As a parent, if the long-term goal is to raise a child whose inner life is one of abundant positivity, a joy that expresses itself in family relationships, friend relationships, a relationship with God, and a desire and ability to serve others in work and community, your parenting efforts must assist in developing a psyche strong enough to engage in a full life. Recently Dave was interacting with a young man in his mid-20’s over [...]
As parents we are often faced with having to discuss difficult topics and issues with our children. Whether it’s school violence, a family illness, the loss of a beloved pet or a death in the family, the depth and breadth of such topics can leave parents overwhelmed as to how to navigate these challenging waters. From our own experience, we’ve found that these tough topics are best addressed in three distinct ways: In the moment, [...]
Zig Ziglar said children spell love T-I-M-E. We remember how hard it was when our boys were young to carve out time for them as we juggled work, housework, working out, errands, quiet time, kids’ activities and the list goes on. We did a lot of things with and for our kids, but the truth is that’s not the same as giving them time. With the spring activities gearing up, it’s important that kids know [...]
Have you ever considered why some of the simplest outings with our young children can go horribly wrong? How difficult can it be to have coffee with friends…Right?!?! Our friend Rachel is a busy mom of three boys, who just wanted to get coffee with a friend one day. Here is a wonderful story of what happened and what she learned from her frustrating and embarrassing experience. Children run amok over lattes as I recall [...]
One of the most powerful skills you can teach your child that will immensely increase their likelihood of a mature, well-balanced, happy, life is the skill of adult forgiveness. We’ve talked in these Letters about childhood forgiveness which is an important foundation for maintaining relationships and not being burdened by a heavy heart bound up by feelings of hurt in the early years. It’s foundational to release the hurt and move past the incident. Imagine [...]
If we’ve learned anything in the years we’ve lead parenting classes, it is this: The parenting process is a series of relational transitions. In our Parenting Phases letter, we described four stages and the relational phases: Birth to Toddlerhood – Discipline Phase Toddlerhood to Childhood – Training Phase Childhood to Teenagers – Coaching Phase Late Teens though Adulthood – Mentoring/Friendship Phase It’s often difficult for parents to transition through each of these phases and make [...]
Reaching the heart of our children is every parent’s desire. It is teaching them the How, the Why and the Way of God from whom all virtue flows and to impress these things upon their hearts. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about [...]
As parents, it is a challenge and a blessing to provide the language that our children will use as the building blocks which forms their thinking structure. If we use constructive words, words of life, and positive reinforcement words when we encourage, then those are the concepts that will form their reality and the development of their character. Here are 2 concepts that have helped us with our children to develop their internal thought processes that affected their [...]
What does a healthy and thriving family look like? Certainly, there are many answers to this question, but we believe at the heart of a thriving family is a healthy marriage and effective parenting. It is an encouraging home environment where children flourish with everyone feeling emotionally and spiritually fulfilled in each other’s company. This holiday season, we’ve shared some wonderful success stories from parents that received equipping and encouragement from OneFamily – from Classes [...]
Sometimes we can feel like we are winging it as parents. The demands and pressure of life can get so overwhelming that we can get sidetracked from those meaningful things our hearts desire - like being a good intentional parent. In desperation, when we often look for the one thing or a quick online resource to help us to put a “Band-Aid” on whatever issue of the day we’re dealing with in the moment. All [...]