Mom Tip: One Way to Pray for our Children

The other day a friend asked what to pray for our children. The following words immediately came to mind. While I would like to take credit for these words, I can't. Many years ago, I read them in James Dobson's book Hide or Seek. This book about building self-esteem is one of my all-time favorite parenting books.This is what he says:

"Without question, the most valuable contribution parents can make to children is to instill in them a genuine faith in Jesus Christ. What greater source of confidence can there be than knowing that the Creator of the unviverse is acquainted with us personally; that He values us more than the possessions of the entire world; that He understands our fears and anxieties and reaches out to us in immeasurable love when no one else cares; that He turns our liabilities into assets and our emptiness into fullness; that He sent His only Son to die for us and has promised us life eternal, where handicaps and inadequacies will be eliminated and pain, suffering, and tears will be no more than dim memories. What a beautiful philosophy with which to 'clothe' a child....This is self-worth at its richest."

One way to pray for our children (of all ages) is that they will grasp this life-changing concept as early as possible.

I hope you have a great day,
Robin

Blog Update

Just a note to say thank you to our readers and our subscribers. Your encouraging words and notes of appreciation mean a lot to me. Most weeks I will post M-W-F.

Reggie the Blog Dog is planning to post 1 day a week. His plan is to post on Fridays.

Keep reading and pass the word around.

Robin

Mom Tip: A Key to Raising a Lifelong Reader

Because its benefits, most parents desire that their children develop a passion for reading. Being a reader, I know this has been my heartfelt wish for both of our boys. Over the years, I have worked with intent to discover the key to raising a lifelong reader. I have narrowed it down to 2 possibilities. One is to determine what genre of book peaks your child's interest. The other is to make GREAT books of that genre easily available. My entire family enjoys reading; however, we all like different types of books. Occasionally one of us will come across a favorite and will share it excitedly with other family members. Often we will give the book back unfinished and disappointed. We don't share the same passion for the book because it is not our type of reading. I like autobiographies. My husband likes books about finance. One of our boys enjoys books about theology and the other likes motivational reading. I would rather go to the dentist than read a book about finance. My husband and the boys feel the same about autobiographies.

Summer is an opportune time to fuel this passion. Over the next few weeks, I will periodically share some recommendations for GREAT books for all ages. Books Children Love by Elizabeth Wilson is a handy reference with GREATbook recommendations for children from preschool through 6th grade. Dividing the books by genre, she shares a short summary of each book, lists the number of pages, and gives the level of difficulty.

I hope you have a great day,
Robin

Mom Tip: Connecting with Family - A Great Idea for Parents and Grandparents

A lifelong friend of mine is the grandfather of 5 teenage grandkids. They are spread out over 3 states.Each morning, my friend sends a family email to his grandkids, kids, and other family members. His emails might simply tell what he and Nana did yesterday or what they are planning to do today. Other days, he might share an award one of the grandkids has received OR he might wish family members happy birthday or anniversary. He uses these daily emails to be a "cheerleader" for his family as he is always encouraging and uplifting. Oftentimes his kids or grandkids will "reply to all" with comments about his email and updates on their lives. Then an electronic dialogue will take place throughout the day between family members. He completes his email with a thought for the day which is a quote or an encouraging word. I think this is so cool that a couple of months ago I asked to be a part of his family emails.What a difference this grandfather is making in the lives of others through the use of modern technology.This is a great way to keep everyone connected and close.

By the way, if you would like to subscribe to this blog, scroll to the bottom and you will see the subscribe icon.

I hope you have a great day,
Robin

Mom Tip: A Key to Understanding the Men and Boys in your Life

One of our boys was at the bank last week. He called and left me a voicemail that said something like this: "Mom, I've been shot 3 times but don't worry cause you know that I am tough as nails. I will be home in a minute so have the band-aids ready." (He was joking.) This is the same son who likes to catch snakes, enjoys bungee jumping and has spent the night in jail. You can read more about his jail adventure in my book Moms of Teens Devotions to Go.

I live with 3 men - my husband and 2 sons. One thing that has helped me to understand them is the book Wild at Heart by John Eldredge. In his book, he talks about how the male gender not only enjoys but thrives on a sense of adventure. They are attracted to activities that have an element of danger. In a nutshell, Eldredge says that is how God made men. These qualities are part of what enables them to carry out their God-given role as provider and protector of the family. Females are just the opposite. We take comfort in security and nestle in safety.

As a mom, I know that your time is valuable so I only recommend great books. This one fits that category. It has contributed the most to my attempt to understand and deal with the abundance of testerone in my home.

Any thoughts or words of wisdom on this topic?

Robin

Mom Tip - A Must-Read for Moms

When our boys were younger, a great friend of mine introduced me to FamilyFun magazine. This magazine is full of helpful tips and fun ideas for families. Recipes for healthy snacks, ideas for easy science experiments, party suggestions, and crafts for all ages are examples of what is included in this magazine. Most of the ideas are appropriate for families with children ages 2-12. I used so many suggestions and ideas from the magazine that I couldn't wait until the next issue came out each month. I know that your time is short but this one is well worth both your time and money. Issues are published monthly and costs $3.95 per issue. However, I think ordering a subscription offers a significant savings.

No Mom Tip Today - Just a Thought

Thought for the day:

You would think that someone who has had a career spanning 21 years would be an expert in their field. Not true. I have been a mom for 21 years and I actually know less about parenting than when I started. I have concluded that the only true parent expert is a mom who is pregnant with her first baby.

Mom Tip - Feather Your Nest

Kid CEO by Ed Young is an excellent book. I read this book thinking that I would get some tips on raising our boys. The funny thing is that it seemed to be more about marriage than raising children.

We live in a time when there is a major focus on the children in the family. While there is some good in that, it can be detrimental as well. Why? The children grow up and leave. Often we have given them all of our time and energy and given very little to our marriage relationship.

Christianity Today (April 2001) states that the divorce rate for couples who have been married for 30 years or more increased by 16% from 1981-1991. This should be a red flag to all of us.

When I attend baby showers, sometimes we are asked to write a note of advice for the new mom. My advice is always the same: “Don’t forget your husband.” As moms, we can be so “in love” with motherhood that we put all else aside. While this may seem to be fulfilling for a time, it is not healthy for mom, dad or the kids.

Work diligently and with intent to “feather your nest” with your husband while the kids are still home. Then when the kids are gone, you will look forward to having fun with your best friend.

Mom Tip - A $2 Treasure

When the boys were young, I thought that buying Father’s Day cards, birthday cards, etc. were meaningless and a waste of money. I would pick them out, sign their names and they would give it to Dad. After a couple of days, I would throw the cards away. Then I discovered the blank book (a hard backed book with blank or lined pages). I purchased a blank book from Half-Priced Books for each of the boys (it works best if each child has a blank book for each person they write to). Every holiday or special occasion, they wrote something in it for their dad. When they were 3 years old, they drew pictures for him. When they were in kindergarten, they wrote him short notes. Complete with misspelled words and backwards letters, their notes were special and from the heart. I was careful to make sure each entry was dated. These blank books have become treasures over the years. This idea can be used by anyone. Grandparents can regularly write notes to each grandchild. Dads can write notes to their children. Instead of purchasing and keeping up with cards, this idea has worked great for our family. This treasure cost about $2 and a minimal amount of time.

This simple idea also teaches your child the power of words. Mom and Dad need encouragement at times. If Dad has a hard day at work, suggest that your child write a note in Dad’s blank book thanking him for working hard for his family.

I hope you have a great day –

Robin

Mom Tip - A Little Time Now Gives a Great Pay Off Later

There is an article online called “Emotional Intelligence: Hired for IQ, Fired for EQ” by M.J. Harwood. EQ (Emotional Intelligence) is a term that describes one’s interpersonal skills or ability to relate to people. It has been found that EQ accounts for up to 45% of one’s job success, while IQ accounts for less than 6%.* In summary, one’s ability to talk to people will take a person further in life than one’s brains. The benefit is both personal and professional.

The great news is that interpersonal skills can be taught. Some kiddos are naturally at ease around people. Others kiddos are quiet and shy. No matter what type of child you have, all kids (as well as adults) benefit from perfecting these skills. When the boys were younger, we practiced these skills by role playing in our living room. I modelled for them a 3-part process. It went like this – look them in the eye, shake their hand, and greet them using their name. This activity turned out to be fun and we laughed a lot while role playing.

Then on the way to church on Sundays, I challenged them to greet 3 people throughout the morning using what they had practiced. As we left church, they shared with us who the 3 people were that they had greeted.

We later expanded on this to include making introductions, being a good listener and visiting with people about their interests.

This tip is not meant to take a lot of time. We practiced this regularly never spending more than 5 minutes each time. The small investment of time is worth it as the payoff is great!

Book recommendations: The Friendship Factor by Alan Loy McGinnis and How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie are both excellent books on this topic.

I hope you have a great day –

Robin

*Source: Your Career and Emotional Intelligence by Freda Turner PhD found at www.hodu.com/career.shtml

Welcome! A Mother's Journey

A Mother's Journey

On Her Knees

"Baby's coming - it won't be long,"
The doctor says with care.
With great excitement, the journey begins.
Mom bows her head in prayer.

First teeth, first steps, first words
And the hug of a teddy bear.
She treasures the day-to-day journey
On her knees in prayer.

Runny noses, sleepless nights
With not a minute to spare.
Exhaustion comes and with a tear
Mom falls to her knees in prayer.

First day of school, time's gone so fast
School supplies and what to wear -
Mom comes home to an empty house
And goes to her knees in prayer.

Junior high and high school -
Clothes, friends, long hair.
Will this phase ever end?
Mom on her face in prayer.

Off to college the next four years
This brings quite a scare.
The journey's almost done.
Mom bows her head in prayer.

Surprise! This journey doesn't end.
Mom's only halfway there.
Grandkids are comin, it won't be long.
She looks to heaven in prayer.

By Robin Hutchins