I taught my daughter how to paint nails. My husband taught our son how to draw a car. Parents are the first teachers for their children on this Earth. But it seems that in the age of experts and professionals, parents are losing their confidence, their ability to trust God and their own instincts about … Read moreParents are the Best Teachers
Kids are reading at younger and younger ages. We have a little friend who played with literacy apps and taught herself to read before she turned four. When my oldest was four, I felt like I needed to teach him to read. It seemed that all of the other mothers I knew were teaching their … Read moreGetting Children Interested in Reading
Looking at this necklace, I think of hard work and passion. As a kid, I loved soccer and when I saw this necklace in our school’s fundraising catalog (a cute necklace with a soccer ball!) I wanted it. I saved up fifteen dollars to buy it myself. It was special to me. It is special … Read morePursuing Passions in Motherhood
So often I come up with things I feel like I need to teach my kids, whether it’s something I see that they don’t know how to do well, something society says they need to know, or something I just think they need to learn. It’s easy to have my whole mind focus on the … Read moreMaking Easter Meaningful for Your Family
If you look up research done in preschool and kindergarten classrooms, you’ll discover that their abilities to read, write, count, or identify patterns is only indicative of how well they do on tests. But the future success of our young children is closely linked to their social-emotional skills. A recent study found that fourth-graders “who … Read moreNecessary Skills for Kindergarten
Peter jumped out of his boat three times to follow the Lord. He leapt from the side and swam to shore when he recognized the resurrected Lord on the beach. Is that how we will respond when we meet the Savior, running to his side? Before that Peter stepped out of the boat and walked … Read moreThe Divinity Within Us
Dear daughter, you have been blessed with a mother’s heart. It is beautiful to watch you take a toddler by the hand and lead him, to watch you gaze with wonder and adoration at babies and do all your little body allows to care for them. God has blessed you with a love for children. … Read moreTo My Children
The summer before my son started kindergarten I was talking to another mom at church with a son the same age. When she found out I had decided to homeschool, she said something to the effect of, “You’re so brave.” I didn’t feel brave. But she wanted to know where I got the confidence to … Read moreMaking the Decision to Homeschool
Earlier this week, I gave my one-year-old angry eyes and angry words. “Just go to sleep! No, you can’t do that. Leave it alone.” I was that mom. The mom that is so ornery you feel uncomfortable for her child. I’m not always the mom I want to be. We were on an airplane on … Read moreWhen You Feel Like a Bad Mom
It’s getting to the season when so many of us look forward to the fresh start of the new year. I seem to look forward to the fresh start of each new season. Every few months I am looking for ways to set new goals (though I could definitely use some better structure in that … Read moreBeing Led by God in Goal Setting