Several times in my teenage years, I had the opportunity to make individual servings of homemade ice cream. As an activity at church and youth group a few times. We actually made it at school in a Family Living class I took to provide us with examples of creating traditions in a family. It was fun and memorable experience each time. In creating ...
Search Results for: family activities
Welcome to Our Story: An Update #2
Yesterday I updated you on Bubs' diagnosis-filled story along with Sweet Pea's. Today I want to fill you in on Little Man and Peanut. Let's start with the "easy" one. Peanut The baby of the family is now 2 1/2. As much as it breaks my heart, we don't have a baby anymore. (When people tell you it goes fast, they aren't kidding.) He is ...
So Much to Tell You
Finally, I get to sit down and write this blog. I am so excited to tell you what God is teaching me right now that I can barely stand myself. I seriously have thought how wonderful it would be to have a computer hooked to my brain so that all I had to do was think it, and it would type up the document. (Might be scary to see in writing some of the ...
What Kids Wish Parents Understood
Parenting is beautiful, exhausting, sanctifying, and sometimes overwhelming—all before 9:00 am. Years ago, I came across A Child’s 10 Commandments to Parents by Dr. Kevin Leman. The words have stayed with me because they gently reminded me to see the world through a child’s eyes. As parents and teachers, we can get so focused on correcting ...
Why Sensory Play Matters for Toddlers and Preschoolers
Sensory play is one of those things that kids really enjoy —water tables, bins of rice, finger paint, play dough. Adults, on the other hand, tend to dread. Why? Because they are often messy, leading to sticky kids, wet clothes, and messy floors. Maybe if we could see all of the learning, calming, and development happening below the surface, it ...
Preschool Curriculum Made Simpler: It’s Here!
After a year of praying, researching, testing, rewriting, and listening to teachers and families, the 3rd Edition of the ABCJesusLovesMe Preschool Curriculum is here. This update was created to make teaching toddlers and preschoolers clearer, lighter, and more effective. It maintains the foundation of play-based learning, strong academics, ...
Training a Child to Release Anger
Sixteen years ago, I wrote a blog post during a season when my oldest child —affectionately called Bubs—was struggling with safely releasing anger and frustration. Reading it again now, I’m reminded of how much growth can happen when an adult slows down, listens, and chooses to train instead of simply telling a child to stop a behavior. Why ...
13 Tips to Navigate the Holidays with Sensory-Sensitive Kids
The holidays are hard for most children and adults. But for children navigating Sensory Processing Disorder, Autism, or ADHD, the large groups of people, over stimulation, and changes in routine can send the whole day into a downward spiral. I learned—many times after the fact—that the best way to help my children (and myself) was to prepare for ...
Helping a Child Understand Purpose (Even at a Young Age)
What's your purpose in life? It’s a question that feels big—definitely too big for little hearts still learning to tie shoes and hold crayons. But the answer, in some ways, is beautifully simple: we were made to glorify God. Why Purpose Matters How does knowing one's purpose help? According to Faithward.org, understanding what the Bible ...
Gratitude that Lasts Beyond November
I don’t know about you, but it’s easy for my family - and me - to slip into complaining instead of thanking. Meals, messes, overflowing laundry, busy schedules — sometimes the negative flows out so easily. Psychologists have found that children who practice gratitude are more positive, more satisfied, and experience fewer negative feelings. ...