Life Lessons from a 6 Year old

Six year old Tianna hits the nail on head! Parents be very mindful of your kids they are very in tune to everything around them. This video is a real wake up call to us parents. I teared up watching this as she was genuinely pleaing with her mom to just get along with her dad and be happy. So sad……

Dad & Daughter Duet

This is too hilarious I had to post it....
I think this dad loves the song more than his daughter! Props to him though. I love to see when dads are involved in their kid’s lives. The importance of a good dad-daughter bond is so priceless. I always love seeing the interaction between my daughter and her dad, and seeing how his involvement in her life continues to shape her into a strong, confident little one.

Moms, what are your favorite dad-daughter activities or bonding experiences? I'd love to know, tell me in the comments below!

Stop OverIndulging Your Children

Advice on how to meet all their needs, but not all their wants.

By Jill Rigby
http://www.familylife.com/articles/topics/parenting/foundations/character-development/stop-overindulging-your-children

What do your children really need from you? Love, guidance, shelter, food, clothing, medical care, and an education.
That’s it.
Everything else is a want, a luxury:  video games, iPods, cell phones, the latest fashion—whatever new item their friends have.

Today, far too many parents fall for the “nag factor.”  They know their kids are bombarded by ads telling them to buy certain products and that many parents are buying those products for their children. They know the pressure that comes from their children’s peers, and so they buy their kids far more “stuff” than they can even use, all in the hope that their children will fit in and be accepted by their peers.

According to a recent survey of youth commissioned by the Center for a New American Dream, the average 12- to 17-year-old who asks a parent for products will ask nine times until the parents finally give in.  For parents of tweens, the problem is particularly severe—more than 10 percent of 12- to 13-year-olds admit to asking their parents more than 50 times for products they’ve seen advertised. Kids have learned if they nag enough for long enough, parents will give in. Parents, stop falling for the nag factor.
Refuse to overindulge your kids.

Sadly, our self-absorbed society has told parents to help their kids feel good about themselves, that it’s the parents’ duty to make their children happy. But underneath it all, kids don’t need parents who make them happy. They need parents who will make them capable.

Dr. Connie Dawson, co-author of How Much Is Enough, writes:
When parents give children too much stuff that costs money, do things for children that they can do for themselves, do not expect children to do chores, do not have good rules and let children run the family, parents are overindulging.
Here are some other signs of overindulgence.  As you read them, watch for your weak spot:
1. Giving them things or experiences that are not appropriate for their age or their interests:

• Allowing a 5-year-old to dress like a pop star.
• Allowing a 12-year-old to watch an R-rated movie.
• Removing curfew from a 16-year-old with a new driver’s license.

2. Giving things to meet the adult’s needs, not the child’s:

• A mom buying her daughter the trendiest clothes, because Mom believes it’s a reflection on her own style.
• A dad giving his son the “stand out” wheels at sixteen, so Dad’s friends—as well as his son’s friends—will think he’s “the man.”
• A parent giving his or her children the best of the best in order to make the parent look successful.

3. Neglecting to teach children the life skills they need to survive in the “real” world beyond their home:

• Tying shoes and dressing 4-year-olds who are perfectly capable of dressing themselves.
• Doing the laundry for teenagers who are more than capable and need to learn to do it for themselves.

I admit that I slipped into overindulgence in raising my sons in more than one area.  It’s important to realize the harm this can do to our children.
According to one study conducted in 2001, children who are overindulged are more likely to grow up to believe the following:

• It is difficult to be happy unless one looks good, is intelligent, rich, and creative.
• My happiness depends on most people I know liking me.
• If I fail partly, it is as bad as being a total failure.
• I can’t be happy if I miss out on many of the good things in life.
• Being alone leads to unhappiness.
• If someone disagrees with me, it probably indicates that the person doesn’t like me. 
• My happiness depends more on other people than it depends on me.
• If I fail at my work, I consider myself a failure as a person.

So, for the sake of your children, stop overindulging them.  Instead, teach them the difference between a need and a want, and then make them work for their wants. For instance, rather than buying that new video game for your children, give them two options: Tell them they can place it on a wish list for a birthday or Christmas present, or they can do extra duties to earn the money to buy it themselves. If your children are willing to work for their “heart’s desire,” they’ll take better care of it, be more grateful for it, and think long and hard before turning a “want” into a “need” in the future.

Repairing the damage of overindulgence
Parents, you can begin to remedy the damage done by overindulgence by doing two things:
1. Help your kids cultivate patience. The truth is parents often prevent their children from learning patience. We’ve gotten just as caught up in our fast-food society as anyone else. We’ve forgotten that real life problems aren’t solved in 15 minutes, that it takes time to find solutions to everyday struggles. We’re the ones who try to speed things up for our kids.
So don’t be so quick to solve your children’s problems for them. A bit of a struggle is good for them.

2. Give children opportunities to develop responsibility and to feel valuable.  Your children need your help if they are going to learn necessary life skills. They need you to give them regular chores or duties and to hold them accountable for taking care of those duties. In so doing, you will help your children become adults, not just grown-ups.

All children will at times engage in a power struggle when it comes to carrying out chores or duties. But if parents give in and don’t assign age-appropriate duties for their children, their kids will grow up to be irresponsible, which is heartbreaking for the parent and tragic for the children.
No matter the age of the child, any duties you assign them should encompass these purposes:

• Helping your child learn life skills.
• Helping your child become a valuable member of the family.
• Helping your child become a valuable member of society.

By giving your children opportunities to help and serve each other within the family, you’re preparing them to take care of themselves and go out and serve society.
Now that I’ve asked you not to overindulge your kids with their wants, I want to encourage you to overindulge them with love, real love. Love that molds and shapes them into the young men and women they are meant to become. Patiently help them develop patience, and with persistence and persuasion give them age-appropriate responsibilities. As you do these things, you’ll be preparing their hearts and minds to accept the responsibilities God has planned for them.

10 Ideas: Making Time for Your Spouse

Being a working mom of two kids, I tend to neglect my better half! I’m sure most of us working moms can relate to this. It’s an issue that we ignore but can have serious effects on our marriage. I stumbled across the article below and it helped me in terms of finding creative ways to find time for each other. Enjoy!

How to keep marriage on the front burner of life.

By Mary May Larmoyeux

Author Feb 06, 2015

My husband, Jim, and I have been married for more than 30 years and we consider one another to be best friends. Despite this, we have to intentionally keep our relationship and marriage on the front burner of life. 
Finding time to be with just one another is important to Jim and me. But I confess, it’s not always an easy thing to do. And this isn’t just our isolated problem. It’s common in most marriages—regardless of age. The following 10 ideas can help you and me intentionally make time for our spouse:

1. Cultivate a common interest. Your spouse should be your best friend, and friends enjoy spending time with one another. If you and your spouse have different hobbies, find something that you both enjoy doing and do it together. You may want to go bike riding, walk together at the end of a long day, play tennis, or learn how to ballroom dance. Shared experiences enrich marriages and deepen friendship.

1. Have a regular date night. If you don’t have a relative nearby who would gladly watch your kids, then consider swapping babysitting with a friend on a regular basis. For example, you would watch their kids on the first Friday of every month and they would watch your kids on the second Saturday of every month.  Also you can go a step further and tune-up your marriage at a weekend getaway, this will help you get away from the distractions of life and focus on one another.

1. Try new adventures together. We only live this life once. Try doing something different to force yourself out of the rut of normal day-to-day living. If you and your spouse would like to do something a little more daring, consider activities such as skydiving, scuba diving, mountain climbing, etc.

1. Write love letters to one another and read them over a romantic dinner. Writing letters is almost a lost art form today. You may want to redeem it by regularly expressing your love to your spouse in a letter. Then read it to your spouse over a romantic dinner. You could purchase special wooden boxes for your love letters. Or, record them in individual journals as a lasting reminder to your legacy of your love for one another. If you’re not sure how to begin writing your letter, read “Tips for Writing a Notable Love Letter.”

1. Set aside regular time to talk with one another—without any distractions. Make time to focus on one another and talk about the day’s events. You and your spouse may want to do this after the kids go to bed. The important thing is to share heart-to-heart and face-to-face.

1. If the kids are in school, you may want to have lunch together once a week. Put it on the calendar and make definite appointments. I read about a pastor who did this for years. He had a standing invitation for lunch one day a week that could not be broken—lunch with his wife.

1. Read a book together and discuss it over coffee at a local coffeehouse or bookstore. Take turns choosing the books. If a movie has been made out of the book, read and discuss it together and then watch the movie. Compare the book to the movie.

1. Be accountable to one another. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 tells us, “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion.”

1. You may want to ask your spouse to keep you accountable in a certain area. For example, I have a habit of over-committing myself and having way too many things on the to-do list. My husband is great about bringing me back to earth and helping me establish a more balanced schedule.

1. Pray together. When we regularly pray with our spouse, our souls and hearts are uniquely knit together. Sadly, we’ll forget many of the ways God answers our prayers unless we write them down.

10 Ideas: Connecting With Your Kids

I’m always pressed for time, but I know that finding time for my kids is always at the top of my list. They’re my greatest treasure and I just had to share!

In an article by Mary Mary Larmoyeaux she outlines 10 ideas for connecting with your kids:

10 Ideas: Connecting With Your Kids

Children are a heritage from the Lord.
—Psalm 127:3

Here are 10 ideas that can help you get to know your children better and pass on a legacy of faith and fun:

1. During dinner ask everyone to share one piece of both good news and bad news from the day. 
2. Have regular “Kids’ Nights to Cook.” Set up a restaurant atmosphere in your home and create some lifetime memories. Little ones will enjoy decorating the table and making special menus for the evening.
3. Visit a local bookstore with your children and ask them to help you choose a family devotional. Then work through it together. 
4. If you have a sports enthusiast in your home, ask him or her to give you and your spouse regular updates about what’s going on in the world of sports—both locally and nationally.
5. Do a one-on-one activity with each child at least once a week.
6. Take turns choosing Bible verses that the entire family can memorize together. Using a special journal or notebook, ask the children to record each verse after the family has memorized it together. 
7. Once a week after mealtime, draw names to see who will be in the “hot seat.” (Discard each name after it is drawn so everybody will eventually be chosen.) Family members will ask the person in the “hot seat” a question that cannot be answered “Yes” or “No.”
8. When bringing the kids to school, take turns being prayer warriors—praying for each person’s day.
9. After dinner, rotate sharing a “joke of the day.”
10. Have regular family nights doing something fun that everyone enjoys.