2009 August — Moms of Faith

Foundations for a Faith-Based Business

August 28, 2009 By MariLee Parrish 5 Comments

My first official post for Moms of Faith! I would like to begin by sharing my own vision for faith and business as a foundation for all things to come! My inspiration since entering the workforce has been the Proverbs 31 woman.

Picture this woman as you read the following:

A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.
She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.
She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.
She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls.
She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.
She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.
In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.
When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.
She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.
She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:
“Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.”
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate
Proverbs 31:10-31 NIV

What an amazing lady! She is self-motivated, hardworking and industrious! She loves the Lord, she has a sense of humor, she knows how to create multiple streams of income, and she is cherished by her family! What more could a working woman aspire to be? Chew on this section of scripture this week. Ask the Lord how you can be more like this God-fearing woman as you work… and in your everyday life. Until next time….

A CALL TO HOLINESS--> I would like to let you all know about a NEW Bible Study here at Moms of Faith. It will be available at the beginning of October 2010. WORK AT YOUR OWN PACE! In this seven week study we will cover topics like; What is holiness?, Who is called to it?, 4 Characteristics of Holy Living, Hindrances to Holiness and more! Click Here for more info and pricing.

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If you would like to join the "Get Fit Challenge" we currently have going on here, it is free and as simple as reading a post each week and commenting on your status! Click Here to see all posts on this topic.

Christian Parents Can Instill Good Self Esteem in their Children

August 26, 2009 By Faith_Mom 6 Comments

Today’s culture is obsessed with perfection. It contradicts everything that Christian parents want to teach their children. However, even in the current climate, we can impart self worth and good self esteem in our children.

Below are practical steps that parents can take to eliminate or at the very least limit the influence of the world in their lives.

Instilling Good Self Esteem in Children

I want to start with the two most important parts of instilling self esteem in children.

Teach them what the Word says. They need to know how God feels about them and who they are in Christ. The Word clearly tells us that this is our job as parents. We are to train them up. Read the Bible to them, have them memorize Scriptures, get them involved in church activities, and make God an important part of their lives.

Side Note: Never ever use Church as a punishment either. Meaning, do not prevent your child from going to youth group as a punishment for bad behavior. They need it more then ever when they are having issues…and NOT “big” church either. They need to be around their Christian peers.

Limit the media’s influence in their lives. The media is the biggest enemy to a child’s self esteem. They are bombarded with images of unattainable bodies, materialistic desires and unbiblical principals.

Most of today’s sitcoms present a world where beautiful skinny women live and the men are not very smart. On the flip side men are taught success is important and sexy women are to be ogled.

The above two factors must be in their proper place. If we are dumping more media into our kids and not enough Word, their self esteem will plummet and their values with become worldly.

The following are also very important steps we must take to help our children love themselves, and be content with who God created them to be.

Speak It. The Word of God teaches us that Faith comes by hearing. Well, so does fear and doubt. If we speak life over our kids, they will believe life. We cannot assume that they know. We need to tell our daughters they are pretty, our sons that they did a great job, and speak positive things over our children on a regular, consistent basis. Compliment them. Validate them. Let them know that they matter. You care about what they have to say and how they feel no matter how trivial the subject matter may seem.

Cheerleader. Parents need to be cheerleaders in their children’s lives. They need to feel like their parents believe in them and their abilities to accomplish their goals. It is a parent’s job to cheer their children on and lift them up when they fall.

Encourage them. Encouragement is a gift every parent must give their children. We all need encouragement to do better, keep trying and to never give up. Children need it even more then adults. Especially with all they go through just being kids and learning about life. Validate them.

Listen to them. Nothing makes a person feel more important than knowing they are heard and valued. Value your children by allowing them to speak and being ready to listen to their feelings, concerns, frustrations and complaints. Allow them the freedom to vent. Children need to feel safe and know that they have someone to be completely transparent with. It is parent’s job to be that person.

Side Note: If our kids do not feel that we are safe to talk to, they will talk to someone else. Unfortunately, they may pick someone who is immature, does not have their best interest at heart, and/or who may give poor advice.

Talk to them. As parents, we need to take the time to communicate with our children. That is more than just listening to them. We also need to talk to them. We need to have conversations with them about the big stuff, little stuff and trivial as well. They must know they matter to us.

Spend quality time with them. This must be as a family and one on one. Building a solid relationship with our children as individuals is vital to helping them make right choices in life. A strong family bond goes a long way for self esteem, and how grounded they will be when trials and temptations come.

God blessed us with children to teach us many things, one of the most important being to be less selfish. We must make our children a priority and take the time to teach them their value and worth as individuals.

I am speaking from experience. I have a teenage daughter whom I have instilled all that I mentioned above and today she loves herself, sees a pretty girl in the mirror, understands how the media works and loves God more than anything.

Love your kids properly and they will love themselves.

Note: I originally wrote this article for Jill at CWAHM.

Scripture References: (These verses are for the parent and for teaching children how God sees them.) Proverbs 22:6; Romans 8:32-39; Romans 10:17; Romans 12:2; Galatians 3:29; Ephesians 6:4; Ephesians 2:10; 1 Peter 2:9; John 3:16; John 15:15; Philippians 1:6; Philippians 4:13; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Isaiah 54:17; Deuteronomy 28:13; Zechariah 2:8; Colossians 3:21

About the Author: Lara Velez is a Christian homeschooling Mother of two. She leads an online ministry for Christian Mothers, Moms of Faith (http://momsoffaith.com/podcast), which teaches Moms to train their children up and to live life with the purpose of shining for Christ. You can also see her on Twitter, http://twitter.com/Faithful_Mommie

Filed Under: Blog, Parenting Tagged With: Moms, Parenting, Self Esteem, Teenagers, Toddlers

Tuesday’s Mommy Tip – Time is Everything

August 25, 2009 By Faith_Mom 1 Comment

Do you have a great tip for Moms? They can be about anything (family friendly, of course) that pertains to a Mom’s life, including; beauty, kitchen, health, parenting, and so much more! Click Here to find out how YOU can join Moms of Faith’s Tuesday’s Mommy Tips!

NOTE: PLEASE read the rules. We have a few who are not posting to the ACTUAL TIP post on their blog. I need you to post your link to the actual TIP POST…NOT the main page of your site. THANK YOU!!

OK, on to this week’s Mommy tip…

Time is Everything

They say timing is everything for many things. However, I say TIME is everything for kids…YOUR time. They crave nothing more than to spend time with us. Life can get busy and excuses many. However, we only have a little bit of time here on earth and even less with our kids. We need to make time while we still can!

Tips to Make Time for our Children

Let them help you cook dinner. No matter how old your little one, if they can walk and talk, they can do something to help you in the kitchen…and if they are too little, pull the high chair in the kitchen and talk to them while you cook. My teenager does a LOT in the kitchen with me and my little one is doing more and more every day!
Stop the busyness. When you get to the end of your days, you will not think about how much money you made, how many twitter friends you had, or what your house needs done next. You will think about the times you spent with your loved ones…especially your hubbie and kids. Make time NOW.
Include them in as much as possible. Get your kids involved. Allow them to be apart of whatever you are doing. You will be surprised at the insights and delight that they can be.

Bottom line…our children are a blessing from the Lord. Let’s enjoy them and cherish them every day! TIME is everything!

Filed Under: All Moms, Blog, Mom Tips, Parenting Tagged With: All Moms, children, Moms, Parenting, Teenagers, Toddlers, Tuesday's Mommy Tip

Teaching Your Children the Power of Prayer

August 24, 2009 By Chere Williams 1 Comment

Prayer is a powerful force in a Christian’s life. Prayer enables us to have an intimate relationship with the Lord. The most significant relationship that we will ever develop is with the Lord and as Christian parents we should pass on this treasured gift to our children. Of course it is important for our children to know that they can always come to us with any issue they may be facing, but what is even more important is that they know without doubt to turn to God with all their burdens. Teaching our children to develop a relationship with God is the absolute best gift we can pass on to them. As a parent you can encourage and foster this relationship by being an example to them.

Here are a few ideas on how to make prayer a daily part of their life.

Never Too Young to Pray
When I had my daughter, I would pray aloud even when she was a baby. When she became a little older I taught her a children’s prayer. She is now 3 ½ years old and says her prayer before meals and before bed on her own accord. Prayer is for all ages and teaching your children to pray at a young age is a wonderful start for their own development as a follower of Christ. Start by saying prayers before every meal, before bed, and thanking God for the new day. Soon prayer will become part of their daily routine.

Family Prayer Time
A family that prays together stays together. Prayer should be a part of your family’s everyday routine. Having family prayer time develops a strong bond between the Lord and your family. Dinner time doesn’t have to be the only time you pray together. Set aside time during the week to pray together as a family. If you have a prayer list from church, gather as a family and pray for those who are ill or in need of prayer. This is a wonderful way to teach your child how to become a prayer warrior and the power of prayer. Also let your children hear you praying for them, if they see your faith in prayer it will encourage them on their own prayer journey.

If your family is facing a hardship or is in conflict, gather together and pray for the Lord to give your family guidance, strength, and wisdom. Children will learn through example to rely on the Lord for everything. When they become adults and have their own families they will remember to turn to God to give their family strength when they face tribulations.

Pray Without Ceasing
In this world the influences that our children face are downright frightening. Teach your children to pray in all circumstances. If they are facing peer pressure teach them to turn to God and ask for guidance. Kids need to know that God is always there for them and protecting them. Teaching them to turn to God for wisdom will enable them to make good decisions. Every day before my daughter goes to preschool we say a prayer asking the Lord to protect her and keep her on the right path. My hope is that when she is older that she will continue to pray even when I am not around and develops her own relationship with God.

God Answers Prayers
As Christians we know that our prayers our heard by God. We know that God answers prayers. We also know that sometimes what we pray for we are not granted because it is not God’s will. Children may have a hard time understanding that, and in the worst case scenario if a prayer is not answered they may lose faith in the power of prayer. Therefore, it is important for your child to understand that they must have an attitude of obedience and faith toward the Lord. Explain to them that prayers are answered according to our Father’s will. God knows what is best for us and our desires and wants may not be his best. They have to have faith that God will work in their lives.

Prayer is our open line of communicate with God. Teach your children to develop an unshakable relationship with God through prayer. Help them build their spiritual foundation early on in life so they can follow on the path of Jesus. Be an example to them by turning to the Lord in any circumstance, whether good or bad. Through our behavior we send messages to our children, make sure that your behavior condones prayer, obedience, and faith. Pray with them and for them always having faith that God will give you wisdom and discernment. Children need God in their lives at all ages. When they learn to pray and to hand everything over to God you are preparing them for the battle of the world and of the flesh. Protect them by teaching them the power of prayer.

Filed Under: Blog, Columns, God Time, Parenting Tagged With: All Moms, children, Columns, Family, Moms, Parenting, Prayer, Teenagers, Toddlers

Beauty Product Review – Ped Egg

August 21, 2009 By Faith_Mom 2 Comments

Product Name: Ped Egg
Rating: 10
Where to buy: amazon.com

Description: A nifty little beauty product to help fight calloused rough feet!

Review: Ever since we have lived in our current residence, I have had issues with calloused feet. We went from carpet to tile. It has been very hard on my feet over the years and I have tried everything you can imagine to fix the problem.

One product that helped with the roughness was Kerasal. Unfortunately, that alone did not fix my calloused foot problem. It only softened them. I had tried several foot scrubs and tools for removing the crud that makes calloused feet look so bad. Some did OK and others just…well…stunk for lack of a better word.

Then, I found Ped Egg. Personally, I balk at “As Seen On TV” products. My experience with them has been negative to say the least. I have gotten to a point where I avoid them at all costs. However, my husband convinced me to at least try Ped Egg, and the price was right, so I caved.

I am very happy with my decision to give Ped Egg a try. It is a wonderful little product. Very easy to use and even easier to clean!

I simply open the egg up, and scrub a dub dub my heels with the metal grater (not too hard though…no need). Once finished, I open the grater and inside is all the yucky gook that I just scraped off my feet! It is quite gross, but cool too, cause I just rinse it off, replace the top, and it is all clean for next time! Once the egg is back together, the bottom of it is a little smoothing stone. I use that to smooth the areas I just grated. Rinse the bottom, and put back on shower rack. Done. Simply fabulous.

Ped Egg is a very cool beauty product. It works better than any others like it that I have tried. Use it with the Kerasal and you will have heels envied by the masses! Better yet, NO expensive pedicures to get them! Whoo Hoo! Another plus for Mr. Ped Egg! I love it and highly recommend it to all my Moms of Faith readers!!!

Criticism: None! I mean even the price is right!

Filed Under: Beauty Bar, Beauty Products Tagged With: Beauty Bar, Reviews

Winner of the ‘My Read and Rhyme Bible Storybook’ Give a Way

August 20, 2009 By Faith_Mom Leave a Comment

Thank you to all who entered and Tweeted about My Read and Rhyme Bible Storybook Give a Way! If you have not read the review, you can do so here.

For those who did not win, you should definitely buy this book if you are the Mom, friend, aunt or teacher of preschoolers or Kindergartners! Awesome resource for teaching little one’s Bible in a fun way.

Now, on to the main event…

We chose our winner using the services offered at Random.org.

My Read and Rhyme Bible Storybook Winner Is…..

Natalie Miller!!! Congratulations, Natalie! Please send me your mailing address and I will ship My Read and Rhyme Bible Storybook out to you!

Help Needed -> We will be having a HUGE give a way to kick off the Fall season AND our new upcoming podcast. I am looking for donations. You will be featured on MOF site as a contest sponsor while the contest runs and we will also be VERY thankful!

If you can donate a prize, contact us here.

Stay tuned readers…more give a ways coming soon…including our Podcast and Fall Spectacular!

Filed Under: Blog, Winners Tagged With: Announcements, Give-a-Ways, Winners

Decorating Your Home For Fall

August 19, 2009 By Chere Williams 4 Comments

Although I am definitely a gal who enjoys summer fun, I am welcoming fall with open arms. I absolutely love the coziness that the fall season invokes. It makes me want to curl up near a fire with a warm blanket, a good book, and hot cup of cider. There is nothing like feeling a crisp autumn breeze on your face, or jumping into a pile of leaves with your kids. I usually wait until September to begin my fall decorating but, each year I find myself wanting to do it earlier. You can bring the warmness of fall into your own house for the whole family to enjoy by doing some fun fall decorating.

Ideas to make fall decorating fun at your house

Incorporate Colors of the Fall Season

The color pallet of the season is incredible with its rich deep reds, burnt oranges, gold, and yellows which are wonderful colors to incorporate into your home. Depending on the color scheme in your house you may want to swap a few of your pillows for those that have fall colors. Add a soft chenille throw to a couch, chair, or even at the end of your bed to keep you warm on those chilly evenings.

Bring the Outside Inside

Some of the best fall decorations are free. That’s right, free and in your own back yard or nearby parks. Look for fallen branches and place them in decorative or clear vases on your mantels or window sills. The leaves this time of year are breathtaking and look great displayed in picture frames. Pick an afternoon, pack a lunch and go leaf picking with your kids. This is a great activity especially, for younger children. Get creative with the camera and take pictures of your kids leaf picking and frame them. Change the tint of the pictures to sepia or black and white to add character.

Fall Themed Centerpieces

Make your dinner table a treat for the eyes by adding a simple centerpiece. Try placing a pretty bowl filled with red, green or yellow apples in the middle of your table. Different color squashes, small pumpkins, acorns, or pinecones in a bowl or tall glass vases are another eye catcher that looks great and is inexpensive. Brighten a room by adding a floral arrangements t such as sunflowers or mums.

Pleasure to the Senses

Do you remember how your home smelled when you were a child? What smells make you think of home? I love bringing all those great fall smells into my house. Candles are the most common way to get a house smelling delicious and with all the different scented smelling candles available it is a simple way to get the smell of pumpkins, or apples floating in your home.

If you have a fireplace throw in some logs when the weather gets cooler and enjoy the warmth and smell of a fire burning, while saving some money on your electric bill. Another simple way to have your house smelling great is to place ginger and cinnamon sticks in a pot of boiling water, the aroma is wonderful!

Doors and Entryways

Welcome your family and guests with a fall wreath on the door. Put a few decorated or undecorated pumpkins outside the door, not only will they add color they scream fall time. If you are feeling extra crafty you may even want to add a scarecrow or two!

Decorating for autumn can be fun and creative. Check your local stores for discounts on fall decorations, do crafts with your kids, and look in your own backyard for free resources. Celebrate fall by having a family game of football, raking leaves on a lazy Sunday, or drinking some apple cider by a fire. Get cozy with your family and your home while enjoying the new season. Don’t forget to thank God for the fall season and all the beauty that he has created for us to enjoy!

Filed Under: Blog, Columns, Decorating Plaza, Seasonal Topics Tagged With: Columns, Decorating, Fall, Seasonal Topics

Tuesday’s Mommy Tip: Clean Lines

August 18, 2009 By Faith_Mom Leave a Comment

OK, on to this week’s Mommy tip…

Clean Lines

I have been doing a lot of cleaning and rearranging over the past few weeks to prepare for the new homeschool year, and get some much needed deep cleaning done. As I have been doing all of this, I am also redesigning the way everything looks, and I have discovered that clean lines look best and give the appearance of neatness and organization. One example of “clean lines,” is how you align books on your book shelf.

Instead of pushing them back, or trying to line them up from the biggest to the smallest and have this tiny little section at the bottom, follow these two steps…

1. Arrange Books by Categories. Put all your reference books in one section in size order. Then, maybe your readers or literature section next to that, again in size order. How you order them is your business. Obviously if you do not homeschool, you will have different categories!

The books will fluctuate up and down since they are set up by category, however, they are in order of subject, which will make it easier to find.

2. Pull them up to the edge. All your books should be lined up to the edge of the shelf for a clean and organized look. It will also save you on dusting!

I hope this helps you get ready for the new school year, homeschool Moms…It is also a great tip for anyone with books! LOL!

Filed Under: Back to School, Blog, Cleaning 101, Homeschooling, Mom Tips, Organization Tagged With: back to school, Cleaning, Homeschool Corner, Organize, Tuesday's Mommy Tip

Portion Control – When Serving Becomes Overload and Joy is Forgotten

August 17, 2009 By Richele McFarlin 1 Comment

It never fails, every time I go to a buffet; I fill my plate so full that my mashed potatoes and chocolate cake become unlikely bedfellows. My eyes seem to grow disproportionately in size to my stomach and I gather up all the goodies my plate will hold. In haste, I get back to my seat to devour my feast only to realize there were too many tastes and textures to differentiate any of them. Overstuffed and ready for a nap, I glance regrettably at the morsels of food left on my plate. I can’t move nor can I take one more bite. I scoff at the prospect of eating swearing to never engage in that activity again. It seems “just say no” is a slogan with many applications. The simple idea of portion control would solve my predicament of wondering if I should walk it off or sleep it off.

As I sit there deciding between walking and sleeping, my thoughts circled around other overfilled plates in my life. I am not sure about you, but my ministry plate is getting too heavy to carry back to the table. There are so many ministries and activities to make you feel unspiritual if you do not participate in that you end up participating in all. Yet, I have to ask myself if overfilling this plate is causing me to become more like Christ or less like Christ? Am I displaying a mind like Christ when my stomach turns as I have to get to one more meeting or make one more meal or teach one more class? I am not so haughty to think the church would fall apart at the seams if not for my involvement….or am I?

There comes a time when one realizes that being over loaded on tasks does not make you more spiritual. The amount of ministries you involve yourself in does not directly correlate to the amount of love you have for Jesus. The Bible teaches us that our love for Jesus is displayed by obedience to His Word. Yes, we are to serve in our local church to demonstrate Christ’s love to the outside world and to our brothers and sisters in Christ. Yet, let’s be reminded of portion control. To serve Christ, we need to perform our ministries as an act of worship to Him. When we get so bogged down that we resent our church, the people who don’t serve, the people who do serve, the lack of funds, the lack of time, or what have you, our actions become selfish and not sacrifice. The tendency is to take on one more thing because we feel no one else is willing. So, we walk up to the alter of ministry with great pride and martyr ourselves in the name of ourselves. Heavy laden and weary, convinced the church will fall at our feet, we say “yes” one more time to the call of service. How does that glorify God? It does not. In fact, our deceitful hearts tell us we do this for our king when in fact we do it for ourselves. The meaning of service is lost and Christ is no longer the center. Have we forgotten why we serve or better yet Who we serve?

I have reconciled that the church does not need me. In fact, God doesn’t need my money, my time or my sweat and tears. The sooner I realize God’s Will is not dependent on my actions the sooner my service will glorify God. Let’s exercise portion control and thoughtfully with love and a mind like Christ, serve our God gratefully and willfully. Also, allow the blessing of service to fall on another’s shoulders. Challenge a less involved person to serve by encouragement and mentoring. Then the body of Christ will finally have all the limbs required for true service.

Filed Under: Balance, Blog, Richele's View Tagged With: Balance, Columns, Moms, Richele's View

Homework for a Three Year Old

August 10, 2009 By Chere Williams 4 Comments

The expectations on children attending school have become exceedingly high since my childhood years. I was recently made aware of these expectations because my 3 ½ year old is moving to the “Academic Three’s Class.” Anya has been going to daycare/private school since she was a baby. A decision I grappled with for a long time. Minus a few scraps, and my own motherhood neuroses, for the most part daycare has been a pleasant experience for the both of us. However, I was taken aback when I learned that there were a few rules for the Academic Three’s. Rule 1, all students must wear uniforms; Rule 2, I have to order books for her because she will have homework; Rule 3, if she arrives after 9:05 am three times in a 30 day period than she is suspended. I was not thrilled with these rules, to say the least. I agree that children should receive the best education possible, and I also believe that parents should never underestimate their children, but isn’t three a little young for homework?

This situation has made me question, whether we are pushing our children too hard? Are we allowing them to be children or are we taking away the fun of childhood? How much is too much? One of our responsibilities as parents is to expose our children to as much as possible and ensure that they receive a quality education. However, it is equally as important that they explore through play, imagination, and creative outlets. It is disturbing that children are under such pressure to succeed. They are not adults regardless of how mature they may seem for their age, they are children and deserve to have a childhood.

With a new school year around the corner, kid’s schedules will quickly fill up. It has become common for children to be on overload with academics and extracurricular activities. Are they well rounded or over booked? In order to answer this we have to take a good look at our children’s interest, temperament, and how much they can handle. Are they enjoying these activities or do they feel pressure to participate, because that is what is expected of them? We may find ourselves reaching back to our own youth and reminiscing about unfulfilled dreams and then project them onto our children. We must respect and accept that our kids have their own unique personality, desires, and goals.

Here are some steps to protect your children from overload:

Research the School – We do our research when purchasing a home or car, we should be just as diligent when researching the school they will be attending. Examine the curriculum, the expectations for students, the activities the offer, become acquainted with their teachers, and try to determine if your child is a good fit.

Know What Your Child’s Interests Are - Discovering what your children’s interests are can save a lot of money, time, and frustration. Zone in on their likes and help them find activities that encourage their interests. If your child is happy they will succeed naturally.

Talk to Your Kids – Keep an open dialogue with your kids. Let them know you are interested in their life and they can come to you in any circumstance. If they are feeling under pressure they will be more likely to tell you if your door is open. Ask them if they are taking on too much if they say yes, then discuss the situation and work on a solution together.

Encourage Creativity- Creativity is its own type of education. Education happens in and out of the classroom. When a child taps into their creativity they may get closer to their God given spiritual gifts which leads them to their purpose. God’s purpose fulfilled in our lives is the only real success that matters.

Be Observant - If your child is taking on a hefty load pay attention to their mood. If you notice depression, agitation, or fatigue then address the situation. Use your intuition, if something seems wrong than it probably is.

Instill a Sense of Self Value – I can’t stress enough how crucial it is to instill in a child that they are of infinite value, created by our Father in his image, more valuable than any honor roll or football team. Teach them that their worth is not tied up in their achievements. They do not have to be anything other than what they are and they are loved unconditionally.

Upon careful consideration I have decided to allow Anya to attend her new class. After speaking to teachers and other parents at my daughter’s school, I was assured that there would be plenty of creative play time. Also, even though they stress academics, they were appropriate for her age, and they understood the importance of a three year old being a three year old.

Encourage your child to do well but also encourage them to be a kid. Childhood only comes around once.

Filed Under: Back to School, Blog, Columns, Parenting, Working Moms Tagged With: children, Columns, Moms, Parenting, Toddlers, Working Moms

Moms of Faith

Foundations for a Faith-Based Business

Picture this woman as you read the following: