"I feel like seventy-five percent of my relationships are stressful right now," I admitted to Will as I watched his skilled fingers smooth wood filler into the nail holes of the cabinet he was making for me.While Will's hands shaped the cabinet-wood, he listened to me in his gentle and wise way. He didn't try …
Tag: parenting
A Short Post for Young Mothers
"Parenting is overwhelming," many young mothers have told me, uncertainty in their eyes and fatigue lining their faces. I get it. Our world has changed from the gentle parenting passed down from generations, where grandmothers and mothers worked together in the big job of raising little people. Now with the advent of social media and …
Why I don’t teach my children unquestioning obedience, Part 2 of 2
Mostly I avoid getting involved in discussions about parenting, because opinions are a dime a dozen although dearly held and too often used to hurt people. Parenting is the hardest job I've ever done, and one that unfortunately receives more judgment than grace from many. However, recently a friend emailed me about a child-training boot-camp …
Continue reading Why I don’t teach my children unquestioning obedience, Part 2 of 2
Why I don’t teach my children unquestioning obedience, Part 1 of 2
As a teenager, I worked in an upscale nursing home. The facilities were modern, the work-load reasonable, and the patient care was excellent. I felt lucky to work in such a clean and well-run place. Yet my time there was marked by a very dark spot. One of my residents was a sweet elderly lady …
Continue reading Why I don’t teach my children unquestioning obedience, Part 1 of 2
Snow and an Answered Prayer
My fondest childhood memories include my siblings and I waddling up steep Pennsylvania hills, towing our sleds while laughing and talking until we piled onto our reckless crafts and flew screaming down the hill. During Christmas holidays, our church families had a tradition of getting together and driving around the neighborhood, where we sneaked out …
Our best effort is indirect
Our small group sat around the polished wood table, eating Subway sandwiches and kettle-cooked chips off paper plates. Licking up the last crumbs, the little children hopped off their chairs and ran to the kitchen to claim an ice cream cone. While ice cream dripped and children wiggled in their seats, Will turned the conversation …
Two Verses for Weary Parents
Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I sank into my rocking chair and pulled a blanket around me while my three extra children settled onto the couches. After a smidgeon of rustling and wiggling and whispering, the kids were asleep for another hour before they needed to get up for their ride to school. In …
When Parents are Failing
What do you do when you think your friends are failing at parenting? Of course, it's easy to have all the answers about parenting before you've tried it out yourself. But suppose you have parented several children already, and what you see in other people makes you shake your head in despair? Let me tell …
Family life
Most of the time, I am a diligent person. I always have work to do, and I get up early and work hard. Ahem. Some of the time, anyway. One of the notable exceptions is Sunday afternoons. Sunday afternoons I guess you could say I work hard at being lazy. For several hours at least, …
Book review: If the Foundations Be Destroyed…What Can the Righteous Do?
Sunday I was feeling sick, so I stayed in bed and read or slept most of the day. I finished reading a fascinating book titled If the Foundations Be Destroyed...What Can the Righteous Do? by Joy F. Hart. The book is written in story form, and describes a string of families with children with attachment disorders and delayed …
Continue reading Book review: If the Foundations Be Destroyed…What Can the Righteous Do?
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