Family by God&#039;s Design

Join the Revolution of a Healthy Family

Tired of the chaos that fills our society? Looking for a way to make a real difference? I have a great solution for you to consider. It may sound too simplistic, but it is powerful. Build a healthy, happy family. Fill your children’s lives with “Positive Childhood Experiences” (PCEs). Before you cast this idea off...

Celebration Family Shepherds Grace Honor

adverse childhood experiences family family relationships parent child relationship

February 14, 2026

“You’re Such a 5-Year-Old”

My daughter is fond of telling me, “You are such a 5-year-old,” when I do something silly to tease her. I know she’s playing; and really, I take it as a compliment. So, I just smile and do something else to confirm her accusation, even if it’s telling a “dad joke.” It’s a short example...

Celebration Family Shepherds

emotional development family intimacy family relationships fun parent child relationship play

November 18, 2025

Maternal Warmth & Teen Health

Mothers are powerful. They have a powerful influence in their children’s lives that begins early and lasts a lifetime. Consider the results of a study conducted at the Laboratory for Stress Assessment and Research at UCLA. This study followed children from 3-years-old through 17-years-old. The researchers assessed maternal warmth when the child was 3-year-old, followed...

affection health parent child relationship parenting praise

November 10, 2025

Parenting & “The World Is…”

Our beliefs about the world impact how we interact with and move through the world. They also impact the ways in which we teach our children to move through and interact with the world. Perhaps more importantly, these beliefs impact our sense of well-being, our motivation, our curiosity, and even our success. That’s the message...

Celebration Family Shepherds

communication fun healthy development parent child relationship parenting

November 1, 2025

Yes, Sometimes I’m a Little Slow…

Sometimes I’m a little slow on the uptake…and according to this research, I’m not the only one. Specifically, research led by the University of Cambridge found that parents take about a year (on average) to truly understand their child’s attitude about school, to attune to their child’s perspective of school. The researchers of this study...

education observation parent child relationship parenting

October 18, 2025

Shaping Your Child’s Emotional Brain

Children are born with their own unique personality and temperament. That comes as no surprise to any parent with more than one child. It’s amazing how children born in the same family can have such different temperaments. In general, children often fall into one of three broad categories of temperament. Each of these includes more...

observation parent child relationship parenting responsiveness

October 13, 2025

Phrases Every Child Wants to Hear

Your children may never ask you to say it. They may not even realize they want to hear it. But there are several phrases that every child wants to hear. In fact, they may need to hear these phrases as often as possible. And not just once, but multiple times in their childhood. What are...

encouragement family relationship parent child relationship parenting power of words

October 7, 2025

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...

attention discipline parent child relationship parenting

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...