Christian Parenting Today articles from June 2003

Christian Parenting Today archives from June 2003

Another mother's day. (Parent to Parent).
June 22, 2003... One of the great injustices in my life is that my husband is a teacher and I'm not. Sure he goes through nine months of wild kids, late nights, and stressful days. But come June, he's done for eight straight weeks. That's eight weeks of...

Letters from home.
June 22, 2003... mail that matters Here's what you had to say about our Spring 2003 Issue: Heady Help The article "Holy Headscratchers" provided real-life examples of parents modeling Christian ideals (and perhaps their struggles in doing so). It...

Juggling a career & kids just got easier. Thanks, Bee-Alive!
June 22, 2003... Keeping up with the kids and working full-time can really wear you out. From making meals to making deadlines...running meetings to reading bedtime stories...no wonder you're tired and overwhelmed! Discover Bee-Alive...and watch your kids...

A better family outing. (Home Pages).
June 22, 2003... We often dream of that perfect W family adventure where no one argues, everyone learns something, and the day ends with happy children and a shared sense of togetherness. But in reality, hauling the kids to the zoo or the water park often turns...

The Faith Box. (Try This).(keepsakes of spiritual life)
June 22, 2003... Every family has its stories of times when God was faithful. But these stories are only meaningful if we remember them. Our family decided to keep a tangible reminder of God's goodness right in our living room. We call it our Faith Box....

Healing for grieving parents. (Home Pages).
June 22, 2003... My husband and I knew for three-and-a-half months before our baby was born that he would die shortly after birth. One of the things we were able to do with that gift of time was prepare to create memories of our son, Gabriel. Through...

Ideas that work.(parenting ideas )(Brief Article)
June 22, 2003... Lunch Bunch My late wife, Diane, devised a lunch system that has saved us a great deal of time when the kids need to take their lunch to school. We emptied a drawer in our kitchen and placed two large Tupperware containers inside; one for...

Sweet and sour. (Family Night Fun).(family spiritual growth)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2003... Point: Sour words can hurt other people. Gather: Lemon slices, glasses of water, and a Bible. Go: Hand out Lemon slices to everyone in your family. Have everyone put the lemon slice in his or her mouth and see who can keep it there for...

Life in our house.(anecdotes of family life)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2003... Dairy Good One night before bedtime, our 5-year-old son's started acting up and we disciplined him. As my husband put our son to bed, he tried to explain the big picture saying, "You have to understand that children need structure." Our...

For the birds. (Home Pages).(creating backyard bird sanctuaries)
June 22, 2003... Whether you live in the city or out in the woods, creating a bird sanctuary is an easy way to bring a little bit of God's creation into your own backyard. Consider these simple guidelines for attracting a variety of feathered friends. ...

Family time with God from Awana.(Calendar)
June 22, 2003... One of the best ways parents can model a living, active relationship with Christ is to emphasize the importance of the Bible in your family's day-to-day Life. These calendar pages from Awana will help you do just that! How To Use These...

Our favorite devotionals for kids and families. (Oodles of Stuff).(Making Time for God)(The One Year Book of Did You Know Devotions for Kids)(Believe It)(Let's Talk Parenting: 10 Bible Characters Every Family Should Meet)(Book Review)
June 22, 2003... Making Time for God By Susan R. Garrett and Amy Plantinga Pauw (BAKER) 384 pages, $16.99 Both authors have theological training, but they are also mothers, which means they understand how difficult it can be to help children (and...

Developing faith. (Church Life).(evaluating appropriate Sunday School activities)
June 22, 2003... Your child's spiritual development is closely connected to her physical and emotional development. For children to thrive spiritually, biblical truths needs to be presented in age-appropriate ways. Use these developmental clues to find out if...

A different kind of smart. (Growing up: Early Childhood).(analyzing a child's intelligences)
June 22, 2003... God created each of us in his own likeness (Gen. 1:27) so it makes perfect sense that each of us carries a all part of our Creator's divine intelligence. Harvard University professor Howard Gardner developed the theory of multiple intelligences...

Respecting differences. (Growing up: Elementary).(sensitively reacting to disabled people)
June 22, 2003... The other neighborhood children and I made Teddy's life miserable. We teased him until he cried. We called him retard. We all knew better, but we were intentionally mean to a boy who couldn't help being born with a damaged brain. ...

Drawing the line. (Growing up: Preteen).(setting limits for preteens)
June 22, 2003... If your preteen is starting to ignore you, telling you to mind your own business, and giving you the distinct impression that she has no interest in what you have to say, here's a truth that may surprise you: Parents are still the number one...

Discipline for the long haul. (Growing up: Teen).
June 22, 2003... Morgan came home from a parry where she had been drinking. Morgan's parents had made it quite clear that if she ever drank and then drove, they would immediately sell her car. That night there was very little discussion and the next day the car...

Go wild: even if you've never pitched a tent, here's how to have a great time camping with your family.
June 22, 2003... One of our best family camping trips started out with a movie and pizza. There we were, splashing through a steady rain in the harbor town where we'd stopped for lunch. We'd made it halfway to our planned destination of Acadia National...

Sacred play time: let your child's imagination put the wonder back in your family devotions.
June 22, 2003... Those of us who, spend time with children understand the honor of being invited to play pretend. In these moments, children give us a glimpse into their world. The characters children play, the situations they create, the words they choose all...

The art of spiritual formation: 6 essentials for strengthening your child's relationship with God.
June 22, 2003... "Mommy, I think we forgot to take Jesus with us," Josiah said on the way to kindergarten one busy morning. His words stung my heart. Since we had not taken the time to connect with God, my 5-year-old felt the lack of his presence as we began...

Growing a praying family.(teaching children to pray)
June 22, 2003... Prayer is one of the most precious and sacred of all Christian disciplines. It is our way of sharing our hearts with our Creator. But there are many evenings at my house when our prayers are anything but sacred. Take our dinner prayers: Our...

Poison control: how to protect your child's heart and mind from the power of pornography.
June 22, 2003... The beautiful bride on the back cover of my Victoria magazine appeared carefree and radiant. Dressed in a strapless white gown, she was running down the beach followed by her exquisite wedding parry. There was nothing indecent about the scene,...

"Should I spank my child?" one mother's answer to parenting's most controversial question.
June 22, 2003... EDITOR'S NOTE: For many Christian parents, there may be no more contentious subject than spanking. Parents on both sides of the issue find themselves constantly needing to defend their choice to other parents. To make matters more confusing,...

Reasonably happy trials: taking my kids on a hike seemed like the perfect cure for the summer doldrums. If only I could get them past the parking lot...
June 22, 2003... I must admit that for me, summer is a season of emotional conflict. On one hand, I love that I can get away with staying up late, forgetting my turn in the carpool, and serving Popsicles for dinner. On the other hand, I hate that I have to work...

Keeping the faith: 10 secrets for helping your teenager live what she believes.
June 22, 2003... If there's one phrase that can frighten even the most stalwart parents, it's this one: The Teen Years. We all know stories of teenagers who turned away from their faith or made terrible choices about sex, drug use, alcohol, theft, or violence...

Dad's treasure box: save childhood memories before they fade away. (A Father's Heart).
June 22, 2003... There's a scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark where the evil villain, Belloq, holds up a pocket watch. He explains to Indiana Jones that the watch has little worth. But he adds, "Bury this in the sand for a thousand years, and it becomes...

Anxiety attacks. (On the Family Front).
June 22, 2003... Q. My 6-year-old son worries about everything! He worries about going to Sunday school a week in advance. I talked to his teacher and she says he hasn't had any problems with the other kids. He always seems to end up having a good time, but the...

Moms are people, too: Making time for yourself could be the best thing you do for your kids. (Mom's Journal).
June 22, 2003... My husband, three sons, and I were in the midst of a family meeting. We were talking about me going back to school for a psychology degree when my teenager said, "I just can't see you as a psychologist. You're my mom. Hmmm. I am indeed a...