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5 fun activities teach kids to think of others
In an old issue of Psychology Today, I ran across an article featuring the words of Dennis Rosen, M.D. Sometimes children seem so self absorbed and so preoccupied with gadgets and toys, we wonder whether they are aware of, or care about, what goes on around them. We...
Resilient kids are made outside their comfort zone
Are we doing children a favor by letting them have the easiest and best of everything? “What distinguishes healthy families is not the absence of problems or suffering but rather their coping and problem solving abilities.” (Froma Walsh) A good definition of...
Creative Mother’s Day message ideas for older kids
Are you a teacher, dad, grandparent--someone who will coach children in their Mother's Day messages and gifts? Here are some fresh ideas to get them started on their messages. Young children may touch mom's heart with their crayon-drawn cards.... ....but older...
Tell children your own spiritual stories
Many times, a personal story sheds a brighter light on the subject than moralizing. Rather than telling a child facing a question or decision what to do, telling them a story from your own life can be much more helpful. It helps them think creatively and gives them...
Teen spirituality on a tightrope walk
The tightrope walk may be an apt analogy for one's teen years. Exhilarating and risky, these years are better navigated following some serious practice time/strength training and a safety net. "Researchers are beginning to discover the importance of being a spiritual...
Sightings of God’s care deepen children’s security
Phil Jackson, former NBA player and current general manager of the New York Knicks wrote: "To my father, there were certain mysteries you could only understand with the heart, and intellectualizing about them was a waste of time. He accepted God on faith and lived his...
Give God the benefit of the doubt, for kids’ sake.
It was 8:50am. Jayeff sat in the passenger seat of my car as we crawled toward downtown Los Angeles on our way to teach another Life Skills class. A little daylight opened up in the fast lane and a luxury car jammed its way into the space, then zigzagged to cut in...
The blessing of undivided attention
I’ve never been good at multi-tasking. It’s not that I didn’t try. I tried for years. I just can’t hold my thoughts together when I’m working on multiple projects at once. It’s always been this way, so it’s not just because I’m getting older. I admit being jealous of...
Predicting a hopeful future blesses children
Their future brightens when we bless children with a sense of assurance that they have what it takes to accomplish their goals, to push through challenges and heartaches. We do this through acknowledgement of the child’s worth. We back it up with our own investment of...
A child’s must-have: a hope-filled future
I remember playing the fortune teller game as a kid. We would take a piece of paper, write dreamy messages and fortunes on it, then fold it origami-style to predict our future—you will be rich, you will be famous. Now I try to bless the children in my life with words...
More than compliments communicate a child’s value
Adults do three things all the time to express how we value the children in our lives. I'm working at these things. I want to be are good at them because, more than compliments, these actions form a foundation of trust. 1. We keep our mouths shut and let the kid...
Familiar objects communicate a small child’s value
Winnie and her daughter Marissa were watching a nature special together. Winnie noticed a mother eagle feeding, protecting and sheltering her young. This was the picture Winnie had been looking for to help her communicate words of value to her 3-year-old. Marissa had...
Blessings that make a difference
Regardless of our differences in religion, language or ideas, there is no heart that is without an inner divine reference. And each family seems to have a unique impression about when, how and if God makes known his thoughts and feelings toward them, often referred to...
Bless a child with the healing power of words
One of my family’s weirder slogans or expressions -- Self-Praise Stinketh – came into being on account of me. As the story goes, I said so many nice things about myself that they shortened it to SPS to save their breath. Later in life, I had to ask myself, “Why did...
The gift of appropriate, meaningful touch
A dreaded part of my childhood piano lessons came on the days I got excused from school to go before an adjudicator for grading on my skills. I was very nervous, but I did well enough to receive small silver and gold pins signifying my competency. At times I felt...
5 elements to help you bless others
The 4th Annual Backpack Blessing took place in a Georgia church at the start of this school year. The event involves taking your backpack into church, suggesting that God’s presence moves into all spheres of life. A staff member told The Huffington Post that the...
When we missed the gift of genuine parental acceptance
Colton looked forward to his parents’ visit. He hadn’t seen them in almost two years. He’d saved up some small fix-it tasks to do with his dad. In the past this was their way of connecting, but his last few conversations with his father had not gone well. It’s not...
5 actions to do right now that bless a child
I was an English major in college so I appreciate good, strong words. Blessing is such a word: "Landing a job allowing me to work at home has been a mixed blessing [has advantages and disadvantages]. Or "I live in a country where I enjoy the blessings of liberty"...