62% of parents today say parenting is much harder than they expected 88% parents say parenting is tiring and stressful 77% of parents say their greatest worry is the mental health of their children and fear they will be bullied 52% of parents say they feel judged in the parenting by their spouse 77% of parents believe children are better when raised by both parents According to a recent Pew Research Center studies on Marriage [...]
As a parent you want to see your children succeed in obeying your instructions. You also want to see your spouse succeed in respecting your relationship. Their opportunity, for that success, can be greatly improved by you proactively creating an environment for them to succeed in meeting those expectations. One simple tool that creates an opportunity for success is the “Five Minute Warning”. Over the years we’ve relabeled this tool to elevate and reflect [...]
Summer!!! Gotta love it! Doesn’t that recall memories and create images of warm summer nights relaxing around the pool or play field with nary a care in the world? Playing with friends, drifting from day to day where every day is the weekend, Fourth of July and midsummer, watermelon, bathing suits, bare feet, endless games with friends, sleeping in, later nights awake, visiting Gramma and Grampa, family vacation, and hanging out with the siblings. Does [...]
One of the best things we’ve seen in a long time is a recent press conference by the University of Oklahoma Women’s Softball team that has gone viral just prior to winning their 3rd National Championship. These young women displayed the kind of conviction and character that, as parents, we want for our own children. It’s about finding meaning and fulfillment in living a life filled with virtue and faith; a contagious faith that is presented [...]
To you fathers: Father’s Day is a great day. It presents itself as the annual kickoff to the summer where dads and kids can enjoy long days of playing outside deep into the evening warmth. Barbequed weekends showcase dad’s culinary skills with burgers, dogs, and corn on the cob right off the grill. Dad –the platform from which to jump in the water, the fountain of goofy laughter, the anchor in storms, the sun that [...]
On a business trip a few years ago, Rich encountered a special moment when he noticed an older business couple had brought along their two young granddaughters – maybe 6 and 8 – to help handout company literature at a business conference. Fond memories flooded back when he witnessed the true joy, tenderness and love that those little girls shared with their Grandma and Grandpa. This business occasion was just a further indication of a [...]
It’s graduation season! There are preschoolers graduating to Kindergarten, Kindergartners to Elementary School, Elementary to Middle School, Middle Schoolers to High School and so on. All graduations, to varying degrees, have commencement addresses. These speeches are designed to impart wisdom and encourage students as they move to the next chapter in life. There is one commencement address that has really resonated with our family. It has a simple message which is as applicable to the [...]
Parenting is a year-round process. However, we found that summertime seemed to be a really productive and effective time in our parenting. Maybe it was because many of the school year obligations and hectic schedules got dialed back and the excitement of sunshine, family vacations and barbecues filled our home. Whatever the reason, we used our summertime excitement as a special time of the year to “super charge” some of our parenting initiatives while enjoying [...]
Parenting is a process that has many seasons and phases. There were times in our own parenting when we could easily get stuck in a particular season or phase. Typically we would become comfortable in the strategies that were working and forget to look ahead to the upcoming season in our boys’ growth and development. Before we knew it, Trevor and Alex had outgrown our parenting! Three Key Areas To Watch Evaluating kids’ freedoms and [...]
To your children, God looks and acts like you. They will come to define God’s love based on how they have experienced your love. Their self-worth will be based on that definition, a love that finds the right balance of words and actions to coax and mold appropriate behavior and effort. Their life is a divine journey of discovery guided by you. And for those parents who understand the depth of this blessing, they recognize [...]