30 Seconds for Hope:
Caregivers, do you have a Calm-the-Toddler toolbox? That is, do you have some ideas in mind for distracting and calming toddlers when you are watching others’ children? Lots of ideas exist out there, but here’s one you won’t want to miss. Believe it or not, sometimes noise can work to quiet a child. Then add some movement along with that noise, and today’s tip is born. Read on to see how this works…
Continue reading “Today’s Tip from My Calm-the-Toddler Toolbox”
30 Seconds for Hope:
Have you already noticed? Life brings changes. This past year my writing of blog articles entered a new season of slow-down due to changes in my life (though I did write an article for Focus on the Family, addressing shame that parents feel when children misbehave. Check it out here). Thankfully, long ago one of my mentor moms, Mardean, taught me the concept of “seasons of life”—lessons which still help me roll through life’s changes without guilt. You can navigate changes without guilt, too, and in return you’ll be able to weather those many seasons with courage and hope.
Continue reading “Priceless Gems from My Mentor Moms: #6 – Relish the Seasons”
30 Seconds for Hope: Who actually gives thanks on Thanksgiving Day? Do you? Will I? And what is “thanks giving?” Is it that 15-second prayer before eating turkey till you’re stuffed? No, there’s definitely more. Gratitude becomes simple when you can answer these two prepositions: to and for. Give thanks to someone for something—either something that they exemplify or something they have provided. Do this on Thanksgiving, and at the end of the day you will actually have given thanks! Then add one more thing, an exchanged life, and you can elicit automatic gratitude without even trying. What’s that? Read on…
Continue reading “Need Some Gratitude? Prepositions Rescue Thanksgiving! (Plus one more thing)”30 Seconds for Hope:
Has someone mistreated you? What now? Should you retaliate, hibernate, or maybe pursue? Whether intentional or clueless, disregard often feels horrible, so I searched for a path through that pain. Now I want to share a path I discovered that moved me toward respect, boundaries, empathy, and forgiveness—steps that benefited me as well as others. After learning more about forgiveness (often a process over time), I decided to develop a worksheet (attached at end of article) that for the past twelve years has helped me whenever I’m wrestling with the costs and benefits of forgiveness. Take steps forward. Some hope for you.
And now the full story:
Continue reading “Hurt Again? Helpful Steps During Emotional Pain”
30 Seconds for Hope: Your mind is a powerful gatekeeper. When you are faced with challenges, the core person who is you will choose what to believe and how to think. Believe it or not, becoming aware of that fact infuses help and hope!
Now the full story:
I didn’t act fast enough when my husband, Mike, first informed me, so you could say that I brought the explosion on myself. But I’m getting ahead.
“There’s a dead possum under our neighbor’s front porch,” Mike said on Wednesday. “And Continue reading “Dead Possum in Our Garbage. (Be Mindful of Explosions!)”
30 Seconds for Hope: Last month in our nation’s previous “culture,” your children went to school or daycare—out of the house. But suddenly all has changed. You take care of your children. At home. All day. To help you through these days, many have posted links to websites that entertain or educate kids, and that’s great—but you might desire less screen time for your children. So I’ve created this toolkit of ideas not requiring the screen as you transition into a new “culture.” You can Continue reading “Help! I’m at Home with Kids All Day! Survival Tips Beyond Screen Time.”
30 Seconds for Hope:
Countless moms wilt under the thought of “I’ve failed as a mom” when their child struggles. Have you faced that mom guilt? If so, consider this: You impact your child, but you’ll never have the last word about his or her mature choices. This means no one should ever declare you to be the ultimate reason for your child’s mess-ups. Even if you could have been an ideal mom, your child’s life could still go awry because kids have choices, too. A mother isn’t an all-powerful determiner of destiny. So have you been discouraged, thinking “I’ve failed as a mom?” Silence that thought with this reality: “I impact my child, but I’m not the end of their story.” Now that’s more like it. Why? Read on… Continue reading ““I’ve Failed As a Mom…” Silencing the Mom Guilt”
30 Seconds for Hope:
Empty nest? The thought can make you cringe. Or cry. You look at your baby and think, “No, don’t ever fly away!” Yet kids do grow up. That’s a given. So today–right now–is your opportunity to cultivate a different mindset that will pay big benefits at the time of empty nest. It becomes easier to let go later if Continue reading “Empty Nest Prep Begins at Birth. Have you taken the key step? (It’s never too late!)”
30 Seconds for Hope:
Have you puzzled over Suzie’s protest? Or Johnny’s pout? And then wondered, “Whoa! Where did that attitude come from?”
Have you reflexively commanded, “Change your attitude”? But what does that even mean?
I was slow to realize that children can’t just magically poof themselves into Continue reading “The “Change Your Attitude” Time Bomb (vs. Change Your Perspective)”
30 Seconds for Hope: Everyone is significant. Even though children don’t contribute much to society (except for contributing messes to clean!), every child has intrinsic value. As I watched my first mentor create enjoyable activities Continue reading “Five Priceless Gems from My Mentor Moms: #1 – A Lesson from the Nursery”
30 Seconds for Hope 