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 [...]
When we took our first parenting class, our boys behavior was not characterized by First Time Obedience (FTO). In fact it was after our very first class, when we picked up our boys from childcare, that they immediately proceeded to run around in every direction away from us. Our embarrassed calls and pleading for them to come to us were definitely not obeyed. As parents, during that time, we relied on a variety tricks to [...]
Have you ever considered the temperaments or taken a temperament test? Shelly and Trevor are Phlegmatic while Rich and Alex are Choleric. These are the temperaments in our family. Similar to love languages, temperaments are a tool that help us to describe our emotional/personality characteristics. We have found that knowing our own temperament and our boys’ temperaments has been very helpful in our parenting and understanding some of the dynamics in our relationships. We have [...]
Do you have a 4 year old that uses a tablet or 13 year old that is glued to their phone? If so, you have a Screenager! A Screenager is any toddler, child or teen that actively uses digital media or technology. And while there are many wonderful aspects of our Digital Age, there are also many challenges that come with it! Over the next three weeks, our goal is to equip and encourage you [...]
As parents, spouses, friends, and coworkers, it is much easier to give advice or instruction than to lead as the proper example ourselves. Often times it’s the old expression, “Do as I say, not as I do!” Of course we would never say that out loud, but subconsciously we probably say this more often than we care to admit. We know that we have caught ourselves plenty of times in these circumstances! When our boys [...]
We heard a terrific message by Andy Stanley on how leaders can be more effective, innovative and open to creative exploration when they have an attitude of “Wow” versus “How.” Many great ideas and creative thoughts get shut down and lost when executives or managers focus on the “how” of an idea instead of encouraging further creative exploration with a “wow” response. The same can be true in parenting. Are you a Wow Parent or [...]
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 [...]
Having a healthy and thriving family begins with a health marriage. We believe that the marriage relationship should be the first priority within the family structure… even before our kids! In today’s society, there is constant pressure to put our children first above EVERYTHING else in the family environment. This misguided prioritization can ultimately lead to child-centered parenting and even divorce. Don’t get us wrong. Our children are a top priority. And just because we [...]
Back to school has always been very similar to the start of a new year for our family. It marks the start of a new school year with renewed expectations and resolutions not only for our boys, but also for us as parents. For the kids, it’s a great time to get them refocused on their schedules, routines and revisit some lessons that were learned or challenges faced in the previous school year. For mom [...]
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 [...]