Tag Archives: Life Lessons

What If Animals Hadn’t Been Okay?

Over in Marriage today I reflected on circumstances growing up that influenced my decision not to have children. Human ones at any rate. I’ve always had a pet or two, but I’ve treasured them as more than mere “pets.” Like many of you, my pets are my kin. Once they enter my house and heart, they become family. But why is that okay? If I’m going to cherish them as my children, why not have real ones? I think it’s because just as I was raised in an environment where kids were considered a burden, I was also raised in … Continue reading →

Can You Bring What They are Learning Elsewhere into Family Life?

Children are most likely to learn and remember things when there is repetition–practice, reminders, etc. For this reason, if children are being introduced to new concepts in school, or learning something in church or sports or another extra-curricular activity, as parents we can reinforce that learning at home to make it more likely that the child will retain it. Of course, this parenting approach means that we need to take an active interest so that we know what the child is learning elsewhere. Talk to the child, pay attention when you are sitting on the sidelines at soccer practice or … Continue reading →

Lessons in Laundry

This morning as I was working away in the relative peace of my work space (the cats had finished their annoying and destructive morning romp and had settled down at last for naps) I head the blood-curdling scream from upstairs: “Mom!!!!” You would have thought a burglar had crept in through an upstairs window or someone’s hair had all fallen out in her sleep. Instead, what HAD happened was that an enterprising and increasingly independent teenager had done a load of laundry and run it all through the dryer–with a tube of mascara tucked away in a jeans pocket… Now, … Continue reading →

Letting Them Learn About Relationships on Their Own

I don’t know about you, but some of the toughest, most painful reality lessons I have had to learn in my life have been in the “relationship” arena–whether it is about friends, friendship, trust, respect, or even more intense lessons like forgiveness and how to let friendships and relationships go from my life–this has all been a major task of living for me. As a parent, there is NOTHING I would like more than to spare my children some of that pain, suffering and scarring that I have been through. I think that is why it is so difficult to … Continue reading →

We are Both Teachers and Learners

I have mentioned before that I have no idea what I would be like as a person if I hadn’t become a parent, and, especially, spent so many years as a single parent. I think my experiences are integral to the person I have become. Single parenthood has been an amazing gift and one of the lessons I’ve learned is that while I have been called to take on the responsibility of being my children’s parent, and I am in the role of guide or teacher, I am as much a student of this “family life” process as they are! … Continue reading →

Are Parents Important Life Lessons Sinking In?

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How can you tell if the lessons you have been trying to teach your children are sinking in? One way is to watch the things your kids say or do. If you kids insist that you attend school events or you receive compliments about your teen’s behavior, you’re probably doing something right. David Breachoft, a professor of psychology and family studies at Concordia College, asked his students to come up with a list of important lessons for life that they learned from their mothers. Here’s a sampling of what his students had to say: You can do anything you set … Continue reading →

Your Priorities and Your Family

Often we allow ourselves to lose focus of why we are here and what we are doing. It is so easy to become caught up in everything we feel needs to be done that we forget what our true priorities are. It is important to sit down and remember the simple answers. We are here to prove ourselves to Heavenly Father. We came to earth to receive a body, and to return to him. Our priorities in life should fall along those lines. Another mission that many of us have is to raise a family. Then comes our service in … Continue reading →

How Do You Want To Be Remembered?

Author and education, Michele Borba, Ed.D, has a question for you: How do you want to be remembered? She wants you to imagine that your kids are all grown up with families of their own. They are reminiscing about their childhood and describing what it was like to have you as a parent. Do you want to be remembered for all the activities you signed your kids up for or for the simple lessons you taught your kids, like how to laugh, how to act with confidence or how to be resilient? Do you want to be remembered for the … Continue reading →

Lessons of Divorce – Part Two

Continuing with part one I wanted to provide you with more real life lessons that come out of divorce. Keep in mind that divorce and life after is what you make of it. The key to surviving divorce is to be realistic and be open to learning and growth. -If there are kids resulting from the marriage, you need to remember that you and your ex-spouse will have a connection forever. Many people think that two divorced people only have to deal with each other until the children reach the age of 18 but nothing could be further from the … Continue reading →

Making Your Home into a Healthy Zone

With television shows like “Honey, We’re Killing the Kids” and the “Biggest Loser,” we are frequently bombarded with the fact that American families, for the most part, are not living healthy lifestyles. So, how can we make our homes into good health zones? Smaller Meals Eating smaller meals more often during the day is healthier than eating three large meals. It also keeps the metabolism at a more even keel. Since you are breaking up the food intake, you won’t have as many blood sugar highs and lows. People who eat more and smaller meals throughout the day tend to … Continue reading →