Parenting

In 2004, my whole world changed forever. I gave birth to my first son. If I'm honest, I was terrified about being a parent. I came from a controlling household, and I was afraid that I would do the same to my kids. But my doubts and fears soon subsided, and in 2006, I gave birth to my daughter. As the years went by, I spent my time trying to do what was right for my children. Now that my son is off to college this year, and my daughter is a senior in high school, I can pivot my parenting style from one of a parent to one of a trusted friend. I no longer am the person to check their homework or remind them to do their chores. Rather, I can be free to share my struggles more openly. I'll simply be there not to dispense advice but rather be a sounding board so that my kids have someone to whom they can talk.As my son embarks on the journey of becoming an adult, there are some things I wish he knew:Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/ThitareeSarmkasat

The Fall can feel like a whirlwind of activity! I feel like I can't keep up with the assignments, classes, sports, haircuts, dinner prep, parties, games, meets, appointments, and more. I have to confess I have mixed up more than one scheduled item because things just keep falling through the cracks of my brain.As parents, we can easily see the laundry list of what we need to do to nourish our kids' bodies, hearts, minds, and souls and get completely overwhelmed. I have good news, though: we aren't called to get it all perfect for our kids; we are just called to trust the Lord with our kids. Trust He is with them, preparing them for the many purposes he has for their lives, and he is able to cover our mistakes and forgotten birthday party gifts with his grace.Jesus invites those of us who are weary and burdened to draw closer to him (Matthew 11:28-30). When you start to wonder if you are enough for your kids, if you are making the right choices for them, and try to devise all the ways to protect them, it's time to bring that worry list to the feet of Jesus. He wants to draw you near and help you find him in this season of parenthood.Here are some verses and prayers that invite us to trust God with our families this school year:

He used the pain of my childhood to bring me to this place of wholeness and restoration where I could experience a beautiful 12th birthday through the eyes of my son.

Here are the different deep life questions Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millenials, and Gen Z are asking (and why it matters).

Luckily, several families near us have started doing “late overs.” The kids all went over and watched movies and played games until around 9:30/10, then everyone went home.

Teaching your son about Bible heroes will inspire him to live like them. Will you run the race with heroic faith? Your example will earn you the privilege of asking your son to grasp the baton you are handing him so that he can continue this great relay race of Christian heroes through the ages.

Take time to share with your son the way God used teenagers in the Bible to accomplish His purposes.

Grab your mud boots and pumpkin spice latte, and let’s kick off the season with some fun things you and your family can do to ring in the season. Are you ready to make some memories? Below is a list of activities that are sure to put some smiles on your sweet little darling’s faces (and yours).

Praying for our children is one of the most important things that we can do. Let’s look at some Bible verses we can pray in various situations. (Note: All verses are from the NIV but various translations may use wording that you prefer. A Bible app is an easy way to compare translations!)Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/tatyana_tomsickova

Autumn. Doesn't it bring the crisp delight of pumpkins, fall colors, and cozy sweaters? It's also the perfect time to pack away the summer decorations and crafts and pull out all the great fall projects you've been waiting for!There are so many fun and easy fall crafts to do. We've taken some time to pull together some easy ones that you can make without too much trouble, experience, and not a lot of clean up! Are you ready? Pull out your craft table and supplies, and let's get going!

But, the truth is, we weren’t meant to be invincible, striving to do it all only to crumble into a heap, only to feel invisible.

Whether you interpret Proverbs 22:6 as a promise for raising your kids “in the Lord” or a warning about not doing so, there’s one thing we know: what you do as a parent matters and it will lead to results.

As our children go back to school, we throw ourselves into preparations. Instructions from teachers send us scurrying for supplies, including everything from notebooks to calculators to tissues. We shop for new school clothing, shoes, backpacks, and more. For those who don’t buy lunches at school, we stock the pantry with nutritious, easy-to-pack foods. With older students, we analyze class schedules to make sure our kids have the courses they’ll need for their next steps in life.By now, most of us have already posted first-day-of-school pictures on social media. We breathe a sigh of relief as transportation snafus finally resolve. The days fall back into routine after summer’s freedom. But have our preparations been enough?When we send our children to school, we allow others to influence them. We all can remember that special teacher who inspired and motivated us. Most of us also recall others, perhaps a coach or a bully, who devastated our self-image. The content of the curriculum itself shapes young minds and hearts. There’s no doubt our kids will encounter material that is contrary to God’s holiness. Despite our best efforts to shield them from the world, our children’s peers will expose them to all forms of ungodliness. And behind all those primary concerns, we wonder if the recent spate of mass shootings could make its way to our hometown.These transitional days back to school mark a critical need to lay a foundation of prayer for our children. Our best resource for prayer is the Bible because it contains God’s will for us. Meditate on the following verses and ten prayers for the school year. As you pray, include the names of your children to make them personal.Photo credit: ©Getty Images/SkynesherHere Are 10 Prayers for the School Year:

Camp Hideoutis an impressive "first film" from Called Higher Studios, which offers audiences a rare treat: a live-action, family-friendly PG comedy. Too often, family films in the comedy genre include elements -- coarse language and sexual innuendo, for example -- that have parents diving for the remote. There is none of that in Camp Hideout.

We know we need them, yet there is the underlying tension nobody really talks about when it comes to making mom friends. The hard truth (just going to go ahead and lay it out there up front) is that making mom friends is hard. Plain and simple.

Our peace cannot rely on how our children are behaving or performing. Jesus “Himself is our peace” (Ephesians 2:14). In all of the ups and downs of the middle school years, and the years that follow, we must solely find our strength in the Lord and lead our children to do the same.

While under-parenting can throw our kids to the wolves, is it possible that over-parenting can turn our kids away from faith?

God’s Word is living because its author is living. Children grow up, life moves on, but God’s Word always soothes our fragmented places.

When my son was a few months old, my husband and I decided to try for a second child. It took over a year to get pregnant with our son, so we figured we had time. Much to my surprise, two short months later, I discovered I was pregnant! This meant my children would be 16 months apart in age. Talk about close! We opted to know the gender before birth, and we discovered it was a girl. If I'm honest, I had mixed emotions about that. I know what it was like with my mother growing up. We were a lot alike, so we often butted heads. I also worried about her safety and her relationships, but most importantly, her walk with God.Now that she's a senior in high school, here are some things I wish my daughter knew:Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Lordn

In a growth mindset, you focus on the progress you made yesterday or the previous attempt. You look back at where you came from and acknowledge the advancement. You are comparing yourself to you yesterday. By recognizing the improvement, you get even more excited about continuing forward. In a fixed mindset, you are looking to the people ahead of you doing it better, thinking, why am I even bothering? We want your perfectionist child to develop a growth mindset.