Parents are busy these days, and we keep getting busier. Though we want to connect with our kids, our demanding schedules make it hard to know how to be present with them consistently. Kara Powell, director of Fuller Youth Institute, shares how to have quality time and focus on our kids even in the…
The hardest part of the summer ending is pretending you’re not happy about it as a parent. Hiding your joy from kids who get mad at even seeing the back to school products in Target is difficult. Does that mean you haven’t enjoyed the extra time with your kids these last few months?…
We are just a few weeks from school starting again and the pool is still just as enchanting now, as when it opened nearly two months ago. This is the first summer my boys are both confidently swimming and entertaining themselves, and so I am loving this new season of freedom. This past…
By Walt Mueller When the nexus occurs, it brings great joy. It happened again yesterday. . . and it always leaves me excited. Yes, God still speaks. I reached the milestone of 61 years on this earth yesterday. (The birthdays seem to come around more quickly these days, and I seriously feel like yesterday was…
I’m a 90’s kid. That means I have fond memories of gathering around the TV watching T.G.I.F. with my family, I could slay Bop-It like my life depended on it, and I owned several “Now That’s What I Call Music….” er,r I mean, “WOW Hits.” It also means I lived in the era when…
Splink 1: DO What’s Right In order to help kids understand the idea of having integrity, tell your kids to do what you say. The hard part will be when you say one thing, but DO another. (For example: Tell them to pat their head, but you will pat your belly. Tell them…
In the world of education, we often group kindergarteners, first graders, and second graders into a category called early childhood. Or, as I personally call them, the “fun” years. In this phase, there’s very little drama or romantic distraction. Instead, it’s the age where make-believe meets reality. Imagination pumps through the classroom so strongly…
I really think we could learn a lot about friendship from our kids, especially when they are young. I’m always amazed at how easily kids can make friends on the playground, at the ball park, or in line at the grocery store. Maybe it’s just easier to strike up play when you’re younger than…
I once heard a comedian ask the crowd, “How many of you are first-born children?” Those first- born in the crowd cheered and clapped. He then asked, “And how many of you are the baby of the family? The last born?” Again, the last born all rose to their feet and cheered even louder….
Congratulations! You’re officially in the “home stretch” of middle school! After surviving seventh grade, you might be thinking, “Praise the Lord! The end of the tunnel is in sight and middle school is almost over.” But don’t rush past this year too quickly. Eighth grade may be the very best year yet. Something incredible happens…