Being the parents of four small children, we often get advice from unexpected places. Sometimes that advice is welcome, other times not so much, but we (usually…) appreciate the sentiment nonetheless. Perhaps the most common word of advice we hear, always from parents who are older than us, is to cherish the moment, because it won’t last forever. Now I can’t speak for my more sentimental wife, but I will admit that when people said that to me in the early days of our parenthood I would just … [Read more...]
What we let our children watch on TV, and what we don’t!
Like it or not, for better or for worse, these days television plays a role in the upbringing of most American kids. How much of a role that is, and whether it’s a positive or negative one, is up to parents. While we certainly understand the motivations of those parents who choose to do without TV entirely, we haven’t made that choice for our family, for a variety of reasons. For one, we feel that, just like guns and the internet, television is something that can be used for good AND for evil. … [Read more...]
Teaching kids to LOVE reading!
“I cannot remember the books I've read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson Growing up in the 80’s, my family seemed to always be one step behind the ‘technology curve.’ We laugh about it now, but back then technology just wasn’t on our radar (or that of my parents anyway!). We didn’t get color television until 1985, when my father discovered that the Vietnam greenery of Tour of Duty looked unbelievably better in color than black and white. … [Read more...]
Five tips for raising THANKFUL children
By: Kim Morefield It's just about that time of year! The holidays are SO much fun! Tasty delights, fun family times, celebrating the meaning of the season, and of course MORE food. The holidays are always such a blessed time, but I wonder if any other mommas feel the anxiety I feel when my precious bundles of joy eat the special dishes my beloved relatives spend hours preparing, or receive the gifts friends & family members painstakingly sought out special for them, or enjoy the precious … [Read more...]
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
We are one of the few parents, dusty relics of a bygone era, who still make their kids say ‘sir’ and ‘ma’am’ when addressing adults. However, if you know us personally, we know that just because we wrote this they probably WON’T do it the next time they talk to you. That’s just the way this sort of thing goes. Getting them to say ‘sir’ and ‘ma’am’ consistently has been a long, slow, arduous process. For some reason, in the absence of constant instruction in this area kids tend to default to … [Read more...]