Family by God&#039;s Design

Defeat the One-Word Answer

Have you noticed your children’s superpower? It’s the superpower of giving one-word answers. How was your day? “Alright.” What did you do today? “Nothing.” Where you been? “Nowhere.” Where you going? “I don’t know.” (I know, this one is actually three words but is still fits into his superpower of giving an answer with no...

connection family intimacy listen parent child relationship

September 11, 2017

An Environmental Concern Hits Close to Home

We hear a lot about the environment these days. Just do a google search on “environmental concerns” and around 12,900,000 links come up in a mere .87 seconds. We worry about the polar bears’ habitat, the impact of wasting water and not recycling, and the consequences of global climate change on nature’s backdrop. These are...

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July 1, 2017

4 Tips for Raising a Violent Narcissist…OR NOT!!

Have you ever wondered how to create a self-absorbed, entitled, child who becomes violent when they don’t get their way? Probably not. I mean, who wants their child to become a violent narcissist. But, you might raise an entitled violent child unintentionally, by accident, if you don’t watch out. Dr. Calvete and her team of...

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June 19, 2017

Are You a Hardy Parent?

“What’s it like to be a parent: It’s one of the hardest things you’ll ever do but in exchange it teaches you the meaning of unconditional love”-Nicholas Sparks. I like that quote. It’s very true. Parenting is hard work and it does teach you unconditional love. Although parenting is “one of the hardest things you’ll...

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May 22, 2017

Down the Rabbit Hole of Cooperation

Sometimes I am impressed and amazed by the simplest things. For instance, a study on children swinging together recently sent me on a journey down the rabbit hole of cooperation. Let me explain. The University of Washington released a study in which they randomly assigned pairs of four-year-old children (who did not know one another)...

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May 8, 2017

3 Simple Ways to Bond With Your Child

Children who have a strong bond with their parents feel more secure. They listen to their parents better and internalize positive values more readily. Children with strong parental bonds are less likely to become drug users and tend to earn better grades. With all this in mind, parents want a strong bond with their children....

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April 15, 2017

Encouraging Your Teen to Talk with You

Teens are notoriously secretive. But, your actions will encourage or minimize their secretiveness. It’s true. You can take certain actions that will encourage your teen to talk with you. In fact, put these five actions into practice to increase your teen desire to talk with you. Listen. Perhaps the greatest gift you can give your...

Family Shepherds Honor

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April 10, 2017

Are You Teaching Your Teen to NOT Talk with You?

Most parents want their teens to talk with them. They long for intimate conversations and fun interactions with their teen. But, teens are notoriously secretive. They are becoming their own person and may avoid talking about certain things with mom and dad. When all is said and done, however, teens really do want a relationship...

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March 20, 2017

The Habits of a Successful Family

Remember the saying: “Our choices become our actions. Our actions become our habits. Our habits become our character. Our character becomes our destiny.” I found variations on this saying attributed to a number of sources ranging from Gandhi and Lao Tzu to Michael Hyatt and James Hunter. Doesn’t really matter who said it in the...