Family by God&#039;s Design

To Spank or Not To Spank

Discipline presents a challenge for every parent. Sometimes we resort to corporal punishment such as spanking. I hate to tell you, but spanking is not effective. In fact, decades of research suggest that the more a parent utilizes spanking as a disciplinary tool, the higher the rates of aggression, mental health issues, and cognitive difficulties...

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September 22, 2025

When Teaching Children, There’s Efficiency in Inefficiency

Parents want their children to learn…and in this age of rush and hurry, we often seek out efficient means of helping our children grow in knowledge and skills. In fact, we can find apps, games, toys, devices, and shows that tutor our children in everything from math to reading to sports to music. That way...

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September 13, 2025

One Way to Increase Your Child’s Honesty

Children lie. I know it comes as no surprise to parents, but, nonetheless, children lie. (In reality, so do adults, but that’s a different blog.) Even though children lie, parents list honesty as a top priority in building their children’s character, with responsibility and respect coming in second and third (see Parent Survey). This begs...

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May 24, 2025

*To Calm A Quarrel

“A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel.” (Proverbs 15:18, NIV) In our culture the demand to be heard is strong, even overpowering at times. Perhaps this demand to be heard has grown in response to a lack of listening that manifests itself in rejection, oppression, disregarding of...

Grace Honor

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May 10, 2025

Lost in a Smorgasbord of Parenting

Parenting has become a smorgasbord of confusion. Reading through myriads parenting advice, you might find yourself confused about which parenting style proves most effective: gentle parenting, attachment parenting, or mindful parenting. You might fly into the role of a helicopter parent or wander into the realm of free-range parenting. In search of the perfect parenting...

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March 31, 2025

Mom’s Talking Oxytocin

Research suggests that oxytocin plays an important role in relationships. Specifically, it reduces stress and aids in developing interpersonal bonds. It also seems to contribute to building trust and social understanding across the lifespan. Isn’t that something we all want for our children? Well, I have some great news. A study published in Development and...

emotional development emotional management parent child relationship parenting

February 24, 2025

A Family Check

Take a moment and think back to the time when you were engaged and preparing for marriage. What were your dreams about marriage? How did you envision the daily life of marriage? What values and priorities did you want to live out in your marriage? Take another moment. Consider the time when you were anticipating...

Celebration

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February 3, 2025

Raising Supportive Young Adults

Children grow into adults. (Thank you, Captain Obvious.) We want our children to grow into adults who engage in prosocial behaviors, show empathy to others, and support others in healthy ways. A study from University of California found that adolescents who receive emotional support from family and friends became more supportive of others in young...

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January 20, 2025

They’re A Bad Influence on My Child

Have you ever found your children hanging out with peers you believe are “bad influences”? You might even fear those “bad influences” will get your children involved in negative behaviors. After all, most delinquent activities occur outside the home and away from adult supervision. It’s a legitimate concern. The question, however, is what can a...