Family by God&#039;s Design

How to Raise MEAN Kids…or NOT

“Controlling parents create mean college kids.” Having taught at a local college for several years and having two kids in college right now, that headline caught my attention. I have known quite a few mean college kids. The worst were the ones who engaged in what psychologist call “relational aggression.” They were not physically aggressive,...

Family Shepherds Grace

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October 1, 2016

Nurture Your Child’s Attention Span

I love to watch parents interact with their children. Over time, I have observed at least three ways parent tend to interact with their children. The parent points out a toy or some object in an effort to direct their child to play with that particular object. If you watch closely, you’ll see their child’s...

Family Shepherds Honor

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September 26, 2016

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“You’re the Worst Mom Ever:” A 3-Part Blessing

It’s bound to happen, inevitable, unavoidable. Sooner or later you will set an age appropriate, loving limit on your child’s behavior and he will get angry. He will become furious with you and argue. As a good parent, you will stick to your guns; after all, you know the limit is for your child’s best...

Family Shepherds Grace

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September 24, 2016

Parenting a Teen Starts Early

One of the best kept secrets in parenting a teen is to start early; in fact, the earlier the better. You can begin parenting your teens when they are children. That may sound strange, but let me explain. If you want a teen to listen and talk to you about “anything,” start by listening to...

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September 19, 2016

How to Raise an Overly Self-Critical Child (…or not)

No, we do not want to raise self-critical children. We want to raise hard-working children who accept themselves and others. Unfortunately, we can easily slip into a style of parenting that promotes self-criticism and perfectionism in our children. How do parents unwittingly nurture self-criticism? Let me offer a couple examples. Our child is working on...

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September 5, 2016

Alternatives to Spanking, Part 2

Experts at The University of Texas (Austin) and the University of Michigan looked at five decades of research on spanking. They looked at research that defined spanking as “an open-handed hit on the behind or extremities” and excluded harsher forms of discipline in an effort to “weed out” abuse. The findings suggested “the more children...

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September 3, 2016

Alternatives to Spanking, Part 1

discipline parent child relationship parenting

August 29, 2016

The First Step in Effective Discipline

I read a blog from Greater Good entitled What Happens to Kids When Parents Fight. It is an excellent article and well worth the read. You can read it by clicking here. The author notes that children pay close attention to their parents’ emotions. They carefully observe their parents’ interactions and determine how safe the...

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August 20, 2016

Two Observations on Parenting (Than Can Save You Money)

Over the years of observing families, I’ve noticed a couple of interesting things about children and their interests. I’m sure you’ve noticed them as well. Children playing on a cell phone, watching TV, or playing a video game do NOT listen well. They are preoccupied with their TV show, game, text, or pic on the...