Family by God&#039;s Design

Is This Too Good To Be True?

What if I told you there is a research proven way to… Would you be interested in such an activity? What is it? Drawing. That’s right drawing contributes to everything listed above… and it’s fun. How can you implement this activity into your child’s life and allow them to enjoy the benefits? Here’s some tips:...

Family Shepherds

art creativity emotions schedule

January 23, 2023

A Quiet Threat to Your Marriage

It can happen so easily, quietly, subtly. We are happily married and enjoying our lives together when the busy-ness of daily life creeps up on us. The rush and pressure of work, children, community activities, and finances encroaches on our lives; and, in the midst of the busy-ness and pressure we take for granted that...

Celebration Honor

marriage schedule time

October 9, 2021

Don’t Cut Your Children From the Team

Do you know what team your child wants to be part of the most? Team family. Yes, they desire to be part of the family team. If they feel disconnected from the family team, they may misbehave to gain your attention. They will act up so the team will notice and include them, even if...

Family Shepherds Honor

belonging family relationships schedule

September 25, 2017

Parenting “Down to the T”

Ever see those parents who seem to have the whole parenting thing “down to the T.” They just seem to have it all together. Their efforts seem to flow so smoothly. I’m pretty sure it’s not always as it appears. But, it does get me thinking about to parent effectively, how to make parenting run...

Family Shepherds

communication discipline parenting schedule touch

April 3, 2017

The Family Conundrum We All Face

The Journal of Consumer Research recently published a series of studies exploring the connection between leisure time, busyness, and status (Lack of Leisure: Is Busyness the New Status Symbol). The authors found busyness associated with a perception of high status in the United States. In other words, the busier a person’s life, the more important...

Celebration Honor

family intimacy fun leisure priorities schedule values

September 21, 2015

Prime Your Children for a Good School Day

School has begun. That means getting our children up in the morning and off to school on time. If that isn’t hard enough, we want to get them off in the morning while everyone stays in a good mood. Not an easy task. However, there are steps we can take to make the morning go...

Family Shepherds

discipline parenting routine schedule structure

August 31, 2015

Boost Your Memory & Have Fun Doing It!

School time has returned. Morning routines need adjusted to accommodate school’s early start. Afternoon schedules get adjusted to fit in homework and extracurricular activities. In the midst of these adjustments, I recommend one additional change to your routine. Your children will likely enjoy this small change. In fact, my daughter used to make this change because...

Celebration Family Shepherds

fun memories play schedule

July 14, 2014

Managing Your Child’s Schedule…or, Seeking Balance in the Devil’s Playground

“Idle hands are the devil’s playground.” I have heard that statement many times…and, I know the truth in it. Laziness, the habit of doing nothing, leads to trouble! However, in our culture we have swung to the opposite extreme with our children’s schedule. Rather than having “idle hands,” our children are overscheduled, pressured to be...

Celebration Family Shepherds

fun healthy development intimacy parent child relationship parenting rest schedule time

June 21, 2013

Oh Man…Over-Scheduled Again?!

“Summertime and the livin’ is easy.” That may have rung true for Bess in Porgy and Bess, but summertime is anything but “livin’ easy” today. We have a constant rush of activity, even in the”long, lazy days of summer.” Children have swim practice, soccer practice, hockey conditioning, baseball practice, band camp, dance class, football conditioning,...