Parenting: A Do-It-All Mom’s Guide: How to Cut Corners & Remain Balanced

With her whole heart, elbow on table and head resting on hand, she turned to me and sighed as we talked about our goals, for us and our children. She wants the best for her child, who has food allergies, so she prepares his lunch the three days a week he attends school. If he goes to school full time “then I’ll have to prepare his lunch every day and that’s more work for me.” Immediately her sentiment resonated with me. This wasn’t a lazy mom trying to get out of work to watch soap operas and talk on the telephone. She was just overworked and tired. And like her, I would love less work.

Sometimes I do less work. At times I toast frozen waffles instead of making homemade pancakes, choose permanent press outfits so I don’t have to iron the boys clothes or play a Veggie Tales DVD over conducting a character development lesson. Motherhood ain’t no joke so if I can cut a corner I’m going to consider doing so, if it’s not detrimental to my children. But here is where we mamas cuttin’ corners may get in trouble. Perhaps not immediate but in the long run our decisions to do less than the best may have a negative effect on our children. This we have to consider as we seek to make our children not just good societal citizens but good citizens of God’s Kingdom.

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The “Love Manifesto” for 2012: Easy Ways for Parents to Model Love & Service

Christmas was electrifying. The sparkling lights, the glistening snow (in most cases) and the holiday cheer that buzzes always has me in a glow. I love that time of the year when people seem friendlier, smile brighter, and folks are lending helping hands. I don’t know about you, but when December 26 hit, all that seemed to change. The buzz was silent. The sparkles fizzled. There was no Christmas music playing, no gracious sayings and fewer smiles. It was like someone had turned off the Christmas cheer switch and everyone had gone back to their self-focused lives. Well, for 2012 I declare that not so. I declare that we have Christmas cheer throughout the year. Let this be the beginning of a lifetime of years where throughout the year we graciously give of our time, talent and treasure to others, particularly those outside of the Christian faith. This is our mandate, always has been our mandate, but we seem to fall in line with the world’s way of helping someone only during the holidays. Let us teach our children to give charity, or love, throughout the year, right along with our regular routines.

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Stop Sibling Rivalry the Bible Way: How to Help Your Kids Show Love & Kindness

 

We have heard these, maybe even said them ourselves, when our children don't get along and are at each others' throat: "These kids just can't get along;" "It's just sibling rivalry." Maybe their behavior is sibling rivalry, but are we resigned that they won't get along because they just can't or do we just wait it out, expecting the conflict to go as the children grow? Parenting expert Abbey Waterman, a mother of eight and home educator for more than 20 years, says parents have to foster brotherly kindness in their children and not just expect it to happen.

"I didn't let my children ‘have friends’ outside of the family until they could get along with each other," said Waterman, whose children range in age from 23 to 6. “We would go to church and I would have them head straight to the car after service. They didn’t get the privilege of socializing with their friends at church.” She once made a bickering son and daughter share a room, forcing them to deal with each other and work out their issues. Today, the children are close.

Waterman's tactics may seem extreme, but God expects us to go through radical means to get radical results.

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