A couple of weekends ago, I had a rare moment of quiet before church began. But it didn’t last long. A 4th grade boy—who I know by face but have never really talked with—walked up and asked if he could show me a drawing he was working on. Without waiting for my answer, he flipped the paper upside down and dove into the backstory of his caricature ...
Parenting
The Sacred Season of Motherhood
There are seasons in motherhood that feel long and heavy—and others that feel like they’re gone in a blink. I came across these words from a childhood friend, and they struck such a deep chord in me, I knew I had to share them. Maybe you're in the thick of it right now—wiping noses, reheating your coffee for the third time, and carrying what feels ...
How to Train a Child to Sleep In
After reading 7 Gentle Tips to Help with Early Risers, Shelley asked: “How do you actually train a child to stay in their room until you come get them? My 3-year-old comes into our bed every morning between 4 and 5 a.m. and goes back to sleep. I know he needs more sleep, but I also need my morning quiet time. Help!” If this sounds familiar, ...
7 Gentle Tips to Help with Early Risers
My life changed the day I decided to wake up before my young children to spend time with God in prayer and reading His Word. But getting there wasn't easy. I had every excuse in the book:"My kids wake up so early. I could never get up before them.""As soon as I wake, my kids get up.""I am exhausted. I need every possible moment to sleep." I ...
Tired of Bedtime Battles? Here’s What Worked for Us
When I think back to those early years of parenting, the word that comes to mind is exhaustion. All. Day. Long. I was simply trying to keep our four kids alive. Well, I did more than that, but it often felt like a major victory just to make it through the day! And while there were plenty of mistakes made (so many!), I’m thankful that we prioritized ...
10 Tips to Guide Children Through Grief
When a child experiences loss—whether it’s a grandparent, a pet, or even an unmet expectation—grief can feel overwhelming. As moms and teachers, we want to guide them well, but we may not always know how, especially when we are grieving ourselves. Here are 10 practical ways to help children navigate grief in a healthy way. Read the episode ...
Raising Emotionally Resilient Kids
In today’s world, our kiddos face so many challenges that bring big emotions to the surface. As parents and teachers, we want to help them navigate these tough moments. Raising emotionally resilient kids means teaching them to work through their feelings and find growth on the other side. It’s not something that happens overnight, but I’m here to ...
Why Teach Character Traits to Children?
We all want our children to grow up with good character. We want others to like them, and we want to like our children! Naturally, we teach them traits like honesty, compassion, and generosity. As Teacher Created Materials shares: With the many varied messages children see in the media and in their associations, we can’t expect them to merely ...
Rules Needed to Raise Kind Kids
If I polled the ABCJesusLovesMe and Parenting to Impress families, I believe 100% would say they desire their children to be kind. But if you've spent more than a few hours with a toddler or a teen, you know that kindness isn’t always natural. So, what does it take to raise kind children? Is it about the rules you set in your home? You know—the ...
Empowering Healthy Independence in Your Children
There’s a famous parenting quote that states: “Never do for a child what he can do for himself.” This idea makes me think of the parent who carries her child’s backpack to school or makes a teenager’s lunch daily. While it’s easy to do these things out of love, I often wonder if we’re truly loving our kids the best way possible when we do all the ...