There are times when I am reminded of just how much I do not know. That is kind of where I have been lately. I have been struggling with one of my kids and some behavioral issues that have been escalating. I have tried to talk her through them. I have tried to be patient, until my patience is taxed…
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At the End of My Rope…Again
Clothing Allowance – One Way to Teach Your Kids the Value of a Dollar
At our house, reaching the age of 12 is a huge milestone – not only because that means that you have officially left childhood behind and joined the ranks of the “youth” at church, but also because you start to receive something REALLY cool…a clothing allowance. You must understand that this is something that the kids wait for with much…
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You Will Survive Middle School…I Promise
Sometimes when I talk to my daughter, I feel like I’m right back there again – in the 7th grade – trying to figure out how life works – wondering where I fit – wondering if the friends I have chosen really like me at all – wondering if there is life beyond middle school, and, most of all, fearing that…
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Strong Willed Children Are a Blessing, Not a Curse
When my kids were young, I would sometimes wonder what I had done wrong when child after child was born into our family with a hefty dose of strong will. I would longingly observe other families whose children seemed so mellow and easy to please. My kids were “spirited.” They were often disobedient. They were constantly testing my patience. It…
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A Boy, a Phone, and a Hilarious Misunderstanding
I find it a little ironic that, in this age of technology, the home phone can be so intimidating to my children. Granted, I often wonder why we even have that phone. Most of the calls that we get for that number are telemarketers. Their 1-800 numbers give them away, and we usually just ignore them. Sometimes, however, we get legitimate…
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Courage, Parents…This Day We Fight for Faith
http://youtu.be/UCT-0ix0OBw At my house, my husband has succeeded in convincing my teenage sons that The Lord of the Rings is the best trilogy of all time. Personally, I could take it or leave it (which is why my husband had such a vested interest in convincing somebody in the family of it’s sheer awesomeness). My indifference is borderline blasphemy if you ask my boys. They…
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Surviving “I Hate You, Mom” and Other Dramatic Things Kids Say
It was the Spring of 2005. I was seven months pregnant with my fourth child. My husband was in his last months of graduate school, and was rarely home. I was exhausted. It had been a bad day for six-year-old Jordan. He could not seem to keep himself from getting into trouble. It escalated until he screamed something at the…
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