Related Articles from the News
Supporting Your Child Through a Trauma
Loss and grief are naturally part and parcel of our finite lives. This does not make it any easier. How can we teach our children to handle the pain? When my father passed away suddenly, I was quickly forced to understand how a traumatic event can tip a family upsidedown. Not only was I coming to a place of living ...
Christmas Crazies!
If there is one thing that takes the edge off our Christmas joy, it’s the pressure of the consumer culture to give better, more unique, and thoughtful presents for an increasing multitude of people. No matter how much we criticise the materialistic values that dominate Christmas, every year, we get sucked into the eleventh-hour madness of shopping till midnight. A ...
Five Christmas-Inspired Woodworking Ideas for Dads & Their Kids
Despite the pace, there are ways to meet some of the challenges of the holidays. It’s not impossible to rise above the commercialised grind of Christmas. Men don’t have to be Arnold Schwarzenegger in Jingle all the Way, frantically tearing up the town trying to win the approval of his son by chasing down the latest toy fad. Pushing back ...
Ten Things Dads & Kids Can Do Together
“Every day, in a 100 small ways, our children ask, ‘Do you hear me? Do you see me? Do I matter?’ Their behaviour often reflects our response.” These are the wise words from L.R. Knost, a children’s writer and child advocate. Our challenge as Dads is to answer that same question. On Saturday, 11 December, I had to organise an ...
Choosing to Join In When Your Kids Have Fun
Having fun with your kids sometimes means choosing to join them in their silly activities. The other day my girls emptied shredded paper all over the floor to play with it -- so I joined them! On Friday afternoon, I had Phoebe asleep in the swing while Esther and Magdalene were watching a program on TV. I thought it was ...
Anger Busters for Kids
If your child is angry, neither lashing out or bottling it up is a good idea. Here are eight great anger busters to help your child manage his or her emotions. Your child is yelling, slamming doors and having an all-out tantrum – but can he trust you with his anger? Punishing the behaviours associated with anger might be a ...
‘How Was Your Day?’: Getting Your Kids to Answer this Simple Question
It's a simple question, but sometimes it's hard to get your children to answer it. Here's what I discovered works when asking my son about his day at school. "How was school?" "Good." "What did you get up to?" Silence. "Who did you play with?" Silence. My life has come to this. After years of begging my child to be ...
You Won’t Believe What Love and Nurture Does to Your Child’s Brain
Some parents worry that too much nurture can make children co-dependent. But the risk of too little is worse. You won't believe what love and nurture does to your child's brain. "I wish I hadn't cuddled my babies so much," said no mother, ever! It's probably one piece of parenting advice I'm glad I didn't take. Amongst the dozens and ...
Every Mother’s Worst Fear
What is your worst fear as a mother? Mine is losing one of my children -- and that's exactly what happened to me recently! I lost Magdalene at the shops on Monday, and it scared me like nothing else. One moment, she was standing with other children her age watching a playdough show. The next, she was nowhere to be ...
On Having the Perfect Plan for Your Children
God's wisdom and plans are greater than ours. It is tempting to chart our children's lives for them, but even better is when we let God take the wheel – directing our lives and our children's lives too. Do you already have the “perfect” plan designed for your children’s lives? As parents, I believe this is a particularly difficult area ...
