Identity Crisis?

Dare 27

One of our jobs as parents is to nurture our kid’s sense of identity.  Through the time we spend with them our kids learn who they are, what they’re good at, as well as our family’s belief system.  They develop a mental image of who they are as they receive feedback from the world around […]

Am I Too Involved?

Being involved with our kids is a good thing, right?  After all, we want to have relationship with them.  We want to have influence over situations that our kids get themselves into that we know won’t turn out so well.  And, naturally, we want our kids to be successful. But can we be too involved? […]

Should I Let My Kid______?

9 Questions You Should Ask Before You Decide

It was a cold spring afternoon when my son asked if he could drive an hour the next day to visit his friend. Fairly new behind the wheel of a car, I hesitated. There were a million and one reasons to say “no” rolling around in my head and a few that said “it might […]

Building Family Relationships in the Middle of Conflict

Dare 40

A dear friend called me a few days ago asking for prayer.  Her husband and daughter were fighting again.  The previous night had been a standoff shouting match with words that should have never been spoken coming from their daughter’s mouth.  “Oh my,” I responded.  “How did you handle it?” “I quietly stepped in and […]

6 Things You Can Do When Your Teens Don’t Listen

Dare 14 - Pushing the Reset Button on Parenting

Do you ever feel stuck with your kids?  Are you tired of hounding them to do something only to find that you have become the barbaric person you swore you would never be?  The volume in the room raises, your voice takes on a gruff “I mean it” tone, your hands are on your hips in a power stance, […]

Do Your Kids Understand Compassion–Especially Your Boys?

Sending out an email to the neighborhood watch list for our missing cat, I hoped someone would help us find Sniper soon.  Typically this  sit-by-the-corner-of-the-house-waiting-for-someone-to-open-the-door critter didn’t stray far from home.  Most of the time she’d sit on the steps waiting for the birds to swoop into our backyard for a game of chase then she’d hop […]