Christian Parenting Today articles from January 2004

Christian Parenting Today archives from January 2004

You're never alone.(Parent to Parent)(Editorial)
January 1, 2004... I'll never forget the wonderful relief I experienced several months after my first child was born. I was exhausted from constant nursing... my tiny daughter nursed every two hours without fail and was a slow weight gainer. I felt as though I...

Guiding prayers.(Letters from Home)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... I really appreciated the insights and specifics in CPT's interview with Tony Jones ("Listening to God"). The Lectio Divina is a fresh approach that's not new at all, and a great way to be able to get kids--and parents--to be still and know God....

Curbing Clutter.(Letters from Home)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... "Clutter Control" offered lots of great new ideas for getting things done around the house. I have to teach a lesson on organization for our church's women's organization, and this will be perfect! Kim Carter, Ohio

My two Moms?(Letters from Home)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... Thanks, Dr. Maudlin, for proving such wonderful guidance on an issue with which I have to deal ("The Moms Next Door," On the Family Front). My daughter is five, and I'm already starting to worry about the various non-Christian attitudes she'll...

The fine art of blending.(Letters from Home)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... "All Together Now" by Natalie Gillespie lifted my spirits. I'm married a second time, and my new husband and I differ in our culture, religion, and family values. Thanks for a great article on blending a family. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Good Housekeeping.(Letters from Home)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... I loved "Good Housekeeping"! While I'm a stay-at-home mom, I don't feel guilty about having my children help with housework. My oldest daughter doesn't always like doing chores, but then sometimes she realizes that if she's going to being...

Pet "droppings".(Life in Our House)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... My 3-year-old daughter wanted to go outside to play, but it was raining quite heavily. So I told her, "Honey, it's not a good time right now. It's raining cats and dogs." My daughter then asked, "Are the cats and dogs going to get wet?" ...

No friend of mine.(Life in Our House)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... My 4-year-old niece, Hannah, attended her first kindergarten Valentine's Day party and was eager to hand out her cards to her friends. When she arrived home that afternoon, her mother asked her how everything went. Hannah hesitated, then...

Important disclaimer.(Life in Our House)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... My son, Andrew, learns a Bible verse with motions each week at Sunday school. When he learned Luke 6:30, "If anyone takes something that belongs to you, do not demand it back," the motion for "back" was a slap of the fist on the palm of the...

All we like sheep.(Life in Our House)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... During worship at church, we've been singing a song with a chorus, "Worthy is the Lamb," that's sung several times in a row. Last Sunday afternoon, we heard our 3-year-old daughter, Macie, singing the chorus with the words, "Woolly is the...

Jesus loves her.(Life in Our House)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... When she found her beloved missing New Testament underneath her bed, my 3-year-old daughter exclaimed, "Hey, here's my little Bible that tells me so!" Rhonda F., Missouri

Movie Nights for Kids.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
January 1, 2004... Movie Nights for Kids by Focus on the Family (Tyndale House), $13.99, 176 pages (parents). A cold wintry night is the perfect time for you and your family to curl up with some popcorn and a great movie rental. But is there family-friendly fare...

See How They Run.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
January 1, 2004... See How They Run by Lorilee Craker (WaterBrook), $12.99, 205 pages (parents). One day your sweet infant suddenly starts walking and talking--and life as you know it is never the same! Lorilee Craker is a mom in the trenches who wants to assure...

Real Issues, Real Teens: What Every Parent Needs to Know.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
January 1, 2004... Real Issues, Real Teens: What Every Parent Needs to Know by T. Suzanne Eller (Cook Communications), $14.99, 288 pages (parents.) Suzanne Eller, a teen-ministry expert and parent, decided to find out how teens really feel about God, their...

The Myth of the Perfect Mother.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
January 1, 2004... The Myth of the Perfect Mother by Carla Barnhill (Baker Books), $12.99, 192 pages (parents). Carla Barnhill, former editor of CHRISTIAN PARENTING TODAY, thoughtfully explores the various myths that have built up around Christian motherhood and...

The Growing Reader Book of Prayers.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2004... The Growing Reader Book of Prayers by Joy MacKenzie, illustrated by Jill Newton (Tyndale Kids), $12.99 (children 3-8). This charming book not only will make reading fun for your fledgling reader, but also will excite him about the spiritual...

9 Fruits Alive: Discover the Fruit of the Spirit.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2004... 9 Fruits Alive: Discover the Fruit of the Spirit by Mindy MacDowell (Multnomah), $10.99 (children 2-6). Puzzled over how to explain the concept of the fruits of the Holy Spirit to your children? Mindy MacDowell's got the answer in this...

Don't Buy the Lie: Discerning Truth in a World of Deception.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2004... Don't Buy the Lie: Discerning Truth in a World of Deception by Mark Matlock (Zondervan), $9.99, 176 pages (teens). Whether it's in the form of popular TV shows like Crossing Over or Pet Psychic, or in the guise of the school friend who reads...

The Long Ride: A family's Search.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2004... The Long Ride: A Family's Search by Don Regier, illustrated by Karen Pritchett (Kregel KidZone), $12.99, 32 pages, (children age 4-8). For those involved in overseas adoption, this unusual children's book tells the story of a family who travels...

Children behaving badly.(Discipline Toolbox)
January 1, 2004... I've seen enough kids with negative behavior to tell you how the cycle goes. Read this and see if it triggers a headache: You tell Johnny to turn off the television. He ignores you. You tell him to turn off the TV again. He continues...

Holiday helpers.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... What if your travel plans will take you away from your church's annual Sunday school or music ministry Christmas program? Here are ten ways you and your kids can help ahead of time so your family still participates: 1. Design and paint...

2004 holiday gift guide.(SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION)(Advertisement)
January 1, 2004... AN INVITATION TO SOLITUDE AND SILENCE Much of our faith and practice is about words--preaching, teaching, talking. Yet all of these words alone are not enough to take us into the real presence of God where we can hear His voice. This book...

Fun stuff.(Family Time with God from Awana)
January 1, 2004... Piggy Bank Day (November 2) During the Middle Ages, people used an orange clay (pygg) to make their dishes. People saved their money in a "pygg jar," which eventually became "piggy jar" and then "piggy bank." The name stuck even though...

November: the life of Nehemiah.(Calendar)
January 1, 2004... sunday monday tuesday wednesday thursday friday saturday Week 1 Nehemiah is sad. Nehemiah 9:5a Stand up and praise the LORD your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting. 1 Read Nehemiah 1-2. (you may want to divide these...

December: why Jesus came to earth.(Calendar)
January 1, 2004... sunday monday tuesday wednesday thursday friday saturday Week 1 Jesus came to earth to show us God. John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 1 Only 25 more days until Christmas....

January: bible occupations.(Calendar)
January 1, 2004... sunday monday tuesday wednesday thursday friday saturday 1 Ask Dad or Mom how you can help them around the house today. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Week 1 Fishermen Mark 1:17 "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you...

God's family picture: for Mary Beth and Steven Curtis Chapman, adopting children from overseas has done more than change the size of their family--it's changed the hearts of their biological children as well.
January 1, 2004... Back in 1999, 13-year-old Emily Chapman, daughter of Christian musician Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife, Mary Beth, began a campaign to convince her parents to adopt a baby from China. Five years and three Chinese children later--Shaohannah,...

Wanting what you've got: ways to help your kids cultivate an "attitude of gratitude".
January 1, 2004... As I picked up my nine-year-old son, Hewson, from his friend Beau's house the other day, I held my breath, waiting for the inevitable. I didn't have to wait long. "Mom, Beau has a PlayStation. It's so cool. Can I get one?" Hewson asked as...

The razor's edge: why even Christian teens aren't immune from the epidemic of self-mutilation--and what you can do.(CPT Special Report)
January 1, 2004... Fifty-one percent--that's how many respondents to our recent informal online poll (www.christianparenting.net) said they've either known someone who self-mutilates, did so themselves as a teen, or have a child who has been a "cutter." While the...

Foe ... or friend? How to rein in sibling rivalry.
January 1, 2004... When I was a single young pediatrician, I had a real-life lesson in what I'd only known as textbook theory about sibling rivalry. While his mother and I talked, two-year-old Andrew shoved his one-year-old sister, Emily, to the ground every time...

Toys on a shoestring.
January 1, 2004... It's a school holiday and it's pouring down rain, or a touch of the sniffles is keeping your child indoors. Inevitably you hear from the recesses of his room, "I'm bored--there's nothing to do!" But before you run out to Blockbuster or Target,...

Transforming play.(early childhood)
January 1, 2004... Q. Is it important to encourage my child's creativity? A. Definitely! There's absolutely no developmental reason not to cultivate your preschooler's mental flexibility. In fact, our ability to create is an important aspect of being made in...

No laughing matter.(elementary)
January 1, 2004... Q. I overheard my daughter tell a derogatory ethnic joke to her friends. Doesn't she realize what she's doing is wrong? A. She probably does--but at your daughter's age, the pull of friends often is stronger than the pull of the Holy...

Only the lonely.(preteen)
January 1, 2004... Q. Our 6th-grade son seems to have no real friendships. Is this normal? A. First, relax. I want to assure you this is a normal situation for a preteen or young teen boy. In fact, this phenomenon has become substantially more common over...

The cheating game.(teen)
January 1, 2004... Q. I just learned my daughter fudged on a homework assignment. What should I do? A. If you've caught your child cheating, sadly, you're not alone. Recent studies reveal that cheating is widespread among teens in North America. Some studies...

Every dad's Dilemma: what can you do to "finish well" as a father?(A Father's Heart)
January 1, 2004... In Luke 14:28-30, Jesus talks about a man who due to poor advance planning and a lack of reflection wasn't able to finish building a tower. The unfinished tower showed off this man's foolishness in billboard-sized letters. It's obvious the...

Sometimes she cooks: I'm learning to keep a sense of humor in the face of my foibles.(Mom's Journal)
January 1, 2004... Kids are masters at backhanded compliments. Last week my 12-year-old brought home a cookbook he'd made at school. Inside he'd penned a tribute to--whom else?--the blessed saint who brought him into this world: "This book is dedicated to my mom...