Helping propel moms & dads of 3 to 13 year-olds to invest in their power-decade of parenting. Father of 3 teenagers and pastor of 20 years turned digital writer.
Family Friday: Don't Stop Telling Stories
A Single Sentence from a Season AheadGrace-filled homes recognize that individual growth can take years and leave room for "the imperfect and never finished."
Stories Shape FuturesKids gravitate towards great stories. So many of them follow The Heroes Journey. Classics like Moana or Toy Story are legendary kids movies because of how well they accomplish this. Stories in the lives of your kids, end up shaping and molding them. Stories capture their mind and heart. They are big and powerful. They create awe and wonder. They generate hopes and dreams. Stories aren't only fantasy. They are also the easiest point of leverage that we have to teach and connect with our kids. Stories are sticky. We tried to have a story filled home, though more often it felt like a correction facility. As adults, our lives are directed by the stories we grew up believing in and the the ideas we hold on to today. As parents, the stories we tell our kids reveal what we believe matters. Think about what you gravitate towards and end up sharing with your 3-13 year old... Stories of rags to riches. The types of people or actions you endorse in your stories are the characteristics your kids will find honorable and repeatable. The books you read together. Your stories chart a course for your children. The lesson: choose your stories wisely because your stories shape your children's futures. See you next Friday,
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Power-Decade Parenting
Helping propel moms & dads of 3 to 13 year-olds to invest in their power-decade of parenting. Father of 3 teenagers and pastor of 20 years turned digital writer.
500 Fridays Newsletter - 4 min read Season: The Long Summers (11 of 11) The Building of Character My girls loved to play dress up when they were little. In our home, we have a wild room we call the "skit closet" and inside we keep a staggering amount of old play clothes. We have costumes from when my mom was a young girl, dance outfits from my sister's era, and of course plenty of Disney dresses from when my girls were younger. We have 3 generations of dress-up clothes in our closet and every...
500 Fridays Newsletter - 2.5 min read Season: The Long Summers (9 of 11) Farming Facts I come from a farming family. My great-grandfather purchased our family farm and his son, my grandfather, expanded it even more. I think it's the farming legacy of my family that instilled in me the value of long-term investments. There is an old wise farm saying that has resonated with me for years... The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time to plant a tree is today. Said...
500 Fridays Newsletter - 3 min read Season: The Long Summers (7 of 11) Defeating Discouragement Let's be honest: Everyday life as a power-decade parent is tough. You provide for physical needs.You slow down for emotional needs.You create fun and memorable moments.You attempt to bring calm to the total chaos. And yet, your kids give practically zero demonstration that they are "getting it." Rare are the signals that maturity, gratitude, or change is happening at all. It's enough to make a mom...