Category: Parents Crosslink

As I came into the mall, I saw a kiosk near the doorway with a poster of smiling adults and children, designed to draw my attention. The top of the kiosk had three letters: PGR. I wondered that that means, so I looked a little closer and picked up a brochure from the rack. Well,…

Parents have often wished: “It would be great if children came with an instruction book, so we would always know what to do and say while raising them! If only we had a clear set of parental directions—ones we could rely on and refer to as we make the myriad of child-rearing decisions each day.…

Easter Scene in a Pie Pan: Two weeks before Palm Sunday, fill a metal pie pan with potting soil and plant barley or cat grass (available at pet stores). Mist daily. On Palm Sunday, glue a paper figure of Jesus riding a donkey to a wooden craft stick and stand in the pie pan. Use…

Watching a child compete for
 the first (or forty-first) time is
 a thrill for parents. They remember their child’s first steps and reflect on that memory as their child flies down a basketball court or across a finish line. Grins cover parents’ faces as their child suits up in the team’s uniform. Bringing up a…

The research is in. And it’s compelling. Music lessons benefit children. And teens. And college students. And middle-aged folks. And senior citizens. Music making provides cognitive, physical, behavioral, emotional, and spiritual benefits. Are you considering music lessons for your child? Wrong question. Here’s the real question: Why wouldn’t you consider music lessons for your child?…

We have all met the perennial cheerleaders for the School of Hard Knocks—individuals for whom pain and suffering are the key ingredients to building character. You may be one of them. But intentionally allowing a child to suffer heartache and disappointment would be offensive. And ultimately, building character involves much more than that. So what…

Mom, I’m hungry!” I hear that desperate exclamation constantly. It’s often the first thing I hear in the morning. It’s almost always the first thing I hear after picking
up my boys from school. And it is certainly something I hear after a long afternoon and evening of sports practices and school events. Do these kids…

The church offers very few resources or programs for children still in diapers. Parents may also be skeptical about a child’s ability to learn at that age. Most toddlers struggle to be potty trained, so how can we expect them
to grasp spiritual truths? We might be tempted to think that we should wait until little…