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 ...
Impressing on Children
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 ...
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 ...
Three Ways to Build a Work Ethic in Your Kids
In my mind there are three main aspects of parenting. The first is the theme of this blog – impressing upon our children a God who loves them and asks them to love Him and others in return. A second is financial wisdom. When our children were young, I created the Money Management System to train our children to ...
Should Children Have Chores?
The last few blog posts and podcast episode have focused on being intentional with your summer. With the kids out of school, summer is a great time to focus on the child's heart. I often begin summer thinking about the areas of maturity that are lacking. Without a doubt, having a servant-heart is frequently high on the list. Will chores ...
How to Choose a Church
With often so many choices, it can be overwhelming when choosing a church for your family. If only there was a formula to use! Unfortunately there isn't, but Heidi and I have created a list of questions to help you get started. What Does the Church Believe? Perhaps the most important step you take in choosing a new church is to check ...
How to Set Up an Afternoon Quiet Time for Preschoolers
I love this question from an ABCJesusLovesMe family member: Just saw the sample daily routines on the ABCJesusLovesMe website. What is an afternoon quiet time and how do you get a busy preschooler on board? This is a really good question! Below is an explanation and some points to help get you started. What is an Afternoon Quiet ...
Resurrection Rolls: Recipe, Directions, and Hints
Each spring my kids make sure that the kitchen is stocked with two specific ingredients: marshmallows and crescent rolls. It just isn't Easter without making Resurrection Rolls. And when you see how easy they are to make and the learning potential the rolls provide, I believe you will want to give them a try. What is a Resurrection ...
Ideas to Make Easter Meaningful [Giveaway]
Easter - April 17th this year - is a pretty big deal at ABCJesusLovesMe and on this blog. And for good reason! It’s the holiday that we celebrate the death, burial, and resurrection of our Savior. But Easter can be a tough holiday to explain to children. Between the Easter bunny, baskets, and loads of candy, ...
High, Low, Buffalo Conversation Starter
Getting children to talk about their days isn't always easy. When I ask my teen children to tell me what's going on in their life, sometimes the response is "Nothing," or "I don't know." Yet when they were younger, my role was much like a cruise director - I had to steer the conversation and keep their little minds on track. So when Heidi ...