It’s pretty tempting when our son or daughter isn’t behaving very well to say, “Well, they’re just going through a stage right now.” What we probably mean by that is that we’re hoping the problem will correct itself—it’s no big [...]
Do you have that “perfect” child? I don’t either. But, seriously, do you have that one who requires the absolute minimum of parental input? My oldest daughter was like that. She was a great student, responsible, and respectful. No matter how [...]
My youngest daughter Anastasia has always been a pretty good athlete. Just about everything she touched athletically, she was pretty good at. But, just like everything else, if you don’t practice—well, you know what happens. Anastasia was a natural basketball [...]
We as parents need to influence the behavior and character traits of our kids. But personality, well, that’s different. For example, my youngest daughter—she is a planner. She’s got to know what’s going on. She also is a little sarcastic. (Not sure where [...]
It seems like every family has at least one kid that’s a challenge. How did I handle it? Sometimes poorly. While the experts say it’s important to point out the positives in our kids, when you’re mad, it isn’t easy, [...]
As your parents head into the twilight of their lives, are you finding that you’re not just parenting your kids—but your parents, too? I have friends who are looking at caring for their mom and dad. If you’re considering it, [...]
Mourning the loss of a close relative or friend can be really difficult. Even though it’s been more than twenty years, my wife still struggles with Valentine’s Day week. That’s when my mother-in-law passed away. While we know she’s with [...]
I’m going to be blunt here. If you’ve ever tried arguing with a teenager, you quickly realize that they don’t always use the best logic in the world. It can be frustrating. Sometimes I’m sure you wonder if their elevator [...]
Not too long ago, my daughter had a string of really bad days. Over a short span, she got sick, she fell on a wet floor and hurt her knee, and she made some poor choices that made her life [...]
There’s a Proverb that reads, “By the fear of the Lord a man avoids evil” (Proverbs 16:6 RSV). The fear of the Lord is often defined as our awareness that God is constantly watching us in love and evaluating our [...]