The research is unanimous - children should be read to and read to often. But (sadly) not all books are created equal. Quality books build imagination, a love for reading, curiosity, vocabulary, and pragmatics. The rest...well...don't do these things. Because I know the frustration of wading through a sea of books to find the best, I have ...
Characteristics of a God-Centered Family, Part 2 (Giveaway)
The world tells us our feelings are our truth. Emotions or circumstance define you...in that moment. But feelings and circumstances change leaving an unstable foundation of beliefs. Friends, this is one of the biggest issues facing our tweens and teens today. Two others are busyness and a cultural value of specialization. We invite you to dig ...
This Tip Will Save You Time, Money, and Stress
According to the MacroTrends website, as of August 24, 2022 Pinterest has a net worth of $13.85B. This internet business has made a fortune sharing and organizing tips and ideas. Why is it such a hit? Because moms especially are desperate to make their lives simpler and more beautiful. Since I am decoration-ally challenged, I can’t ...
Should Raising Good Kids Be Your Goal?
If I polled 100 Christian parents, I bet all would agree that they desire to raise "good" children -those who are kind to others, respectful to authority, and stay out of trouble. Isn’t this a good goal? Piggybacking on last week's blog post, blogger Barrett Johnson encourages us to rethink this target. Raising "Good" Kids "The ...
The 5 Major Blind Spots in Christian Parenting
About 10 years ago an article called, "Exposing the 7 Major Blind Spots of Homeschoolers" went viral on social media. Even Christian parents who didn't homeschool - like our family - shared it because the truths hit home. Now that I'm parenting teens, I reread the article through a different lens. But I was once again challenged to confront my ...
A School-Year Prayer
This week we close the door on summer. At the crack of dawn Monday morning, my children will enter their appropriate middle and high schools to learn, grow, and be a light in this dark world. I would like to pretend that this is easy to do, but honestly, like a mother hen, I would much rather keep my kiddos in the safety of my ...
Behind the Scenes with Parenting to Impress
Seven months ago Melanie and I began sharing on the Parenting to Impress Podcast what God has taught us, mistakes we have made, and stories of God's faithfulness. And as only God could do, there have been so many downloads that Parenting to Impress is in the top 10% of all podcasts! Amazing! But, do you know the most popular podcast episode? ...
Parenting Tip: Validating Your Child
A while back Peanut was disciplined for something he did although he knew not to. He was very upset with himself for again making the same mistake and yelled out, "I'm so stupid." He then sulked away waiting for someone to take the bait. Someone to say, "No, you're not! You are a great kid. You.... You..." in a way that begs the child to think ...
True or False: God Won’t Give Me More Than I Can Handle
Are you familiar with the phrase, "God won't give me more than I can handle"? Do you believe it? It is biblical? I think most of us would like to think this is true! Wouldn't it be great to know that God will reach down and fix any troubling circumstances, heal our diseases, or even repair broken relationships before we reach our breaking ...
Does Conflict Mean a Bad Marriage?
"It was the best of times.It was the worst of times." This opening quote by Charles Dickens in A Tale of Two Cities can apply to so many situations in life. But I wasn't prepared for it to apply to our vacation. Let me give you some backstory. Getting Away Two weeks ago, all four of our children attended camp. They love camp and ...