After 3 1/2 weeks of returning Little Man to his bed, we conquered the war! If you read Part 1 of this series, you know that this didn't happen without consistency. Some kiddos don't put up much of a fight at bedtime. But then there are those who are relentless. The above three key points made all of the difference with our spirited Little ...
Parenting to Impress Blog...
...A sister site to ABCJesusLovesMe
Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Deuteronomy 6:7
How to Overcome Loneliness in Motherhood, Part 1
Can you relate to this momma's honest question? Melanie and Heidi, have y'all ever struggled with loneliness, especially when you had young kids. I have a 6-year-old, 2.5-year-old twins and a 7-month-old and I feel stuck at home. I want to connect with other adults but am not finding ways to do it where it is lifegiving and not an added drain. ...
How to Get a Child to Stay in Bed, Part 1
Kids don't want to go to bed, while adults long for bedtime. Oh the irony! And I think it is these contrasting bedtime goals that can make nights so challenging. But I have some easy tips that will remove the battle and will help your child stay in bed. To begin, let me share a blog post I wrote on May 10, 2010. Little Man was almost 2 and ...
Happy Birthday Jesus Party {Giveaway}
With the vast commercialism of the holiday, Christmas can feel like the whole world is shouting at my children to want more things. As a Christ follower I know this isn't what God desires for Christmas, but that doesn't mean it's any less overwhelming. So what's a Christian to do? How are we, as parents and teachers, to teach our children and ...
Is Your Child Meeting Pragmatic Milestones?
I remember it like it was yesterday. Bubs was laying on the floor, playing with a friend's baby. He looked at me, circled his face with his finger, and said, "I don't know what this means." He knew that the baby was telling him something but didn't understand what her face was sharing. After talking about her eyes, mouth, and body language, he ...
How to Build a Heart of Thanksgiving in Your Child {Giveaway}
Tis the season for the topic of gratitude! You'll hear it from the pulpit, the radio and even your favorite podcasters. As Christians we know being grateful is more than just a certain month set aside to be thankful. But do we really know how to live that way? Let's consider what it means to live gratefully and pick up some tips for how build a ...
Do You Understand Pragmatics?
Pragmatics. Depending on your education and experiences, pragmatics may or may not be a word that you are familiar with. Even with my education background, it wasn't until we were neck deep in Bubs' delays that I began to understand what pragmatics is and why it is so important. What is Pragmatics? Pragmatics is the study of language ...
How to Turn Ordinary Moments into God-Moments
Have you ever wondered how some parents can take ordinary moments and turn them into God-moments that impact children's hearts for eternity? Around Parenting to Impress and ABCJesusLovesMe we call these "Teachable Moments." And with just a few tips, I believe you will be able to have multiple God-moments with your kiddos too! Let's dive in. ...
Ultimate List of Must-Read Books for Kids
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 3
Wow! This Parenting to Impress Podcast series with youth pastor, Scott Jones, and the corresponding blogposts have just been so encouraging to me! I hope you've been able to join the conversation and have been prompted to think about the attributes of a God-focused family. My husband and I have been processing through these ideas, prayerfully ...