Teaching your children to help with chores doesn’t just benefit your family in the present — it has lifelong effects on your children’s confidence and success. My parents did not teach me to help in the home. Now I regret it. I have found out that the science is on the side of the parents to get their children to do chores and help in the home. The ‘benefits are enormous.’ ...

My son’s many allergies have been a trial. In learning to alleviate his pain, and watching him bear patiently with discomfort, I have found a depth of strength and love which I never knew I had. ‘We’ll have to shut down the whole clinic for the afternoon,’ she said, annoyed. ‘Well, you just go ahead and do that,’ I thought, annoyed. But didn’t say it. My 11-month-old had suddenly developed a ...

To guide your children through the throes of their teen years, help them form genuine relationships and find their purpose. Having a goal directs their energies in a productive and life-giving direction, instead of frittering their youth away with a YOLO attitude. This generation of teenagers is worrying parents like never before, throwing their talent out the door and accepting minimal wages to focus on a life of partying and binge ...

It can become overwhelming to juggle one’s duties and deal with interpersonal conflict. However, taking a step back and considering what matters most in your life can help you regain perspective on why the daily grind is all worth it — for your family. Life is never without problems, is it? When you think you’ve got a handle on a situation, something comes up unexpectedly and the problem rears its head ...

Extinguishing conflict requires good communication. Here are some basic pointers on how to mediate a family quarrel and restore peace to your home. Most of you reading this would know that conflict resolution is a staple in just about every workplace. I don’t think I would be met with a whole lot of disagreement by asserting that the same emphasis should also be applied in the home. Two people step up ...

Parenting expert Michelle Mitchell shares pointers on how to address the thorny topic of premarital sex with your teenaged daughter. Sexual intimacy is a wonderful gift but it can also be a source of great harm when misused. It is essential to provide guidance on this aspect of human relationships, particularly as your children experience puberty. Parent Question:  My daughter is 15 and has recently fallen for a really lovely boy. ...

For hours of summer fun in the sun making splendid memories, invest in an inflatable water slide for your children. Here are some tips on how to pick a suitable slide, and how to maintain it well, along with your yard. One of the best Christmas presents we’ve bought the kids is our inflatable water slide. It’s been the gift that keeps giving every summer and turns our backyard into a ...

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 with my own grief — I also had to be a ...

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 against the grind can be as easy as picking up tools, ...

“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 all-day national prayer event on Zoom. I needed some help, so ...

Parenting can be so all-consuming that we end up disconnected from other parents who need our support and who can support us. We end up becoming a band of lonesome chiefs with no communal village. How can mothers connect and support one another more during these vital years? Do you have a village to help you raise your family? I’ve noticed a trend with many mums (myself included) that there are ...

From getting less sleep to talking about poo or having a messy home, there are “new normals” that every parent must adjust to. Here are my five new normals of parenting. What are yours? Amid a conversation about toilet training with another parent, a friend who doesn’t have children walked over to join in. Suddenly we realised that toilet training isn’t something you talk about in front of people without kids. ...

Fathering is no walk in the park. But we can learn and improve by taking in the advice of those who have walked the path before us. Read on for some great practical tips for fathering. “Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success.” These words are found in an ancient book called the book of Proverbs. The bottom line is that if we want to be successful ...

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 the perfect time to shred a big pile of paperwork that ...

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 quick fix, but without instruction, your child will lose out. National ...

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 quiet, now I’m pleading with him to talk to me! “You’re ...

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 dozens of parenting books I read, some parenting ‘experts’ claimed that ...

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 seen, and I panicked. Where could she have gone? Did someone ...

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 to manoeuvre. Wanting the very best for our children, we can ...

What do your children value? Reflecting on the way children treasure the simplest things can teach us important lessons in life about what we treasure. My girls are obsessed with little bits and pieces. Their bits and pieces might be a compilation of parts from toys, Barbie accessories, bracelets or plastic jewellery. They love anything little. It’s the kind of stuff that I would call junk, but my Esther and Magdalene ...