Christian Parenting Today articles from June 2002

Christian Parenting Today archives from June 2002

Big changes. (Parent to Parent).(Christian Parenting Today begins quarterly publication)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... Typically, I use this space to tell you a little story about my life as a mom. But this issue, I'm taking a break from talking about my own family to update you on what's happening here in our CHRISTIAN PARENTING TODAY family. You may have...

Letters from Home: mail that matters.(Letter to the Editor)
June 22, 2002... A Whining Winner The article "Stop the Whining" (March/April) has been one of the most practical "how to" articles I have read about parenting. I have three sons and my oldest, who is 11, whines constantly. I'm definitely going to start...

Grow in the garden. (Home Pages).(family gardening ideas)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... Whether you've got a green thumb or you're all thumbs, planting a garden can be a wonderful way to celebrate spring with your family. Gardening with kids provides opportunities to laugh, build memories, strengthen relationships, gain earth...

Shining moment. (Life in our House).(Humor)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... I was in the car with my 4-year-old daughter, Tess, when she asked, "Mommy, is the sun the light of God shining down on us?" Impressed by her insight, I said, "Yes, sweetheart, God sends the sunshine to remind us of how much he loves us and to...

5 Tips for New Dads. (Home Pages).(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... According to a recent study by the Families and Work institute, today's dads are putting in 75 percent of the time moms spend on childcare and household chores, up from 30 percent in 1977. But for first-time fathers, parenting can feel...

The juicy details. (Home Pages).(fruit juice in child's diet)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... Kids love juice, and most of us offer it freely, believing it's a healthy alternative to soft drinks. But the American Association of Pediatrics recently warned parents that we may be giving our kids too much of a good thing. Although 100...

Road trip pit stops. (Home Pages).(family-friendly restaurants)(Brief Article)(Directory)
June 22, 2002... Off on a family vacation this summer? Here are eight fun, family-friendly restaurants worthy of a detour: 1. The Owl Drugstore Soda Fountain (Wenatchee, WA) If your travels take you along the majestic Columbia River on U. S. Highway 2, this...

A Morning Prayer. (Home Pages).(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... A Morning Prayer Lord, please guide my footsteps today, and let me e a blessing everywhere you take me. Lord, please keep my body healthy. Lord, please help me to have a loving, caring, and peaceful heart. ...

Safeguard your children. (Home Pages).(Managing Information on Lost Kids software)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... Losing a child is a parent's worst nightmare. But a new, free software program from M.I.L.K. (Managing Information on Lost Kids) can help you protect your family. After downloading the software, you can put together a Child ID for each of your...

Classic movies. (Home Pages).(children's films)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... Especially For Girls EVER AFTER (1998, Twentieth Century Fox, PG/PG-13) This uniquely intelligent Cinderella story eliminates the fairy godmother and magic, focusing instead on witty dialogue, humor, and surprises to reach the same loving...

A tasty thank You. (E-Fridge).(chocolate-covered spoons)(Brief Article)(Recipe)
June 22, 2002... Teachers may tire of apples, but never of chocolate! Make chocolate-covered spoons that can be stirred into a cup of coffee for a different and inexpensive end-of-the-year gift for your child's teachers. What you need: Heavy plastic...

Giving Jesus away. (Ideas that Work).(giving Christian magazines away at garage sales)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... While cleaning out my house in preparation for a garage sale, I found back issues of my son's Christian magazines. I decided to put them in a box and mark them "Free." As children and parents took them, I prayed that maybe a child who doesn't...

Easy clean up. (Ideas that Work).(WD-40 removes crayon marks)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... I discovered that WD-40 is a wonderful way to remove stubborn crayon marks from hard surfaces. Simply spray a little onto a cloth and wipe away the scribbles. Wash off the greasy film with a clean, damp cloth or sponge. Knowing this tip helps...

Birthday bonus. (Ideas that Work).(using bookmarks as gift cards)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... I realized that buying birthday cards for kids who barely looked at them before throwing them away was a waste of money. Instead, I attach a fun bookmark (about the same in price) to the gift and include a personal message. Kids love to get new...

Family time with God.(religious activities for families)
June 22, 2002... Heritage Builders Family devotions don't have to be formal sit-down events. Use these quick ideas to connect with your kids during meals, in the car, or at bedtime. The more involved "Family Night" ideas will help you create memorable...

Reflecting God. (Baby Toddler).(helping a baby experience God)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... To think that a newborn can experience God may seem odd. One mother of a 6-month-old said, "Isaac just discovered his feet. That he could understand who God is seems funny to me." But Dr. Cathy Stonehouse, professor of Christian education at...

The serious side of silly. (Preschool).(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... Preschoolers have a special propensity toward silliness that, according to experts, has important developmental benefits. Laughter: Laughter creates bonds between people. As a child grows and her social world expands, she will use the link...

Drawing conclusions. (Elementary).(drawing a sermon can help a small child pay attention during church)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... Ever wonder why it's so hard for your grade-schooler to pay attention during church? Dr. Christine Readdick, a professor of child development at Florida State University, says it's because elementary-age children still think in concrete terms....

Room wars. (Preteen).(helping preteens take responsibility for cleaning their rooms)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... The piles of dirty laundry, the bed that hasn't been made for weeks, the damp towels harvesting mold in the corner. You call it a health hazard; your preteen calls it his room. Strangely enough, that mess means your child has reached a new...

Is your teen on the fringe? (Teen).(signs that a teenager is socially isolated)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... Jeremy comes home from school and spends the rest of the afternoon and evening behind a closed bedroom door. Tasha seems down lately, ignoring her long-time friends and spending more and more time alone. Maybe you've noticed similar...

God's-Eye view: how to introduce your kids to the world's cultures.
June 22, 2002... IT WAS 1956 when Walt Disney created his famous "It's a Small World attraction, inspired by participating in President Eisenhowers People to People White House conference on international understanding. If the world was small 46 years ago,...

The ground rules: set the right biblical foundation for handling family conflict.
June 22, 2002... "No son of mine is going to school looking like a confused cockatoo!" I heard Rick loudly declaring from the downstairs bathroom. Our son Chip was in sixth grade at the time and had just moved from the "I care nothing about my appearance"...

40 Ways to pray for your children.
June 22, 2002... One of the great privileges of parenthood is that we can ask God to work in the lives of our children. These 40 prayers can be offered as a 40-day cycle of prayer {patterned after Jesus' own 40-day spiritual retreat in Matthew 4} or simply used...

I was the perfect mom.(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... I USED TO BE A PERFECT PARENT. I had strong opinions about the best way to raise a happy, healthy, well-mannered child. I vowed that my children would appear well groomed and clean at all times. They would be disciplined by firm, fair, and...

When dieting spells danger: my son was wasting away, and I didn't even notice.(health news)
June 22, 2002... "Mom, I'm so dizzy," Ben groaned. "I feel like I just can't make it." For days I'd been brushing off my 15-year-old son's complaints of not feeling well. In the crunch of freshman finals, I suspected, he might be over-anxious or simply...

Rekindling the passion after kids: lost that lovin' feelin'? Here's how to get it back.
June 22, 2002... When Beth and Brad came to me (Carrie) for marriage counseling, I asked how I might be of help. Brad jumped right in, "The birth of our first child was such a major answer to prayer." He reached over and took Beth's hand as he continued, "It...

Why kids need family reunions.
June 22, 2002... If the idea of a family reunion conjures up visions of lukewarm potato salad and a horde of relatives you've never met, it's time to rethink what it means to connect with your extended family. After falling out of favor for several years,...

Your other full-time job: if marriage were a business, would yours be making a profit? (A Father's Heart).(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... I can remember the day like it was yesterday. It was a beautiful spring morning near the end of my grad school days. When I opened my eyes, the light was streaming into our room. I woke up in a good mood; there were only a few weeks left in the...

Long-distance dad. (On the Family Front).(questions)
June 22, 2002... Q. I recently remarried. My new wife lives in another state and I moved to be with her, taking me 600 miles away from my three children, who are 16, 13, and 10. I'm having a very hard time with the separation. I can't help but feel I've let my...

Playtime Devotions. (Book).
June 22, 2002... Written by Christine Harder Tangvald; illustrated by Tamara Schmitz (Standard) $14.99, 38 pages Over the past few years, Focus on the Family's Heritage Builders materials have changed the way families learn about God. The latest addition...

Baby's First Book of Psalms. (Book).
June 22, 2002... By Stephen Elkin; illustrated by Ellie Colton (Broadman & Holman) $699, 26 pages This "first book" for babies and toddlers is filled with charm. Each page is beautifully illustrated, and features a Scripture passage that emphasizes God's...

Mary Lou's Flip Flop Shop. (Video Series).
June 22, 2002... * Learning to Share * Our Special Friends * Having to Hurry (Tommy Nelson) $12.99 each, 30 min. each Only someone with the endless energy of Olympic champion Mary Lou Retton could make the tried-and-true format of a musical...

Jesus, This Is Your Life: Stories and Pictures by Kids. (Book).
June 22, 2002... Edited by Jeff Kunkel (Augsberg) $12.99, 48 pages Imagine the temptation of Christ as a dramatic reading where Satan dares Jesus to jump off the Empire State Building. Or Jesus asking his discipies, "The children trust me. Do you?" These...

Winnie the Horse Gentler. (Book Series).
June 22, 2002... * Wild Thing * Eager Star Dandi Daley Mackall (Tyndale kids), $2.99 series premier for Wild Thing; $5.99 for Eager Star, 144 pages each It's said that horses are the number one topic preteen girls want to read about. My 10- and...

Teaching the Trivium: Christian Homeschooling in a Classical Style. (Curriculum).
June 22, 2002... Harvey & Laurie Bluedorn (Trivium Pursuit) $27 Classical education, with its emphasis on teaching languages, logic, rhetoric, literature, and history, is gaining notoriety among Christians these days. Private schools dedicated to this...

Artes Latinae. (Curriculum).(databases)(Evaluation)
June 22, 2002... (Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers) $275 Currently the most comprehensive Latin course available to homeschoolers, Artes Latinae is available in the traditional format, books and tapes, or on CD. This interactive self-teaching approach allows...

Help for the Harried Homeschooler. (Book).
June 22, 2002... Christine Field (WaterBrook Press/Shaw Books) $13, 272 pages Subtitled "A Practical Guide to Balancing Your Child's Education with the Rest of Your Life," this volume is an excellent addition to any homeschooler's library. Field gives...

Gene Autry. (Video Collection).
June 22, 2002... (Gene Autry Home Entertainment) $9.95 each Stock up on the restored Gene Autry westerns and your kids will beg to hang out with you on a Friday night. The Gene Autry Museum of Western Heritage and Gene Autry Entertainment have been working...

Educational Travel on a Shoestring. (Book).
June 22, 2002... By Judish Waite Allee and Melissa L. Morgan (Shaw Books) $14.99, 416 pages We often think we need a large travel budget for a great vacation. You'll find many ideas to counter that thinking in this fantastic guide. Learn how to research...

Detour ahead! motherhood is full of unexpected twists. Some begin with a plus sign on a stick. (Mom's Journal).(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... I'm certain no one in the history of prepackaged pregnancy rests has ever been as shocked as I was .to see the plus sign appear on the stick After hoisting myself up off the floor, I called to my husband to come look. His eyes glazed over and...