What’s the Meaning of a Promise Ring? There’s a certain anticipation of coming of age no matter how your family or culture celebrates it. I wanted to do something special for my girls but not a purity ring or a big party. I wanted to let my girls know that I promised to love them,…
What consequences are appropriate for the middle years? When it comes to consequences for kids, I know that some of the typical ones felt like punishment for me as a parent! The emotional roller coaster of the middle years was also accompanied by the hard task of establishing appropriate consequences. Restricting all television meant you…
Have you ever wanted to get off the middle school roller coaster of life, either as a parent or a child? Parenting isn’t for the faint of heart! The middle years are a roller coaster of emotions for both the kids and the parents. Recently a friend asked for parenting advice for these volatile days…
Are you more of a trailblazer or a trail follower when it comes to raising and educating kids? No matter how you answer this question, this BRAND NEW book, Blazing New Homeschool Trails: Educating and Launching Teens with Developmental Disabilities, could be for you! My friend, Natalie Vecchione, did not set out to be a…
Who is it harder to obey – teachers or bosses? It is a lot harder to obey someone you do not trust. As a teacher, it’s important to establish a culture of trust in your classroom as soon as the year starts. I explained my classroom rules and set high expectations that my students would…
What was the last Bible verse you memorized? Memorizing anything can seem tedious and even though scripture is the most important thing you could memorize, it can seem the most difficult. This blog post is a guest post about memorizing scripture from my oldest daughter, Jessica. She is the best memorizer I know. Let’s look…
What’s your placebo method of dealing with little boo boo’s or mosquito bites? We have a magic placebo called “the bug stick.” It’s been in our family for years, possibly the same few green containers have been around until they literally dried out from years of sitting in the glove box, bathroom bags, or first…
Does your morning routine involve getting dressed and making your bed? Starting your day with a little bit of productivity will boost your sense of accomplishment and give you momentum for whatever is next on your to do list. It doesn’t mean I don’t occasionally spend half my day on my computer in my pj’s…
What was your experience living at home after high school or college? Today’s blog post is a guest post from my youngest daughter, Jill Donaldson. Having just graduated from college and returning home for her last summer before grad school, I asked Jill to give tips for parents and students for coming home from college…
What do you look forward to doing in the summer when school is out? What are some ways to bridge the gap between the school years or the Bible study you attend that doesn’t meet in the summer? Private tutoring, summer classes, day trips, book clubs, or Bible studies are great summer education ideas to…
