20’s or early 30’s. And because life is still new and coming at you pretty fast, there are so many things to learn and juggle that some elements just aren’t noticed or given the weight they should. That’s just the way of things. As life progresses and you get your footing, you gain the time and mindshare to look a little more deeply into the [...]
It has been well said about courage that courage isn’t the absence of fear, but forward action in the presence of fear. We offer, then, that faith isn’t the absence of doubt, but forward action in the presence of doubt. Courage imagines a scenario where a person must protect life and limb, or their self-concept, often with adrenaline juicing up the moment. Faith is harder to act forward because doubt is more subtle than fear. [...]
Talking AT or Talking WITH Growing up, Dave’s dad would lecture. Great guy and all, but with a military background Dave’s dad wasn’t used to engagement. He would talk AT Dave. As a result, Dave often was frustrated with just standing there listening. Dave often thought he’d heard it before, so he’d say, “Yeah Dad, I know.” That response would upset his dad as being disrespectful and the heat would go up. Now, 40+ years later, Dave’s [...]
Neither of us had done much camping growing up, so when we were invited to join some new friends to go camping, we jumped at the chance. Despite our little boy being only 1, we were sure it would be great fun. Ahem. Snow Mountain Ranch, the YMCA of the Rockies, is nestled among the lodge pole pines in near Winter Park. Before we were invited, the group had been doing the Labor Day weekend [...]
Since we’re amidst the travel season, we thought it’d be appropriate to talk about traveling with children. This week is about planes, trains and automobiles, but next week is about camping. Yes, parents love their kids, but those rose-tinted glasses get a good cleaning when kids suffer the gauntlet of cramped seating, long waits, time changes, strange food, disrupted sleep schedules, and stressed parents. Strangers will give your parenting ability the evil eye if your [...]
There are a thousand things to take up one’s time: Responsibilities at work, emails, organizing and paying the bills, the abundance of life’s maintenance like cooking and laundry, mowing the lawn and taking out the trash, school events, sports events, and unending child socials, and then throw in your own socializing and time to just relax in front of a Netflix movie. Why would you take what few precious unscheduled moments that remain and volunteer [...]
As Dave was driving with his young family through a mostly empty parking lot after attending parenting class, he slammed on the brakes, “OOOHHH!!!”, he yelled. Lis and the kids were alarmed. “WHAT?!! What’s wrong?!” “OH! MY! GOSH!!!” Dave exclaimed. “What daddy, what is it?!” the kids in the back seat were tense. “I LOVE YOUR MOM AND YOU GUYS SOOOO MUCH!!!” The tension in the air popped. Dad was just goofin’ again. “Daaaadyyyy!” Lis [...]
In a recent OneFamily Letter “Summer Time and the Livin is Easy”, we mentioned one of the positives of summertime was the kids having a sleepover, where play time doesn’t want to end, and pleading ensues to let “Timmy spend the night”. That letter caused some questions on the concerns some of our readers had about sleepovers. Today’s Letter expands on the idea of sleeping over and addresses those concerns. You are charged with the [...]