Have you ever seen the result of a dog-cam or hamster-cam? It’s really interesting to see the world from another point of view. We often get so accustomed to our own view of the world, we begin to think everyone sees things the same way we do.
Have you ever thought though, about your children’s unique view of your parenting? Don’t worry, I’m not advocating throwing out training and discipline because your child occasionally thinks you are mean. What is important is their view of your parenting over time. If they had to describe you as a parent (when they aren’t mad at you for giving them a consequence!), what would they say? As they discuss their parents with their friends, how do they describe you? What do they complain about? What do they brag about?
Knowing how your child views your parenting is important. It can give you vital clues on ways you can improve your parenting. Take their comments and analyze them for the underlying need. What do their comments say about what they really want from you, but are not receiving on a regular basis? The answers can give you some direction on the ways you need to tweak your parenting. Remember two children in the same family can view your parenting in radically different ways. You will need to understand the specific needs and concerns of each of your children to be the best possible parent for them.
Christians often get confused about God’s plans and His timing. We tend to get our feelings, popular culture and out-of-context Bible scriptures all muddled in our brains. The final version either comes out “God’s only plan for us is to obey and get to Heaven” or God is “the ultimate fairy Godfather sent to grant all of our wishes (or He isn’t much of a God at all)”.
Our family has had more question marks than periods and exclamation points for the last year. My husband’s mother died and his dad is suffering from the final stages of dementia. Our daughter graduated and moved across country to attend college, with its four years of never-ending question marks. My years as a stay-at-home mom are over and my various ministries are shifting in major ways. We have long periods of time where everything seems confusing and frustrating. Sometimes it seems impossible to see God’s plans for our lives or understand His timing.
I am always looking for great resources for parents to use in serving with their children. What appeals to me are resources that encourage parents and children to work together on projects to serve others. Books are great because every time you walk past them, it reminds you of your goal – to serve others as a family and share your faith with those you serve. I don’t always pick the typical “ways to serve with kids” books, but look for books that are so beautiful and interesting they motivate both parents and children.
by Courtney Allison et al. The book was originally designed for a group of four families who wanted to each make a pot of soup and share the results with the other three families in a soup club.
When I was a child, our family had a garden about a half acre in size. It doesn’t sound like much for a yard maybe; but as a garden – it was huge. Besides providing our family with year around practically free fruits and vegetables, that garden taught us a lot of lessons about work, life and even faith.