One of the most amusing and frustrating stereotypes in parenting circles is the “helicopter parent.” Most of us have experienced the phenomenon, and if we’re honest, we’ve probably been guilty of it ourselves. Who among us hasn’t watched…
What does it mean to be a gospel-centered parent? As a youth minister who is also a parent, I certainly don’t have all the answers, but I may have a bit of insight. At our church, we often…
We moved into a new house a few months ago. My youngest sat in her new bedroom, and the smell of fresh paint was as vivid as the tears on her face. She told me she was crying…
“Can I talk to Dad now?” Right in mid-sentence, my college daughter interrupted me and asked for the phone to be handed over to my husband. She had called me – upset and stressed out – needing someone…
God bless my son’s third grade teacher. She changed my parenting forever when she called home one September afternoon. She told me my son had burst into tears at school that day while trying to work a math…
Becoming a parent, like becoming a pastor, is an act of profound hope. The parent and the minister seek to pour out God’s love and wisdom on those whom God has given them. Parents and pastors believe that…
My earliest discipline attempt as a parent came when my son was about two years old. He was in my lap and we were playing peekaboo. It was a blissful moment until he slapped me extremely hard across…
I have a hobby you might find unusual. I collect questions. While some people collect dolls, baseball cards, or antiques, I collect questions. You might wonder why I ever started this; and I’ll tell you: I came to…
Perhaps it was another end-of-the-year party, a night with two events when there was only time for one, another recital, or that last round of signed papers that broke this mother’s back. May had kicked me to the…
