Easter is one of my favorite times of the year. I love celebrating Jesus and His resurrected life. I appreciate how—symbolic of Jesus’ rebirth—the whole earth breaks forth in life, budding fresh and new from a frozen world stripped bare. Easter gives us an opportunity to pause and reflect on the life of Christ. I… [Continue Reading]
Children
Crack Open the Real Meaning of Easter with Resurrection Eggs
I’ve been a fan of Resurrection Eggs for Easter for many years. I started using them years ago with the young women in Teen MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers). Many of these young women had never heard the TRUE Easter story, and it was a great way to share the gospel in a fun and non-threatening… [Continue Reading]
How to Teach Your Children to Depend on God
Hi Friend! Greetings from Nashville! I’m here with the Teach Them Diligently Conference. Yesterday I taught about 40 Ways to Be Present In Your Child’s Day. I also taught with Kristi Clover about Homeschool Basics. I love, love, love meeting up with friends I’ve met at previous conferences and making new ones! Even as I write… [Continue Reading]
Sleep as a Benefit of Homeschooling
I’d been a homeschooling mom for twenty years when I was forced to have kids in the public school system. I say “forced” because we had kids in foster care and DHS would not let me homeschool them. So for the first time ever I filled out paperwork and had to figure out the schedules… [Continue Reading]
How to stop your child’s angry cycle
The flash of anger in my tween daughter’s eyes surprised me. We’d been camping, and Maddie’s 6-year-old sister, Aly, had just burned her finger on hot ash. As I treat the wound, Maddie strode up. “I hurt myself, too,” she said, with attitude. “Last night when we were making S’mores.” “Hold on,” I said. As… [Continue Reading]
10 Ways to Make Your Home a Place of Healing For Kids From Foster Care
John and I opened our home to foster care and adoption with a lot of hope and little knowledge of what the reality would look like. As a mom trying to help these kids heal, I learned a lot about children, trauma, myself, our mutual needs, and healing. Out of everything I’ve learned, the… [Continue Reading]
3 Meaningful Ways to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with Your Kids by Jennifer Deibel {+ giveaway}
Have you ever stopped to think about why we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? Did you know that Patrick was a real man, who brought the gospel to Ireland? Or did you think Paddy’s Day was just an excuse to wear green, pinch people and talk like a leprechaun? It might surprise you to learn that… [Continue Reading]
3 Ways Children Teach Us To Pray – Kari Patterson
As I type these words, my daughter is snuggled up next to me with her head resting on my stomach. She’s been mostly quiet, but throughout the past few minutes she’s softly spoken a thought: “I loved seeing the ducks today.” A question: “When am I going to Madison’s house?” A praise: “I love you,… [Continue Reading]
Why Are Kids Impatient and Mouthy?
I sat in the doctor’s office and watched as another mom hurried in with two kids. She made sure to let the front desk clerk know she was early and expected to be able to get in right away. She also let them know (about a dozen times) that she wasn’t happy with having to… [Continue Reading]
The Power of Blessing: Four Words All Children Need to Hear | Sally Clarkson
If we are determined to craft a blessing that will endure in the minds and hearts of our children, we must first take initiative and commit to regularly verbalize that blessing. The four “words” below come together over time to build a solid sense of blessing in our children’s lives. Words of God’s Commitment The… [Continue Reading]
The Most Important Part about Homeschooling
I started homeschooling in 1994. At the time there were no homeschooling blogs, very few curriculum choices, and not very many people to talk with about homeschooling questions. Homeschooling and a Love for Learning I remember one gathering of homeschool moms that I went to. We sat in Linda’s living room and just talked about… [Continue Reading]