Systematic Training for Effective Parenting
STEP stands for Systematic Training for Effective Parenting. Basically, it is a method to provide guidance and discipline to a child – and it works. It works for infants, and it works for teenagers.
Parents, Pick Your Battles
While we are far from experts on toddler tantrums, there is one principle my wife and I have agreed on in recent days: pick your battles. We want to avoid as many unnecessary power struggles as possible, and preserve our emotional energy for the battles that really matter.
The Extraordinary Joys of Ordinary Family Life
Some married couples choose to remain childless, citing fears of financial freedom and environmental concerns. But we must not let fear deprive us of the extraordinary joys that having children brings to ordinary life.
3 Encouragements When Fatherhood Feels All-Consuming
Fatherhood might feel all-consuming, and in many ways, it is. But here are three reasons you can take great heart in your fathering and stay the course.
The Serious Business of Making Your Children Laugh
There’s no better sound in the world than my daughter’s rapid-fire giggle. And as it turns out, the laughter she experiences during these crucial chapters of her childhood comes with benefits that will leave a lasting imprint.
Your Children are More Important than Your Dreams
If you had told the 18-year-old version of my dad that someday he’d think babies were more interesting than football, he would have laughed his head off. But the truth is, as life pushes on, we don’t just abandon our dreams; our dreams change.
The Beautiful Arithmetic of Parenthood
Not only is love a multipliable resource — it is a multiplying force. Such is the beautiful arithmetic of parenthood. Expanding your family expands your heart.
Our Miracle Man is Here!
A week ago, our little miracle man was born. For those unfamiliar with our journey, my wife and I struggled with infertility for over three years, during which time we adopted a beautiful little girl in the United States.
10 Fun and Inexpensive Local Outings With Your Toddler
When your backyard feels boring, you’ve walked your neighbourhood one too many times, or another trip to the shops just won’t cut it for your toddler, here are 10 ideas for local family outings that won’t bust the budget.
Virtue in Action
We teach couples strategies and skills for navigating relationships more effectively. As important as these frameworks are, they are not the critical factor in avoiding divorce or building a successful marriage. Rather, the key appears to lie elsewhere, in the practice of virtues.
The Calm Before the Chaos: Preparing for a Newborn Baby with a Toddler in Tow
After months of preparation, the due date for our second baby has finally arrived. In this period of calm before the chaos, let me share a few ways we have been preparing to become parents for two under two.
It’s All About the Baby
In 2024, a hurricane of events has forced us to scale back our ordinary observances. It all began in May when we found out that my wife Angie was pregnant with our second child. This miracle news of our new baby turned our plans upside down.
Have a Very Messy Christmas
Whatever your Christmas looks like this year, remember that clutter and chaos have always been part of this ancient celebration — and that God is with us in our mess.
Dadhood: Lessons Learnt by New Fathers
When I found out I was venturing into dadhood earlier than planned, I pretty much cried for two weeks straight. But this challenge was exactly what I needed.
Busting 4 Myths About Fatherhood
Our culture has embraced many myths about fatherhood that make men hesitate to settle down, marry, and start a family. It’s time to bust those myths — beginning with these four.
Dear Dads, What Example Are You Setting?
By being mindful of the example we set — both in the habits we encourage and the behaviours we avoid — we’re not only guiding our children’s actions today, but also building the foundation for the kind of person they will grow up to be.
Attachment Style and Marriage
Our earliest experiences of love and care profoundly influence what we each bring into our marriage. Attachment Theory illuminates how. Thankfully, because of the enduring neuroplasticity of the brain, people with an insecure attachment style can develop a secure one.
5 Tips for Toddler Language Learning
To the extent that we have helped Squish on her language journey, I can think of a number of strategies we’ve employed that are worth sharing — some which are obvious, and others you may never have considered. Here are my top 5 tips for toddler language learning.
A Sibling for Squish
For Squish in particular, the arrival of number two will be a game-changer. Here are three things she has to look forward to — three things that will change her life for the better.
Parenting While Sick
Parenting toddlers is challenging at the best of times. When you are sick (not to mention when your spouse and child are sick along with you!), the challenge is multiplied by several magnitudes. But your children still need to be fed, cleaned and occupied. How do you handle this?
The Top 5 Benefits of Reading to Your Toddler
There are many ways for us to spend time together, but I believe the most bonding of these is when we read together. There in my lap, she feels safe, secure, close and loved. What more could a toddler want?
Staying Calm with Annoying Toddlers
Parenting – and teaching – takes oodles of patience, which one is usually short of when sleep-deprived, as parents of toddlers usually are. So, how do we keep our cool and model patience to our toddlers?
Right Start
If there is just ONE THING you have on hand to give to new dads, I encourage you to have the "Help Me Grow Guide: The First Year". It’s an easy way to bring dads into the wonderful life of their child and encourage their participation right from the start.
The Innate Traits of Girls and Boys
The toys my 14-month-old chooses to play with confirms my suspicion that girls and boys are born with in-built predispositions towards different activities and skills.
Equally Loved
When we discovered that Baby 2 was on her way, we were delighted, but also a tad concerned about how Baby 1 would react. Now, by and large, our progeny co-exist joyfully, taking delight in each other’s existence. We are careful to treat them as equally or equitably as possible.
12 Crazy Weeks of Travel With a 12-Month-Old
Twelve weeks ago, my wife, my 12-month-old daughter, and I packed up our apartment in the United States for Squish’s biggest adventure yet — three months of travel, missions and adventure from the Great Lakes to Sydney, Australia and the jungles of Indonesia.
