The other day, my son and I were at a community center that had, as part of the building, a small room called the “Children’s Chapel.” Inside the room were a few instruments (mostly drums), a number of boxes that had Bible stories inside of them, and several benches with chairs. When we went in…
As soon as a child is born, we start measuring, don’t we? The number of fingers and toes. Height and weight. Number of wet diapers. Weeks and months. And my personal favorite, number of hours slept in a row. As they get older, that kind of counting doesn’t stop, it just changes—usually into…
*The following is excerpted from an online article posted on NBC News. You just can’t get glue to stick around right now. Bottles of the gooey white stuff are flying off the shelves as a kids’ crafting craze is leading to temporary shortages. They’re making “slime.” It’s a gluey substance, also known as “gak” or…
I thought I raised my children well. They seemed like good kids. But then, a few months ago, my oldest son did the unthinkable. The most thoughtless, unimaginable thing he’s ever done. He moved out. I probably should have been expecting it. After all, he’s 21. But I’d done a pretty good…
Splink 1: Walk a Mile… Run a shoe relay to introduce the idea of walking a mile in someone else’s shoes. Ask everyone to put their shoes in a pile on one side of the room. Then line everyone up on the other side of the room. Get a timer ready (cell phone…
Trending Today on Twitter – 3/3/17 1. #BelkoCares 2. Juan Thompson 3. #employeeappreciationday 4. #FridayMotivation 5. #SSAC17 6. #PenceEmails 7. #coveringtrump 8. Democrat Party Ties to Russia 9. Wendy 10. The Intercept Source: Twitter Trending Today on Google – 3/3/17 1. Brandon Marshall 2. Remy Ma Another One 3. Juan Thompson 4. Logan…
When I was a kid, I was obsessed with Superman. Seriously! I still remember the day my parents handed me a box from Sears and Roebuck that contained a red cape, blue tights with a red-and-yellow “S” shield on the chest. When I put it on, something magical happened. It transformed me from a shy…
*The following is excerpted from an online article posted on HealthDay. Female athletes appear to be more likely than men to suffer concussions during their careers on the field, a new study suggests. The findings add to the existing evidence that female athletes may be more susceptible to concussions, even as attention has tended to…
Dan Scott has extensively researched the power of story. In this episode, he talks with Kristen Ivy about how kids are wired to use stories, even fictional stories, to help them process the world around them, to learn empathy, and to gain perspective. Parents can use stories to teach important life principles and start…
“I sorry.” When those words are delivered by the high-pitched voice of a child, they melt you. Of course I’ll forgive you, you think. How could I not? Even if there is a huge mess behind her. Bookcases are knocked over. The dog is barking. The cat is perched on top of the chandelier. A…