2013-12-19T06:00:04-05:00 GCI info@gospel.com /feeds/topics/parenting/ http://faithgateway.com/thankful-or-self-entitled-raising-kids-who-show-gratitude/ 2013-12-19T06:00:04-05:00 Children adept at offering timely and authentic thanks demonstrate rich character and along the way exude an almost magnetic charm. It is not surprising that people prefer to engage with kids who freely recognize and appreciate efforts made on their behalf, especially when compared with children straitjacketed by self-entitlement. Picture your family: Which description applies […] http://faithgateway.com/7-ways-teach-children-joys-giving/ 2013-12-13T06:00:04-05:00 The Christmas season is a great time of year to help children learn about the joys of giving and the importance of reaching out to others in their time of need. During the month of December children are excited and often focused on one thing: presents! Their wish-lists are written, then they grow even longer […] http://faithgateway.com/changing-black-friday-focus/ 2013-11-29T06:00:03-05:00 Our family has never really been a fan of or participated in Black Friday sales and events. We typically choose to take time to be with each other as it’s one of the few times of the year when nearly everyone is around and not working or not in school.  It’s a time of fellowship […] http://faithgateway.com/you-can-help-national-adoption-day/ 2013-11-23T06:00:05-05:00 National Adoption Day. It sounds like a great thing, but what is it? Wikipedia defines it this way: “A number of courts and communities in the U.S. come together to finalize thousands of adoptions of children from foster care. More than 300 events are held each year on the Saturday before Thanksgiving in November, in […] http://faithgateway.com/carpool-conversations-faith-talks-kids/ 2013-11-23T06:00:05-05:00 I learned early on as a parent that when they’re not picking on one another or wondering how soon we’ll get where we’re going, children are a captive audience while riding in the car. As early as age 3, Big J–our now 7-year-old–was asking very challenging questions as we drove… “What do aardvarks eat?” “What […] http://faithgateway.com/13-ways-kids-can-do-good/ 2013-11-20T06:00:03-05:00 My very best friend is paranoid that her children will grow up to be spoiled, entitled adults. I think all parents worry about this to some degree (especially in America), but being spoiled and entitled is not a foregone conclusion. I think I may have mentioned modeling good behavior in every blog post I’ve ever written, […] http://faithgateway.com/teaching-children-gratitude-my-extreme-measures/ 2013-11-19T06:00:05-05:00 Teaching my children to be thankful and have an attitude of gratitude has been one of my greatest challenges as a parent. Like many children in our Western culture, my kids are very privileged and they don’t always appreciate the things that they have, from the food in the fridge to the abundant toys in […] http://faithgateway.com/kids-need-parents-with-boundaries/ 2013-11-15T06:00:05-05:00 “Problem kids” don’t evolve in a vacuum. Every problem child generally has a problem context, and kids with healthy limits don’t grow out of thin air. Although by nature we resist limits from birth, we have a lot of help either developing boundaries or not developing them. As both Christians and psychologists, we live in […] http://faithgateway.com/picking-first-big-girl-bible/ 2013-11-15T06:00:05-05:00 My eldest daughter, Piper, is turning nine this month. Her birthday wish list is pretty typical for girls her age – things like a new backpack, some headbands, a board game she was introduced to at a friend’s house, and a new video game that necessitates dancing. She’s also quick to talk about how this […] http://faithgateway.com/veterans-day-for-kids/ 2013-11-12T06:00:04-05:00 A few weeks back, my husband and I took a trip to Savannah, Georgia. We are lovers of American history and we visited a cemetery there that played a part in the Civil War. As we walked along the path, we came across a historical marker that caught my attention. The plaque marked the grave of […]