THE AWKWARD MOM

because uncomfortable conversations are the ones worth having

Category: children (page 4 of 24)

Thankfulness: 11 Spiritual Life Skills for Kids

Reading Time: 4 minutes
Time for a holiday rerun–with a few extras added in! In light of the release of Permanent Markers: Spiritual Life Skills to Write On Your Kids’ Hearts, here’s a list of ways to encourage your kids toward thankfulness this month. 

1. The running list.

At dinner each night of November, see if your family can collectively think of 10 more things you’re thankful for. Keep a running list.

2. Turkey day decor.

Display a vase filled with your list written on slips of paper. Alternatively, scrawl gratitude items on kraft paper doubling as a Thanksgiving tablecloth—complete with markers or crayons prompting guests to add their own.

I am thankful for... craft paper table cover

3. The classic: Thank you notes.

Set a small, doable goal for yourself to send out a certain number of thank-you notes to people who might be a little clueless as to just how much you appreciate them. You might also consider enclosing a small gift card (think Starbucks, Amazon, iTunes) to add an exclamation point to your gratitude.

Polka-dot thank you notes: Print them here.

thankfulness

Print this polka-dot thank you note here.

Airmail thank you notes: Print these here.

thankfulness read more

My Kids’ Dates–and What I Learned from My Dad

Reading Time: 3 minutes
dad dates

Me with my dad–who’s had my back for a long time.

When I was a junior in high school, a good friend of mine asked me to prom. I was elated. Yet as per our family’s policy, my dad asked to meet him for coffee and bagels. It was his “interview” of sorts before all my dates.

“How will I know which one he is?” Dad asked me. read more

When Change in Your Child is S-l-o-w

Reading Time: 5 minutes

change in your child

I’ve been feeling an unexpected, if not undesired, kinship with my man Moses lately.

Remember when Moses comes down the mountain to the all-out idol-worshipping party of 2 million people (who God just brought out of Egypt and is about to give the Ten Commandments)? Moses loses it and breaks the stone tablets in half. read more

Presence: Ideas to be All There with Your Kids

Reading Time: 4 minutes

presence

When I first arrived back after living in Africa, it surprised me. I discovered it over lattes, or in the church foyer, or checking out at the grocery store.

I realized a lot of people were hungry, starved even, to be listened to. To have someone look them in the eye, even for a few seconds, and be with them. Undistracted. Agenda-free. Curious. Empathetic. read more

On questions God doesn’t answer

Reading Time: 5 minutes

As an author and voracious devourer of fiction, I consistently get a kick out of the comedy Stranger than Fiction (2006), with Will Farrell and Emma Thompson.

Will Farrell’s character, IRS agent Harold Crick, begins to hear a narrator’s voice over his life–a narrator who has power to determine his circumstances. And who indicates he’s going to die.

Harold seeks a literature professor’s advice (Dustin Hoffman), who suggests he start to find his author by determining whether he’s in a comedy or a tragedy. read more

Prayer Tools for Families: FREE Printables

Reading Time: 4 minutes

So guess what I got in the mail this week?

It’s real, folks. After a long…long path here, Permanent Markers releases October 5. (Grab the first chapter free via the right-hand sidebar of my blog, if you’re game.) read more

Practice Makes Powerful: How Your Kids’ Today Matters Tomorrow

Reading Time: 3 minutes

My parents, bless their slim pocketbooks, paid for a lot of piano and voice lessons over the years on my behalf. I took piano for 12 years–and to be honest, should be able to play better than I do…

There was the female teacher with the faint mustache and house that smelled like a casserole. The redhead who glared at teenaged-me for not practicing. Sally with her center-parted long hair and laminated flashcards. There was the pianist with astonishingly long fingers who also taught my voice lessons with a broad repertoire of Broadway hits, easing into a few Latin and German numbers. read more

Back to School Prayers for Kids, Teachers, & Admin (PRINTABLE!)

Reading Time: 2 minutes

12 ways to pray teachers

Though inevitably there’s so much excitement as everyone heads back to school, teachers and administrators I know are already strapping in for another hard year. We want, need, to pray for these key influencers in my kids’ lives.  I’ve seen teachers and admin–and the prayers for them–make a tangible difference. But they’re not the only ones navigating tough waters. How can we pray for our kids? (Aside from what’s below, check out this printable–a prayer from Scripture for each day of the month–and this word cloud, which can give you a lot of ideas when you don’t know how to pray). I’m hoping these back to school prayers are a great way to kick off loving on the teachers, administrators, and kids in our lives and cheering them on throughout the year. Please feel free to share or use in your small group or church if you find this useful.

12 Prayers for teachers and administrators

PRINT THESE BACK TO SCHOOL PRAYERS FOR TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS HERE.

pray for teachers

Back to School: How to Pray for Our Kids

PRINT THESE BACK TO SCHOOL PRAYERS FOR KIDS HERE.

pray for teachers

HELP US OUT: What would you add that you’ll pray for your kids and their teachers?

Comment below!

Thanks to Steven Helmick, a principal of a school of over 1000 and an educator among the top eight Arkansas’ 2014 teachers of the year, for lending his expertise to this list. read more

When Your Child’s Rewriting the Narrative Between You

Reading Time: 5 minutes

rewriting the narrative

A couple of weeks ago one of my teenagers was super-miffed with my husband and me.

On a car ride home from church, after explaining a biblical position we held on a touchy subject, this unnamed teenager maintained his shock and sudden anger. read more

Raising Kids Who Move Toward

Reading Time: 4 minutes

move toward

So this past weekend was the community garage sale in my small town. Though I’m really aspiring to greater simplicity, a community garage sale is my kryptonite.

I was super-excited about a necklace I found. But when I paired the necklace with a bracelet I’d nabbed for $.50, my husband’s eyebrow cocked. Not a good sign. read more

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