• Blog

    Just say “Yes…”

    Starbucks and Nordstroms are known for their outstanding customer service.  The phrase “Just say, yes!” is often associated with such service.  I am here to propose this statement as your next parenting strategy.   My kids are not so young or small anymore.  We just had the wonderful opportunity to watch our friends’ children while they were away for a weekend.  After our weekend with younger children in our house, my daughter asked, “Mom, when do you say, “No”?”  I smiled.  She had witnessed my great parenting treasure and recognized it on her own! I believe the word “No” is a very important word.  Probably more important for Mom to use…

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    Loads of Fun!

    The idea of a simplified life touches my soul.  I crave it!  In some areas, I do it really well.  In others, I am a work in progress.  And then, there are areas of total simplification failure!   Allow me to pass on the single most impactful gem of all! My biggest win in the simplification process has to do with laundry.  When I had only 2 children, I read a book about simplification (I don’t remember what it was called, but it was small!)  One chapter talked about washing all socks in the same load, which is a fine idea.  But this got me thinking.  Socks are actually tedious to…

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    Use the Bowl!

    Communication is so important! What is said, how it is said, and the message clarity all play into the effectiveness of a conversation!  As a mother of four children, I have a lot of barf stories… but, one of the “funniest” highlights poor communication! My sweet Lava was only 4 years old, sleeping in a big kid bed and sick as a dog! This was the first time that the flu had settled in and his poor tummy was unable to keep anything down. During the evening hours, I taught my child how to throw up in the toilet, but bedtime was upon us. I got a large stainless steel…

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    Push-ups

    Our first child is a passionate, strong willed beauty. She exuded confidence in all areas, even areas that she actually knew NOTHING about. She told me in kindergarten that she did not need to go to college, because she already knew how to be a teacher. In first grade, she was learning subtraction. I attempted to help her (I was a high school math teacher) and she told me that I can’t help her, because her math is too hard for me!  She not only excelled at knowing stuff, this girl excelled at pushing boundaries. If she was told that something was off limits, that is all she could think…

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    Teach Jesus

    Yesterday, I was asked what the single most important parenting tip that Good Lookin’ and I would give someone… No doubt, it is… Teach your children about who Jesus is! If your children KNOW who Jesus is, they will know the truth and can use that knowledge to understand the world around them.  We have Trained our Children in Truth.  So that they can hear a new idea, measure that against the truth they know, and make a solid decision under that information. Jesus is the Father of truth, and Satan is the Father of lies, so we better figure out what is truth so that we are not fooled…

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    Life’s Not Fair

    As small children (and still occasionally), my kids would whine “That’s not fair!” I might have responded to that statement more times than I have tied shoes in my life! “That’s not fair!” is a natural response that our selfish nature clings to.  We want life to be fair.  We want the same number of cookies as our sibling.  We want the same grade in math as our friend that we studied with.  We want to stay up late like our big sister.  We want to lose weight as fast as a teenager.   But do we really want life to be fair?! I almost feel guilty for enjoying this statement…