Christian Parenting Today articles from September 2004

Christian Parenting Today archives from September 2004

Time to change.(Parent to Parent)
September 22, 2004... I've always loved this time of year. It's not just the cooling air and the amazing blue of the sky. It's the sense of new opportunities, of changes we can sense but can't yet see. For me, it's often a time for reassessing my life and opening...

Mom's sanity saver.(Letters from Home)
September 22, 2004... Here's what you said about our Summer 2004 issue: Thank you so much for the article, "Help! I'm Surrounded by Preschoolers." I found it to be very encouraging and real. I am a mother of three children under the age of four with another on...

Families with a mission.(Letters from Home)
September 22, 2004... The article about family missions trips, "A Real Trip," brought tears to my eyes more than once! I work in a missions office and have failed to teach my own children the importance of being "hands on" missionaries. I pray God will give me an...

Getting guardians.(Letters from Home)
September 22, 2004... I thought your article, "Who Would Get the Kids?" was right to the point. My husband and I couldn't afford an attorney to do a will, so we downloaded a will and did it ourselves and then had it notarized. When my 2-year-old was a baby, I was...

Counter-cultural parenting.(Letters from Home)
September 22, 2004... "Into the World" was such a helpful article. My daughter will be ready for school in two years, and I was encouraged by reading about parents who prayed for their children in school, and how God has made a difference in their lives. Articles...

Fun with Awana.(Letters from Home)
September 22, 2004... Your devotional section, "Family Time with God," is a wonderful instrument for fun and fellowship with our family. Thanks to you and Awana for providing it. Miguel & Lorena Montes Via e-mail We'd love to hear from you! Drop...

Family story time.(Home Pages)
September 22, 2004... Ever since our son was a baby, my husband and I have tried to instill in him the love of the written word. At first we would just read to him each day. But as he got older and was able to talk and develop ideas of his own, we started telling...

Knock knock.(Life in Our House)
September 22, 2004... My friend Sara was pregnant with her first baby, and I was clumsily attempting to explain to my 3-year-old son the concept of a baby growing in a mommy's tummy. He stared at me blankly for a moment, then asked, "Mommy, does Sara have a belly...

Hot stuff.(Life in Our House)
September 22, 2004... During our church's annual missions conference, a missionary visited the children's Sunday-school classes. After church, our 6-year-old son excitedly reported, "We had a missionary from Hades in our class today!" It turned out the missionary...

Do tell!(Life in Our House)
September 22, 2004... My 3-year-old great-granddaughter, Cindy, was helping me fix breakfast one morning. I decided to show her how to crack an egg and drop it into the frying pan. "The secret," I said, "is to hit the shell gently on its side." Cindy looked up and...

Clutter control.(Home Pages)(Housework as an interesting act for children)(Brief Article)
September 22, 2004... No one likes housework, least of all children. But getting your kids in on the cleaning act can teach them valuable life skills about working together, respecting the needs of others, and being responsible--even when it's no fun. Try these...

Clean e-mail.(Home Pages)(Brief Article)
September 22, 2004... Fed up with all the offensive spam that keeps popping up on your family e-mail account? Pete and Jinger Tomassi know how you feel. The desire to clean out their inbox inspired the Tomassis to develop an antispam service called "EmailKleener."...

Pip and the Edge of Heaven.(Our Favorite Things)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
September 22, 2004... Pip and the Edge of Heaven By Elizabeth Liddle, illustrated by Lara Jones (Eerdmans), $8, 48 pages (Ages 3-5). [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Each night, little Pip gets tucked into bed by his mother. But for Pip, bedtime isn't complete...

The Greatest King.(Our Favorite Things)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
September 22, 2004... The Greatest King By Jerry Yu Ching and Mike Onghai, illustrated by Jerry Yu Ching (WebCartoons), $13.99, 52 pages (Ages 6-9). [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This book actually came out in 2002, but has recently been rereleased with...

Aaron's Way.(Our Favorite Things)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
September 22, 2004... Aaron's Way By Kendra Smiley with Aaron Smiley (Moody), $12.99, 144 pages (parents). [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For the parents of a strong-willed child, there is no greater mystery that trying to figure out what goes on in that...

Days of Whine and Noses.(Our Favorite Things)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
September 22, 2004... Days of Whine and Noses By Lisa Espinoza Johnson (Jossey-Bass), $12.95, 171 pages (parents). [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Our "Mom's Journal" columnist, Lisa Johnson, has always used humor to maintain her balance as a mother. As the...

Breakfast club.(Home Pages)
September 22, 2004... When tragedy hit an Indianapolis family, little did they know what good could come from it. Bill Bissmeyer's teenage son died suddenly of a rare heart disease, leaving Bissmeyer searching for ways to bring families together. Having seen...

To toss or not to toss?(Ideas That Work)
September 22, 2004... With five children, we accumulate large amounts of artwork. Rather than either hoard them all or toss them all, we now laminate the best ones and use them as placemats. We also have sent placemats to grandparents, aunts, and uncles. Ann...

"X" marks the spot.(Ideas That Work)
September 22, 2004... We live in an older house with a super-squeaky floor. After soothing our son and laying him down, we often found ourselves having to creep down the hall as though it were booby-trapped. One day I decided to test all the floorboards and used...

Discovering differences.(Home Pages)
September 22, 2004... Parenting books can be a wonderful resource for parents, but since books are written for a general audience, they can't address your child's particular personality. Now help is on the way. Popular author, speaker, and Christian Parenting...

Teacher talks.(Church Life)
September 22, 2004... It's a routine thing. You load up the car after church, and each week your kids go round robin to tell you what they learned in Sunday school that day. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] One week, however, your third grader repeats a story her...

Fun stuff.(Family Time with God from Awana)
September 22, 2004... How to use this section: On this page, you'll find Fun Stuff, monthly activities for your family, and Did You Know?, a reason to reach out. On the pages that follow you'll find more activities while learning a new Bible verse each week. The...

Faith motivators.(Early Childhood)
September 22, 2004... Q. "I want my 4-year-old to be excited about God, but I'm not a very creative person. How can I make spiritual things interesting for him? A. While silly songs and creative games certainly have their place in faith formation, they aren't...

Bridging the cyber gap.(Elementary)
September 22, 2004... Q. "Our daughter loves to spend time on the computer--so much so that it's hard to get her excited about other things. Is there any way we can use her love of technology to connect as a family?" A. Today's children will never know a time...

(Almost) the last lap.(Preteen)
September 22, 2004... Q. "Some days it feels like my 11-year-old doesn't need much parenting; other days I feel like I'm still dealing with a little boy. Can you help clarify my role during these years?" A. It would be great if parenting followed a straight...

Media-wise parents.(Teen)
September 22, 2004... Q. "I like to think of myself as a hip mom, but I have to admit I'm appalled by the sexuality and vulgarity in today's music and movies. Other than throwing out the TV, how can I protect my teenager from all these media influences?" A....

All together now: creating a stepfamily even your children will love.
September 22, 2004... Stepfamilies aren't something you plan for. When I dreamed of being a mother, I never dreamed I would also one day be someone's stepmother. When I got married, I never dreamed I would allow my life and my marriage to spin out of control and...

Listening for God: how an ancient method of prayer can deepen your teenager's faith.
September 22, 2004... Today's teenagers live at hyperspeed. Their days are jammed with school, work, friends, sports, homework, dates, church, and a few moments of sleep. The frantic pace of teen life has led youth pastors such as Tony Jones to search for ways to...

The to-don't list: six rules every parent needs to follow.
September 22, 2004... You know 'em, you make 'em, you might even ignore 'em. They are to-do lists, and nearly every parent has them. Whether you're a detail-oriented parent who employs NASA-like technology to systematize, prioritize, and synchronize every second...

The good, the bad, and the goldfish: a father and son talk about death.
September 22, 2004... The cosmic battle between good and evil recently raged in our family room. Specifically, within the confines of our fish tank. Last Christmas our 3 year-old son, Benedict, received two goldfish. And for the first time in his life he was given...

Good housekeeping: you already know how housework benefits you. But you might be surprised by what it does for your kids.
September 22, 2004... It's not my turn!" "I'll do it later." "Why do I get all the gross jobs?" If you've ever stumbled over the same bag full of garbage for days on end, you know that getting your kids to help out with family chores is often more work than...

Power-packed prayers: how the Bible can strengthen your prayers for your kids.(Cover Story)
September 22, 2004... Wash laundry. Cook meals. Celebrate birthdays. Attend parent-teacher conferences. Chauffeur, chauffeur, chauffeur. Countless tasks fall on a parent's shoulders, but one responsibility rises above the rest--prayer. And that's powerful stuff!...

Building better behavior.(Discipline Toolbox)
September 22, 2004... That's it! Off to your room!" Sherry was fed up with her 11-year-old son's disrespectful attitude. Like one of his action figures, Billy was transforming from a polite, mild-mannered boy into a why-should-I-have-to-do-anything-around-here...

Show and tell.(On the Family Front)
September 22, 2004... Q. I recently caught my 6-year-old son and a 7-year-old girl we know showing each other their private parts. How do I clearly explain the severity of their actions without blowing it out of proportion? A. It's a tricky but quite typical...

How's your driving? Discover the secret to winning the road race of fatherhood.(A Father's Heart)
September 22, 2004... We live in a 50/50 nation where it seems we're split down the middle on everything from politics to ethics. But there is one thing every American agrees on: We all believe we are "better than average" drivers. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

The long and whining road: finding God's pit stops on your motherhood journey.(Mom's Journal)
September 22, 2004... If I were a shopping cart, I'd be the one with the broken wheel that wobbles and doesn't seem to go where you want it to go. If I were coffee, I'd be the cup you send back because it's just not strong enough. If I were a bra, I'd be the one...