Why Mommy Needs to Cry

Why Mommy Needs to Cry _ parenting Like HannahThis week my husband and I are moving our daughter into a college dorm room three thousand miles away from our home. As my older and wiser mom friends tried to help prepare me for this week, I noticed a lot of them told me the same thing. “Give yourself permission to cry.”

At first, I was a little puzzled by the repeated advice. Surely, I would cry if I felt the need to do so. I had heard many tales of moms crying as they pulled away from campus and was prepared to follow their well worn path. Then I realized something. Moms do often deny themselves the privilege of crying.

For some moms, crying stopped in their younger years. For whatever reason, at some point they had to step in an adult role as a child and often didn’t allow themselves the luxury of crying. Other moms stop crying when they realize it scares their own young children. Oh, they may promise themselves a good cry in the shower or in bed after everyone is asleep, but then reality hits.

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Explaining the Bible to Your Kids

9780764211287Although I took several English classes studying the works of Shakespeare, I have to admit I wasn’t disappointed years later to encounter several series that explained the basic plot points, themes and significance of the various plays. It isn’t that I can’t understand the plays themselves, but sometimes it is nice to have everything summed up for me before I dive into the intricacies.

The Bible is an interesting book. It is both very basic and straightforward and extremely complex and mysterious. The combination can make some people afraid to even open it. (Translations using archaic English don’t help, either.) What many people need is someone to give them a big picture view before they read the Bible and try to understand the finer points.

I was interested to get a chance to review Quick-Start Guide to the Whole Bible: Understanding the Big Picture Book-by-Book by Dr. William H. Marty and Dr. Boyd Seevers. The authors break down the Bible one book per chapter. Within each chapter, they provide the setting, summary and significance of that particular book of the Bible.

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No Regrets Parenting

No Regrets Parenting - Parenting Like HannahWe are at the most bittersweet moment in parenting. In a few days, our daughter will be moved in to her first dorm room on a college campus 3000 miles from home. For the last several weeks, our days have been filled with doctor appointments, shopping trips and adventures with friends she won’t see for several months. Our family is starting a new stage of life.

I will be honest. Most of the people we know are sure our daughter will soar in her new environment. People who know me casually are taking bets on the date of my breakdown. Those who know me well, know my calendar is already packed with new adventures for me in my new empty nest life.

Actually, a part of me is a little sad. I always enjoy each stage of life to the fullest and am sad when it comes to an end. I loved being a full time, stay-at-home, homeschooling mom to our daughter. I actually liked our daughter and enjoyed spending time with her. I will miss having her around the house and in the car to share private jokes and adventures. On the other hand, I am also more than a little excited about the adventures she is about to have as a college student and the new ones I will have as well.

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Helping Kids With Fear and Anxiety

Helping Kids With Fear and Anxiety - Parenting Like Hannah

Fear is a natural part of childhood. From the monster under the bed to the first day of school, your children may experience all sorts of fears from time to time. Much of this is a natural reaction to trying something new and unfamiliar. With some children though, the fears and anxieties begin to negatively affect their quality of life.

I don’t normally review a lot of books outside of the Christian genre, but I have heard so many parents discuss the topic of childhood (and adult) fears and anxiety, I really felt this was an area I needed to explore. I was excited when a publisher offered me the chance to read and review the book, Freeing Your Child from Anxiety, Revised and Updated Edition: Practical Strategies to Overcome Fears, Worries, and Phobias and Be Prepared for Life–from Toddlers to Teensby Tamar Chansky, PhD.

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Teen Purity and the Selfie

Teen Purity and the Selfie - Parenting Like Hannah
Thanks Erin Bankston for the great natural senior photos!

Ask parents of teens what secretly worries them the most about their child’s teen years. They will probably mention their child’s possible sexual activity as one of the fears that can keep them up at night. Parents tend to have one of two mindsets about teen purity – either teens are going to do it no matter what, so let’s just help them be “safe” or if I dress them in maxi dresses and scare them to death (or don’t bring it up at all) it won’t happen. The results are often disastrous.

One of the biggest mistakes parents, churches and others make in the purity battle is making it all about the girls/women. The trend seems to favor the idea that “boys will be boys” so just encourage them to be careful and not produce unwanted heirs. As the mother of a girl, this will get me on my soapbox faster than you can say “birth control”.

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