Search Results for: blog parenting without regrets

January Check In: New Year’s Resolutions in Parenting

It’s the end of the month and time to do a check in for those of you who wrote out New Year’s Resolutions. I actually prefer to write parenting goals. I think one of the valuable things about writing goals as a parent is it forces you to think about those things you need to change. We can easily look at our children and name off the things they could improve upon, yet neglect to see our own faults. Let’s face it…we aren’t perfect as parents. We can all use some improvements. And I will be the first to admit … Continue reading →

Truthful Parenting

This week I sat down to talk to a mother of three, whose children are now grown (two are married). Whenever I need some great advice, I always turn to her. Her experiences and the way I see how her children have turned out are really inspiring to me. While I had several things on my mind, one of them in particular was concerning a parenting decision that my husband and I had made. It was one of those decisions where you ended up with a lack of peace. Deep down inside it has been eating away at me, the … Continue reading →

What Are Your Parenting Decisions Based On?

I was recently thinking about a couple of decisions that my husband and I had to make concerning two of our children. In one situation the decision was favorable for that child but for the other it wasn’t. They were two entirely different circumstances but it got me thinking about the motivation behind the decisions we make as parents. Have you ever really thought about what motivates you to make a decision? Sometimes you are motivated by your mood at the moment. If you are in a bad mood, you might be quick to make a decision that you wouldn’t … Continue reading →

Old-Fashioned Parenting

Since everyone has differing opinions, some might consider my parenting to be old-fashioned. But others might think it’s too lenient. It all depends on what you believe and what makes up your standards. Considering the day and age we live in, I do think that my parenting might be a bit more old-fashioned than what we typically see. I contribute that to lessons learned growing up, my faith and what I have observed in others. The biggest demonstration of this has been our latest adventure, my daughter’s first boyfriend. Thankfully she at least has a respect and appreciation for some … Continue reading →

Parenting by the Seat of Your Pants

There is a common theme I have begun to notice in many of the Dr. Phil shows I watch on parenting, along with many episodes of “Supernanny.” It’s the “fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants” kind of parenting. This kind of parenting has no plan in place. Many parents just take life as it comes and when problems arise, try to handle them in the moment. I don’t know about you but when I try to handle anything in a moment of pressure, I usually don’t fare well. Parenting has to be deliberate and thought out. It takes energy, time and ideas to do this. … Continue reading →

Parenting Without Regrets

This weekend my husband and I enjoyed a night of hanging out with friends. A bunch of us get together once-a-month to share a light Bible study, eat, talk and laugh. I always walk away from these times feeling so refreshed. This particular time I walked away not only feeling refreshed but feeling very inspired. The study was on endurance and one of the questions posed to us was, “What is something in your life that you can say you don’t have regrets about?” I really liked that question. Sometimes we focus too much on the regrets in our life … Continue reading →

Single Parenting: When Frustrations Are High

You have had a long day and you are very tired. The kids will not cooperate with even the simplest request, as their day has been particularly tiring as well. Does this sound familiar? Anyone who has children can identify with this. Those that are in a dual parent situation might be able to ask their significant other to take over while you recoup. What is a single parent to do though? If you are fortunate enough to have a reliable support system with another adult to rely on for help that is great, but some single parents do not … Continue reading →

Living a Life without Regret

Lately some teen stars (who I won’t name, but we all know who they are) have apologized for pictures of themselves that have been released on the Internet. These pictures were posed and not taken accidentally, and yet somehow these stars didn’t realize until after their release that they were inappropriate. I’m a little confused by that—if there’s a camera pointed at you and you aren’t fully clothed, I would think that you’d know what was going on. Anyway, pushing my little judgmental voice back into the box where I try to keep it, I’ll move on to the point … Continue reading →

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

It’s always interesting to reflect back on the past year, to review the most significant moments, to pay special attention to those things you might have changed and to marvel at how quickly it all went by.  Some of us might get stuck in the past, while others find it easier to move on. I would have to say that without a doubt, the year 2012 was the most difficult for me as a parent.  Our family went through a troubling situation with our teen daughter that lasted several months.  All it took was one boy to enter the picture … Continue reading →

Connecting to Your Preteen

The preteen years can be filled with surprises…some good and some not so good. The way a parent chooses to navigate these years could significantly impact the next stage, as they move into the teen years. One of the most important things you can do during this stage is stay connected with your preteen. This won’t always be easy; depending on how much havoc hormones is having on him or her. And your preteen’s personality will also play a role. All I can tell you is that the struggle with be worth it if you can still maintain a connection. … Continue reading →