Search Results for: blog the power of one child

How to Encourage Children to Give Back

Each child should learn the importance of giving back, a lesson that will stay with him or her for a lifetime. Giving our children the opportunity to build character and become excellent human beings is one of the responsibilities and the pleasures of being a parent. Not to take away from the importance of this lesson for our children in the future, encouraging children to give back also has the added bonus of eliminating much of the “gimmies” for us parents, right here and now. Did you know that kids are instinctual givers? They are proud to give of themselves, … Continue reading →

New Year’s Eve Money Savers

Welcoming 2013 is cause for celebration.  However, if you plan to party with a house full of parents and children, a New Year’s Eve shindig has the potential to put huge dent in your wallet. Fortunately, there are ways you can preserve your family’s budget, so that you don’t start 2013 in a financial pit: Fancy Cup Tags:  Fancy doesn’t have to mean expensive.  One way to reduce the amount of money you spend on cups for a New Year’s party is to attach a pretty tag to each one.  Doing so will identify the cup’s owner and eliminate the … Continue reading →

The Power of Comfort Food

On Friday, when my children arrived home, safely, it was all that I could do to not to gather them all up and never let them go. After recent events, I know I am not the only parent out there that felt that way. We’ve all been shaken up. Anyone who has ever loved a child, a sister or a friend has had to face this harsh new reality. There was no way, that night, that I was going to deny my children most anything. It is a good thing that no one asked for a pony. Instead, they asked … Continue reading →

Teaching Values to Your Children

Yesterday, my 1st grader came home and told me that a girl at school was being a bully at recess. Of course, I asked a million questions trying to get more details regarding what happened. It seemed to me after talking about it for a long time, that this other 1st grader was trying to tease my daughter because of something that my daughter said. I finally realized that it was mostly innocent child’s play (although a little aggressive), but at the same time, I used it as a teaching opportunity to tell my children again that if they don’t … Continue reading →

Her Children Arise and Call Her Blessed

There is this Bible verse I have read many times and often wondered, “What would that feel like as a mom?” Which verse am I talking about? It is found in Proverbs 31:28: “Her children arise and call her blessed…” This basically means that the mother’s children recognize her efforts. I mean, what mother wouldn’t want that? I have heard many moms of adult children say that it isn’t until they start having children that they seem to get it. So I have tucked that away in my heart, holding it until the day it happens. However, I was blessed … Continue reading →

“Oz: The Great and Powerful” Preview

When I was young I read all of L. Frank Baum’s Oz books over and over. There are a lot more than one might expect, and I devoured them all. So I can understand why some people are so entranced with the series that they keep returning to it, though it’s interesting to me that most of the subsequent Oz books after the first one are so rarely plumbed for adaptation. Disney’s the latest to jump on the Oz bandwagon; the company is set to release a prequel to the famous story: “Oz: The Great and Powerful.” I’ve heard about … Continue reading →

The Power of Grandma

Who knew your monster-in-law could actually serve a positive purpose in life aside from birthing your spouse? Ahem… How well do you get along with your mother-in-law? The answer could have a major impact on your children’s lives. According to a new study, married couples, who live with or nearby their mother-in-law, are more likely to have healthier babies than those who don’t. In addition, researchers say children born to said couples are also less likely to die in infancy. Finally, the study also found that when grandma is a driving force in a family, mom and dad tend to … Continue reading →

One Suggestion For Handling Tantrums

If ten strangers were in a room with you and your toddler and your toddler happened to have a temper tantrum, you would probably get ten different pieces of advice on how to respond to your wailing, flailing child. Some of the advice you might hear would probably sound too harsh while other suggestions might seem too lenient. As with parenting advice about any topic, the best thing that you could do in such a situation would be to choose the approach that seems to best fit your family and your child. As a part of my never ending quest … Continue reading →

Parenting Your Strong-Willed Child

This week I have come to the conclusion that I have the most stubborn child on the face of the planet. Ok, not really, but it certainly feels like it. We’ve had more than our fair share of power struggles this week. Unfortunately, he got stuck with an equally stubborn mother, so he can’t win, but that’s not going to stop him from trying. Does this sound familiar to you? There are times when having a strong-willed child may feel like a curse. They can definitely be a handful at times, especially when they are little, but they often grow … Continue reading →

What Is Your Marriage Teaching Your Children?

An often overlooked area in a marriage is the influence it has upon the children. Have you ever really thought about the message you are sending your children concerning marriage? Marriage isn’t just about two people if you have children. Your marriage is a huge factor in decisions they will make in the future, including what to look for in a mate. How you treat your spouse speaks volumes to our children. If boys see their father as an overbearing, cruel husband…what do you think is going to happen when that little boy grows up? If girls see their mothers … Continue reading →