Family by God&#039;s Design

Our Children: Curious or Confident?

Curiosity compels us to explore, to find things out…often with no material reward. We just enjoy learning about those things that arouse our curiosity. Researchers at Columbia’s Zuckerman Institute showed what the brain looks like when curiosity arises. Specifically, they showed people ambiguous visual images and used fMRI scans to witness how their brains responded....

Family Shepherds

confidence curiosity healthy development parenting play

October 19, 2024

“Boys Will Be Boys”

If you have sons, you know they can be a handful. They’re constantly on the go and full of energy. In fact, boys are wired to learn through experiential play and activity, especially in their younger years. They learn by touching, moving, and interacting. Running around, picking up frogs, sticks, & rocks, building ramps for...

Family Shepherds Honor

boys parent child relationship parenting play risk-taking

September 30, 2024

Family Weapons of Resistance in a World of Division

At first glance our world appears divided and broken beyond repair. Various factions spew words of anger and hatred at one another, words armed with sarcastic ridicule and demeaning labels. Conspiracy theories abound to implicate “the other” of horrid motives and intents. These things are dangerous and each side of the aisle “feeds the beast”...

Celebration Honor

family intimacy family relationships laughter play smile

September 21, 2024

The Power to Overcome

The power to overcome… isn’t that a wonderful gift to give our children? Wouldn’t you love to instill in your children the confidence, intelligence, problem-solving ability, and persistence to overcome? Looking at the society around us may raise doubts as to whether this can be done. On the other hand, it may increase your desire...

Family Shepherds

parenting persistence play resilience

July 6, 2024

The Work of Children…and Adults

Fred Rogers is credited with saying, “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.” I agree. Alison Gopnik also agrees. She reviews research in her book The Gardner and the Carpenter which suggests: Review that...

Celebration Family Shepherds

parent child relationship parenting play

June 22, 2024

The Success of the “Good Enough Parent”

Donald Winnicott, a British pediatrician, coined the term “good enough mother” in the 1950’s. Today, however, many parents fear that “good enough” just isn’t good enough. They strive to become the “perfect parent.” But becoming a “perfect parent” just isn’t possible. In fact, striving to become the “perfect parent” will backfire and create even more...

Celebration Family Shepherds

activities development parent child relationship parenting play

December 9, 2023

Satisfy the Hunger and Thirst for Play

We are born with 100 billion neurons in our brain… and they are hungry to learn. In fact, they thirst for knowledge from the moment we’re born until we pass away. Surprising to some, one of the most powerful ways to feed our brain, to give it the nourishment it needs to grow in knowledge...

Celebration Family Shepherds

family relationships healthy development play

November 12, 2023

Teach Your Children How to “Mind Read”

“Mind reading” is one of the most important skills our children can learn. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not talking about crystal ball stuff or telepathy. I mean developing what psychologists call a “theory of mind”—the ability to understand and take the perspective of another person’s feelings and intentions. This “theory of mind” or “mind...

Family Shepherds

cooperation emotional development empathy perspective taking play

October 14, 2023

Four Shares of a Happy Marriage

To nurture a happy, healthy marriage we have to share. Although it sounds obvious and simple on the surface, it reveals a deeper challenge. Couples naturally share a bed, belongings, and a home, but I’m not talking about those things. I’m talking about sharing deeper aspects of our lives together. Let me share just four...