Christian Parenting Today articles from December 2003

Christian Parenting Today archives from December 2003

The love story.(Parent to Parent)(Editorial)
December 22, 2003... When I was in third grade, I was convinced that it was only a matter of time before I was a famous actress. I often interviewed myself in preparation for my inevitable appearance on The Tonight Show. I made my friends put on plays with me...

Time for Grace.(Letters from Home)(Letter to the Editor)
December 22, 2003... As the parent of four adopted children with one who steals on a regular basis, the article "Grace Rules" came at a time when we really needed it. Five years of on-and-off stealing are beginning to wear on us, and it's hard to show God's grace....

The secret life of teens.(Letters from Home)(Letter to the Editor)
December 22, 2003... I thoroughly enjoyed the article "Private-Eye Parents." I had teenagers myself and did some snooping after much prayer. I have no regrets. It gave me and my husband the opportunity to help our child through a very tough situation. Had we not...

Privacy across the pond.(Letters from Home)(Letter to the Editor)
December 22, 2003... I would like to thank you for the excellent article "Private-Eye Parents." It put into words so many of the things I instinctively knew were right, but was being told by other parents were just me being over protective. Please keep up the good...

Perfectly imperfect.(Letters from Home)(Letter to the Editor)
December 22, 2003... Just want to say that I really enjoyed "Rear Window" (Mom's Journal). It touched my heart because I identify with condemning myself when I make mistakes--you know, the whole "perfect morn" syndrome. I had tears in my eyes as I read that her...

Nailing it.(Letters from Home)(Letter to the Editor)
December 22, 2003... "Hammer and Nails" was an amazing article! I have a son like Michael who's only 5 years old, but with the same spirited nature. When he has good days they're really great, but when he has bad days he's devilish, so I appreciate the encouraging...

Feel the energy.(Advertisement)
December 22, 2003... "I was always so busy and tired! When I got home... I would go straight to bed Then I started taking Bee-Alive Royal Jelly I tell you, it's amazing! I'm not tired anymore!" --Rhoda Pellicia, NY "Before I began using Bee-Alive Royal...

Play with your food.(Home Pages)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... If your family's like most, gathering everyone around the table for mealtime requires monumental effort. But Christian and secular experts on the family agree: the payoff is huge. Children who eat with their family at leas three times a week...

Rocket Readers series.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)
December 22, 2003... Various authors and illustrators Page lengths vary (Cook) $4.99 per set; Ages 4-8 It's amazing no on thought of this before: reading primers based on Bible stories. Whether you've got a pre-reader who's ready to learn the alphabet or a...

Dateable: Are You? Are They.(Young Adult Review)
December 22, 2003... By Justin Lookadoo and Hayley Morgan (Revell) $14.99, 223 pages Ages 13 and up Too many books for teenagers whitewash the harsh reality of dating life. Not this one. It starts b telling readers their current relationships won't last. From...

The Larryboy series.(Brief Article)(Bibliography)
December 22, 2003... Larryboy and the Emperor of Envy By Sean Gaffney, illustrated by Michael Moore Larryboy and the Awful Ear Wacks Attacks By Bob Katula, illustrated by Michael Moore Larryboy and the Sinister Snow Day By Sean Gaffney, illustrated by...

Fast asleep--fast.(Home Pages)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... Helping your toddler settle down at the end of the day can be like trying to make Jell-O stop jiggling. But a regular bedtime routine that includes a sweet story and your own special traditions can create a sense of calm and comfort that will...

Have kids, will travel.(Home Pages)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... If your holiday plans include flying, be sure to pack a few activities in your carry-on to keep the kids happy during the flight. Consider these easy-to-pack hard-to-lose goodies: Ages 2-5: * Play-Doh * A mini MagnaDoodle or...

Find a friendly family flick.(Home Pages)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... Not sure if that new block-buster is a good choice for the kids? Before our family movie and pizza nights, we visit one or more of these free websites to learn more about what we're watching (Note: Not all of these sites come from a Christian...

Wish list.(Life In Our House)(Letter to the Editor)
December 22, 2003... As I told the Christmas story to my 3-year-old son, Jordan, I asked questions to make sure he was getting it. After I told him about the three wise men bringing gifts to the baby Jesus, I asked, "Now what were the presents? Gold, frankincense...

Time travel.(Life In Our House)(Letter to the Editor)
December 22, 2003... I was recently explaining to my 5-year-old daughter that we didn't live in the city, but in the suburbs. She seemed to understand, so I was surprised a few days later to hear her explain to her younger sister, "We live in the Proverbs!" ...

Yellow polka-dot what?(Life In Our House)(Letter to the Editor)
December 22, 2003... My 8-year-old niece needed a swimsuit for her school play--a spinoff on the aid beach party movies. She begged her mother for a "two-piece" until finally my sister agreed. Later, I told her I'd heard she had a new swimsuit. "Yes,...

Talking about adoption.(Home Pages)
December 22, 2003... If you've adopted a child as an infant, you know that figuring out how and when to talk about adoption with your child is a complex and sometimes scary prospect. While experts disagree on the best age to introduce the subject to a child, most...

A critic is born.(Ideas That Work)(Letter to the Editor)
December 22, 2003... Even though my daughter loved to ma up stories and look at books, she hated the mundane task of trying to read. Aft trying every possible motivator known man, I came up with the idea of having her write reviews of the books she read I designed...

Birthday blowout.(Ideas That Work)(Letter to the Editor)
December 22, 2003... When my daughter turned 2,1 provided each guest at her birthday party with h or her own little decorated cupcake wit a candle. When it came time for my daughter to blow out the candles on the big cake, everyone else blew out their candle as...

A service with sanity.(Church Life)(child behavior in church)
December 22, 2003... If your kids need to sit through "big church," use these tips to help them get the most out of the service--and preserve your own sanity too: * Talk beforehand--perhaps in the car on the way to church or quietly during the prelude--about...

Fun stuff.(Family Time with God)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... Harvest Place Cards (November 26) You'll need: * 1" x 4" pieces of heavy paper in an autumn color such as tan, orange, or sage green, one piece for each person who will be at Thanksgiving dinner * hole punch * markers *...

Did you know ...(Family Time with God)(Fanny Crosby)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... ... that Fanny Crosby (January 21) wrote around nine thousand hymns, many of which are still sung around the world today? Some of her most well-known songs include "Blessed Assurance", "To God Be the Glory," and "Tell Me the Story of Jesus."...

November: brothers in the bible.(Calendar)
December 22, 2003... november Brothers in the Bible saturday 1 Take a walk and look for five signs of autumn Week 1 Cain and Abel Proverbs 14:30 A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. sunday monday...

December: Christmas cast of characters.(Calendar)
December 22, 2003... december Christmas Cast of Characters Week 1 Zechariah, a father who praised God Luke 1:68 "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people." monday tuesday wednesday...

January: truths to know from psalm 100.(Calendar)
December 22, 2003... january Truths to Know from Psalm 100 thursday friday saturday 1 2 3 Happy 2004! Write (or draw) Make a thank-you notes resolution to ...

Big questions, simple answers: now that our daughter is 3, she's asking more challenging questions about God. How do we help her understand God when we still have lots of faith questions of our own?(early childhood)
December 22, 2003... A When a young child's natural curiosity turns to things of faith--"What color is God's hair?" "Where did I live before I was born?" "Who is God's mommy?"--many parents find themselves stumped. But at this age, children are less concerned...

Building a dream team: our son is in third grade and we're feeling the need for other Christians to help us teach him about the Christian life. Apart from family, who are some of the other people we should try to bring into his life?(elementary)
December 22, 2003... A. When it comes to raising children who love Jesus, parents axe the first-string players. But that doesn't mean you have to go without some serious back-up. You're wise to seek out other people who can serve as "second-stringers" in your...

Living in paradox central: our 10-year-old daughter seems so immature at times, but then turns around and acts like a little adult. We don't want to baby her, but we don't want to treat her like a teenager yet, either. What expectations should we have for her at this age?(preteen)
December 22, 2003... A. If there's one word that sums up preteens, it's paradox. Preteens live simultaneously in two completely opposite worlds--the world of childhood mad the world of adulthood. This can be maddening, and paradoxically, quite exciting! So the most...

Teaching compassion: our 15-year-old seems so self-centered sometimes. How can we help her start thinking about the needs of other people?(teen)
December 22, 2003... A. Compassion is one of the most important character traits we can nurture in our children. Yet our culture encourages selfishness. If we want our children to develop servant hearts, we need to give them opportunities to serve. Fortunately,...

Praying for keeps: lift up your children ... for life!
December 22, 2003... Four years ago, a major spiritual battle began ill nay home, and I was not prepared for it. Four years ago, my first child was born. When I became a mother, I knew I wanted to instill a love for God in my children. I assumed I'd have plenty...

Why kids misbehave: living where the wild things are? Here's how to tame your brood.
December 22, 2003... My first five years of fatherhood were undeniably blessed. I had the sweetest, most well-behaved kids on the planet. This was especially true of my 5-year-old angel, Tracy (aka The Princess), who was every dad's dream. She was adorable,...

Making allowances: everything you need to know about raising financially savvy kids in a material world.
December 22, 2003... "Mom, can I have money for ice cream?" "Dad, I need more batteries for my CD player." "Mom, I lost my school ID and need $2 to replace it." Requests for money were becoming all too common in our house, especially when our boys...

Teen-proof devotions: what do e-mail, CDs, and banana splits have in common? They're all keys to family devotions your teenager might actually enjoy.
December 22, 2003... When your children are young, putting together a fun, meaningful family devotional can be as easy as making sheep out of cotton balls and paper plates. But teenagers can throw a wrench in even the most well-intentioned family night. With their...

Moms in ministry: no, that's not an oxymoron, just a challenge. Meet five mothers who've made it work.
December 22, 2003... My friend Heather is leading Children's Church. She has girl for catching the attention of even the most persistent wigglers and drawing them into the song or story. This week, however, she looks slightly distracted. It could be because there...

How God blessed this cover girl with a makeover from the inside, out.(Advertisement)
December 22, 2003... "I was a mess inside." On the outside, I had it all. I was an international model at age 15 and appeared on hundreds of magazine covers I represented Cover Girl Makeup for over 30 years. As an actress, I made over 30 Hollywood movies and...

Grief matters: how to answer your child's questions about death.
December 22, 2003... The 4- and 5-year-old students in my son Jeff's Sunday school class prayed for a little girls mother and a little boy's dog. They left confident that Jesus had heard. The following Sunday at prayer time, the little girl excitedly told the...

Is she saved? My daughter is 5. I have led her to pray to receive christ as her Lord and Savior, but how do I know if she understood what she prayed?(On the Family Front)
December 22, 2003... A. It's great that you want your daughter to have a strong footing in the Christian life at such an early age and I commend you for taking her faith formation seriously. I also want to reassure you that God honors the prayers of tender...

Dealing with dad's drinking.(On the Family Front)
December 22, 2003... Q. Our children--ages 16, 13, and II--are really struggling with their dad, a non-Christian and an alcoholic. We pray for him often, but it's still difficult. When sober, he's a wonderful father and husband, but when he drinks he's sullen and...

A broken relationship.(On the Family Front)
December 22, 2003... Q. I have a 12-year-old daughter and our relationship is very strained. She has admitted that she is scared of me because I have a hot temper, but I'm trying hard to change the way I respond to her. Still it seems as if she has a wall built...

Angry Mom.(On the Family Front)
December 22, 2003... Q. I have a hard time disciplining my 5-year-old without losing my temper. I try to stay calm, but I find myself getting so angry that I yell at him or sometimes even smack him. I know this isn't good, but I'm a single room and I don't know how...

Gift buying guide.(Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
December 22, 2003... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] CAPTION: The Many Loves of Christmas "There is just a little bit of Christmas in every one of my paintings," says the celebrated artist Thomas Kinkade. Now he and his wife, Nanette, share their thoughts, memories,...

Captain courageous: help your kids develop the strength to make godly choices.(A Father's Heart)
December 22, 2003... Remember the Cowardly Lion in the Wizard of Oz? He lacked the one skill essential for the "King of the Forest": Courage. How about your kids? How's their courage? Are they brave enough to make the right choices, even when it's difficult?...

On a mission: making time for what matters most.(Mom's Journal)
December 22, 2003... I am a mother on a mission, and heaven help anyone who gets in my way. For the past two weeks I have been eating, sleeping, and breathing one thing: Organization! I've done all the bedrooms, the kitchen, the closets, and most daunting--the...