Family by God&#039;s Design

This Ladder Will Improve Your Child’s Behavior

If you’re a parent, you’ve likely experienced your child “having a tantrum.” You know what I mean. When in one of these behaviors or in some combination of them, they melt down, stiffen their body, drop to the floor, scream, cry, push, pull, stamp their feet, hit, kick, throw, or run away. Many of us,...

Family Shepherds

communication discipline emotional management parenting

January 26, 2026

Help Your Child Think for Growth

Psychology differentiates between a “fixed mindset” and a “growth-oriented mindset.” A person with a fixed mindset tends to believe that their abilities, intelligence, and talents are static traits. In other words, they cannot change them or improve them. A fixed mindset can also contribute to anxiety and depression. A person with a growth-oriented mindset, on...

Family Shepherds

confidence growth healthy development parenting

January 24, 2026

Give LEGOs a Try

Does your child struggle with spatial reasoning and math? Here’s a fun, surprising way to help—enjoy some LEGO time. University of Surrey led a study involving 409 six- to seven-year-olds that incorporated LEGO building into their school’s daily teaching curriculum. This 6-week, hands-on, structured LEGO building program encouraged the students to visualize and mentally manipulate...

Family Shepherds

development education parenting teach

January 17, 2026

Parents, Have You Ever Been Lonely

Have you ever felt lonely as a parent? I know we don’t like to talk about it; but, if you’ve ever felt lonely as a parent, you are not alone. At least one survey suggests that up to 66% of parents experienced feelings of isolation and loneliness. In addition, 38% felt they had no one...

Family Shepherds Honor

community loneliness parenting relationships support

January 10, 2026

Boost Your Children’s Mental Health

The news is out. You can help boost your child’s mental health with this simple, nonpharmaceutical prescription. An analysis of over 375 trials involving more than 38,000 young people found that this simple intervention reduced anxiety and depression in teens. Even better, the biggest improvements in depressive symptoms occurred in fewer than 12 weeks. What...

Celebration Family Shepherds

activities anxiety depression exercise mental health parenting play

January 3, 2026

And Now 1,500

When I began working with families, I also began to look for a way to effectively communicate what characteristics promote a stronger, healthier, more intimate family. In the process, I have completed many training courses related to marriage and parenting. I’ve read books and attended classes. My favorites certification trainings have included marital trainings through...

Celebration Grace Honor

family marriage parenting

December 13, 2025

Happiness or Hope?

Happiness or hope? If you had to choose, which one do you think is most strongly associated with a meaningful life? That’s the question researchers from the University of Missouri asked in a series of six studies involving over 2,300 participants. The results suggest that hope predicts greater meaning in life. Having a sense of...

Celebration Family Shepherds

appreciation family relationships gratitude meaning parenting purpose

December 6, 2025

An Amazing Lesson from Middle School Students

When I think of empathic people, middle schoolers are not the first people that come to mind. However, a group of researchers asked middle school students how they experience empathy and discovered that they have an interesting process for empathy to teach us. When asked about empathy, middle school students spoke about “preparing to empathize.”...

Family Shepherds Grace

availability empathy listening parenting presence

December 1, 2025

Aging, Your Attention & Relationships

I hate to say it, but I’m getting older (at least that’s what I’m told). As we age, our reaction times slow and we find it more difficult to tune out distractions. However, a study completed by USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology suggests a powerful method for enhancing attention and reaction times even as...