Last week our Encouraging Courage (Girls) Letter was a neat little message that had clear edges and the takeaways fit the title where we came away looking like competent parents. But life isn’t always so cut and dried. Encouraging the heart can often be vague platitudes that miss the mark and confound parents and frustrate children. That was the case when dealing with our son Kevin whose sweet spirit was occasionally a puzzle to us. [...]
When our boys were younger we overloaded and overwhelmed our lives by trying to take advantage of every opportunity life presented. We believed that we had plenty of time and life would get less busy and overwhelming in the near future. We naively thought balance and getting less busy in our lives would somehow occur on its own. Fortunately we discovered that life’s balance doesn’t just happen on its own and we’ve come up with [...]
Besides creating a loving, safe environment to grow up in, what is the top skill a parent can teach a child that will absolutely ensure the best possible chances for success in life? There was a study done that provided clear evidence that the home conversational environment for a child dramatically affects their academic future. And their academic success in life dramatically affects their economic success in life. The study was documented in a terrific [...]
"Hey Dad, can we talk for a minute?” “Sure, what’s up?” “I need to bring something up that’s an issue that is delicate. It’s about Mom and my wife.” “Ok, I’m listening.” “Well, I need to start by saying that I love you very much. I enjoy getting together and sharing my life with you. To see you playing with the kids and how much joy it brings you and Mom and them, it truly [...]
Genuineness. Authenticity. Intentionality. Being real. These are qualities that we look for in others. Our daughter went on a date recently. At the restaurant, this young man she was with was intentional in asking the waitperson’s name and treating them as a human being. No other arrow he shot that night could have been more accurate in reaching our daughter’s heart than this genuine act of humanity. But why? Why would that simple act of [...]
This past weekend we celebrated Alex’s 18th birthday. While we enjoyed laughing, celebrating and reminiscing about his 18 year journey, we were also reminded of our own parenting journey and two important perspectives we have learned through the years. Parenting is process Wouldn’t it be great if you could tell your children something once and they would fully comprehend the meaning of everything in your instruction. Like, telling your kids to “play nicely” and they [...]
Do you give your children the freedom to fail or make mistakes? Or more appropriately, do you allow them freedom to grow with personal responsibility and ownership? Whether you are a child or an adult, failure is not failure if you learn and grow from it. As parents, it’s especially difficult for us to see our children suffer frustration, experience emotional pain or the discomfort that comes with failing or making mistakes. However, in order [...]
“When little people are overwhelmed by big emotions, it’s our job to share our calm, not join the chaos.” L.K. Knost When your little children go off to elementary school and create friendships that introduce them and you into a new world of community, it is truly a joy to see them play and bond with others. Little birthday parties, sleepovers, sports – all contribute to a terrific time in the development of your children, [...]
As you know, we’re all about encouraging you to think about things you can do to positively affect the wellbeing of your family. So instead of just saying “Hey, take some time to write down your goals for 2018 during couch time” or something like that, we want to give you an idea that has been an absolute difference-maker for the Marr family. Dinner time discussions. If we were to list the things that made [...]
When you close your eyes and imagine what a thriving family looks like, what do you see? A quality home environment filled with encouragement and harmony? Husband and Wife on the same page and enjoying their relationship? Children laughing and enjoying one another and excelling in their development? Wonderful and meaningful holidays and vacations? Whatever vision you hold of what a thriving family looks like, do you see that in your family? Building a healthy [...]