Parenting

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This Is The Biggest Obstacle Facing Today's Modern Family & What To Do About It

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Below is a chart put together by Stephen Von Worley showing the original 8 colors produced by Crayola in 1903 through the many choices they offered in 2010. According to his math, Crayola will have over 330 choices by 2050. Here is the question, “Do we need 330 colors or will 8 do?” The answer may be different for everyone and that’s my point.

 

The biggest obstacle facing today’s modern family is too many choices.


A question I like to ask parents when speaking at family or parenting events is this, “Is it easier to raise kids today or was it easier to raise kids 20 years ago?” The overwhelming answer is,

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Video Games And Violence - Is There A Connection?

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There are a few questions I frequently get from city to city when doing parenting conferences. Here are a few of them.

“How old should my child be before I give them a cell phone?”
“How much time should my kids spend online?”
“What should I do when my child tells me no?”
“Does every teenage girl roll their eyes at their mother?”
“What is your opinion on violent video games?”

When parents ask about video games, especially certain games like Halo, Call of Duty, GTA (Grand Theft Auto) I do have an an opinion and a few thoughts about these games.

There has been a lot of research done on the topic of video games and their link yo criminal and aggressive behavior in children and teens. Before you read further let me say that the research may surprise you.

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3 Things You Should Never Give Your Kids

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3 Things You Should Never Give Your Kids

One of my greatest memories growing up was a certain Christmas where I got the perfect trifecta of gifts! When I was seven I got an erector set, a wood burning kit and lawn darts! Can you imagine an ADD kid with lawn darts?

Now, especially during this season, we think more about giving gifts than not giving gifts but I would like to suggest three things that we should not give our kids this season. 5 gifts if you include lawn darts and a wood burning kit.

 

1. Never Give Up

Parenting is tough. It isn’t an easy road and it’s a never ending journey. Don’t get me wrong, it’s an amazing journey and a joyful road

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How to Find Family PEACE In A Season of Hurry

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Here are five ideas that will help all of us find Family PEACE this season.


P - Plan Ahead

Easy to say and hard to do, I understand. I don’t plan ahead well however, my wife does and there are times I ask her for help. I like what Proverbs 21:5 says from The Message, “Careful planning puts you ahead in the long run; hurry and scurry puts you further behind.” Use your calendar and communicate to everyone. Planning ahead will bring peace today and worry away.

 

E - Expect Less

Someone recently asked me at a parenting conference, “What;s the secret to a happy family?” The response I blurted out, “Low Expectations.” Lol. As I

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3 Ideas To Help Your Family Live A Balanced Life

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Here is one very important question that will determine, to a large extent, the health of your family. Are you ready for it? Here it is...

"Is your family living at capacity or over it?"

How you answer that question will impact not only your present but future as well. If you are over capacity now don't expect to be at or under it in the future unless you take action now. Here are three ideas to help your family live a balanced life.


1. Set Boundaries Right Now

“A person without self-control is like a city with broken down walls” (Prov. 25:28). A person or a family that can’t control their ability to do or to filter out what would cause them to go over capacity is in a

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3 Steps When You Feel Stuck

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Have you ever felt stuck?

  • Mentally Stuck?
  • Emotionally Stuck?
  • Physically Stuck?
  • Socially Stuck?

No movement, no progress in your job, in your parenting, in life? Me too. It’s frustrating to be perfectly honest. I am currently stuck right now. Set 15F from Orange County to Chicago! Buckled down, packed in, no movement...stuck.

Sometimes I feel stuck as a husband, as a father, as a leader, as a communicator and as a writer (ever heard of writers block?)  I prefer not to be stuck, in any

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Inside The Secret World Of Teens Online A CNN Special Report

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A few weeks ago I was sitting in my hotel room in CO doing some work. I had just finished speaking on the Faith and the Modern Family Topic: What Should I Know When Virtual Is My Reality? A subject that most parents don’t want to hear but need to.

I had CNN playing on the TV and they came on with a special report entitled, “Inside the Secret World of Teens.” The report centered around teens and their online lives. The report provided great information regarding teens and social media. The report was called Inside The Secret World Of Teens and is worth viewing.

I have put links to some of the topics and articles surrounding