Connecting
Correction without connection produces conflict. Discover the most powerful parenting tool for establishing long-term positive influence. Connecting.
Connecting with Baby Articles
Authoritarian vs Authoritative Parenting: How to Avoid the Dangers of Mistaking the Two
As she focused her eyes on the road ahead, she made careful note of the lines on either side of her. A quick glance at her legs reminder her of their strength. Another quick glance at me confirms her confidence. Boundaries + ability + confidence. She slowly let go of the handlebars, raised her hands...
11 Biblical Parenting Principles: Empower Yourself to Raise Godly Kids in a Broken World
Search the world, and it will leave you empty. Search the word, and you’ll find a cup that overflows. The biblical parenting principles tucked away in the Bible are a treasure begging to be hunted. Biblical Parenting Principles for Behavior Training This biblical parenting principle is the driving force behind everything I do at Faithful...
Why Moms Yell and Stay Trapped in a Hamster Wheel of Guilt
Though her tone dripped with accusation, I sensed a compliment buried somewhere in her question. I knew she wanted to talk about why moms yell, but those conversations can go sideways real quick. I took a deep breath, whispered a prayer, and stepped lightly through the exchange. “You probably don’t ever yell, do you?” How...
The Best Scriptures on Parenting to Guide Your Family’s Pursuit of God
The word of God is an armory of spiritual ammunition. Jeremiah 1:12 says, “… I am watching and I will certainly carry out my plans.” Scriptures on parenting provide Christian parents with the Truth, skills, knowledge, and promises they need to raise children who are a light to a fallen world and will someday be...
Exploring Parenting Goals and How to Make Them Benefit Your Child
Parenting goals are as varied as the sky is blue. Some parents measure their parenting goals by the way their children behave while others set goals that solely reflect their own behavior. Truth is, both approaches are an acceptable and justifiable way to measure success as a parent. Investigating these parenting goal metrics, chatting about...
The Best Christian Parenting Books: A Top 20 List for Biblically-Minded Mom
There is certainly no shortage of parenting books available. The vast expanse of the internet makes it a bit overwhelming to ensure you are purchasing the best Christian parenting books! It seems everyone has written a book these days, so how do you sort through the ones that will actually help you raise your children...
Family Game Night with Toddlers: Practical Guidance for Including Your Little One in the Fun
Family nights are a positive way to connect as a family and build bonds that tether children to their parents. Hosting a family game night with toddlers takes a bit of forethought and a lot of flexibility. What I’d love to highlight today, is that you can still host a fun and exciting family game...
Intentional Parenting With Purpose and Mindfulness
An intention is something you mean to do. With regard to intentional parenting, this definition alone is sort of muddy and convoluted. I could call myself an intentional parent and have great intentions that I rarely or never put into action. When it comes to intentional parenting in a way that makes a powerful and...
15 Powerful Ways to Connect with Your Child Everyday
Making a meaningful connection with your child is one of the most impactful steps you can take toward purposeful and powerful parenting. Thankfully, connecting with kids though not always easy, is simple. A healthy parent-child relationship is full of joy, communication, and closeness. My goal for this article is to provide you with 15 of...
Best Board Games for Toddlers to Promote Brain Development
**Please check all age requirements for each game before allowing your child to play. The best board games for toddlers listed. Some Games do have small pieces that could cause choking. Toddlers are a never-ending sprout of development. Their brains are growing, taking shape, and making them into who they’ll become with every second of...
24 Best Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day with Your Kids
Before having children, Valentine’s Day was about treats, surprises, maybe a bit of romance, and held a sense of anticipation. Nowadays, Valentine’s Days provides a fantastic opportunity for you to connect with and nurture the little hearts entrusted to you! The best ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day with your kids are by doing things together...
Top 5 Best Organic Baby Formulas to Help Your Make an Informed Decision
After exclusively breastfeeding three children, I was heartbroken when my body suddenly stop working and “dried-up” when my fourth child was 9-months-old! I knew finding the very best organic baby formula was a must! I spent hours researching and narrowed my selection down to a few. Choosing a baby formula is a daunting task. With...
Are the Benefits of Sleep Training Worth It?
Before I discovered the benefits of sleep training, I was mad, sad, and tired. Mad at myself for not being able to get my baby to sleep. Sad, because I wanted to be the world’s greatest mom, and tired of feeling like a failure because my baby wasn’t sleeping. Once you lay your baby down...
Discover the Three Main Child Temperament Types: Better Parenting Through Understanding
As my children have grown, it’s been so fun to watch each of them adapt, customize, and personalize their lives. As I observe their plain-to-see individuality, I witness the real-life application of some of the most insightful parenting research on child temperament types that I’ve ever read. This research is from a highly acclaimed parenting...
How to Know When to Stop Swaddling Baby
Learning to swaddle your baby was a right of passage. One of those oh-so-important new mom skills that you mastered like a baby swaddling ninja. You’re pretty darn proud of your baby swaddling expertise, and you should be! However, these days, keeping your baby securely wrapped up is more like trying to hog-tie a calf...
Understanding and Conquering The Witching Hour for Baby!
Looking back, I’m amazed that it wasn’t until well into the life of my second child before I heard about the horrors of the witching hour baby! During my first pregnancy, I was surround by moms. I worked in an office with round-about 25 women (give or take) and served with a small army of...
How To Be a Fun Mom The Super-Simple Way
It’s easy to get hung up on overcomplicating how to be a fun mom. Crafts aren’t your thing. Your body can’t handle jumping on a trampoline. Getting lost in a game of imagination doesn’t come easy. What’s left? How can you find ways to be a fun mom when it doesn’t come easy and you’re...
10 Outdoor Summer Activities for Toddlers To Promote Fun and Learning
It’s as easy to fall into the trap of hibernating in the cool air conditioning, during the summer months, as it is to hide from the cold in the winter. So while the sun is shining and the summer is here, let’s get outside with our little ones. These 10 outdoor summer activities for toddlers...
Introducing Your Child To God Using Apologetics For Kids
You know your name the same way you know the grass is green. The same way you know that a rainbow is pretty and that slugs are slimy. You know these things to be true because they have always been true. Since the very beginning, you’ve been taught those things as truth. Introducing your child...
How To Build A Strong Family Unit – 6 Ways To Strengthen Family Bonds
Accomplishing a strong family doesn’t happen by accident. How your family looks 10, 15, and 20 years down the road is the result of the work you’re putting in right now. You’re doing such a great job with your child. I want you to know how to build a strong family unit because all your...
Using Baby’s First Year Of Development To Raise A Good Baby
There’s so much to consider during your baby’s first year of development. Baby essentials, like feeding and sleeping, are the big ones. However, there’s also baby clothing, babywearing, baby bathing, colic, reflux, eczema… am I forgetting anything? Ya, honestly… there’s a whole lot more! But, when it comes to how to raise a good baby,...
What’s The Difference Between Having A Vision For Your Family Or A Mission Statement?
We set out to write a family mission statement many years ago, shortly after my oldest child was born. And here I sit today, without a family mission statement on my wall! And you know what? I don’t care. All the time I didn’t spend toiling over the perfect words to post on my wall...
Feeling Guilty About Having A Second Baby? What You’re Forgetting.
I remember literally balling my eyes out. Laying on my side, in my bed, curled around a body pillow, weeping. The kind of cry that makes it hard to breathe, swells your eyes nearly shut, puffs your face, and crushes your heart under the weight of your burden! I was weeks away from having my...
The Single Most Important Thing Every New Mom Needs To Know.
Your baby is precious. Seriously – amazing. Soft and flawless and perfect in every way. I know you are overwhelmed with emotion each and every time you look at that sweet face. There’s something you don’t understand just yet though, and I beg you to listen to me before it’s too late. I want to...
Is My Baby Colicky Or Just High Maintenance?
Are you sure your baby has colic? I ask because, if not, you could be doing a bunch of things to figure out how to get rid of colic, when there is something else wrong entirely, that you are missing. First, figure out how to tell if your baby has colic, then consider what to...
Surviving The First 4 Months of Motherhood in 3 Simple Steps.
After all the anticipation and months of waiting while you grew your perfect little baby, your precious one is finally here. And oh my goodness… what a beautiful baby! Surviving the first 4 months of motherhood with your joy and some sanity intact is essential! You want to enjoy these first precious moments. They’ll be...
What To Do When You Are Feeling Like A Terrible Mother
I know you want to hide. You feel awful about what happened… believe me, I get it! Here’s the thing though… while you’re in here hiding, feeling like a terrible mother, your child is out there, feeling like a terrible kid. She’s thinking, “I hate making mommy mad! I just wish she’d give me a...
What Does The Bible Say About Raising A Child?
There is no better source for good parenting and child training than the bible. There just isn’t. Answer this question: What does the bible say about raising a child? and you don’t have to wonder if you’re doing it right, because God’s word is true. But how are you supposed to find that answer buried...
It’s OK to Love Your Baby So Much
You love your baby so much, you feel it in your bones. You want to be with that baby every second of every day. Being that needed by another human is an intense emotion. So just in case you’re feeling a little guilty about giving your baby ALL of your love right now, I gotta...
15 Steps To Plan Your First Family Meeting With Small Children.
I am excited to be having this chat with you! The fact that you want to know about having your first family meeting with small children means you’re a dedicated mommy. That makes me just plumb happy. The best time to start holding family meetings is right now when your kiddos are still little. To...
15 Reasons For A Family Meeting Every Week While Your Kids Are Little
Having a family meeting every week while your kids are little, is the right time to start. Your children being so little is the very reason you should start right now. Your little ones think you hung the moon. They listen to your words as though you are the most amazing person ever. As they...
Top 10 Things To Know When Considering A Home Birth.
Home births are becoming more and more common and acceptable in modern society. Having had 2 hospital births as well as 2 home births, all of which went really well, I am certainly an advocate for a woman being aware of all her birthing options. Since you are considering having a home birth, and naturally...
10 Best Practices To Have A Great Hospital Birth!
Eeekk! Are you so excited? I remember reading up on hospital births, epidurals, natural delivery, birth plans, and all the other important delivery topics when I was expecting my first baby! Educating yourself is fun and so valuable. After having 2 hospital births and 2 home births go perfectly, I’ve compiled a list of my...
Breastfeeding Doesn’t Work For You, Now What?
If I could reach through the screen right now and hug, I would. Breastfeeding doesn’t work for you and you wanted it so badly! I’m sorry, I truly am. Not everyone will understand your heartbreak, but I do. My heart aches for you, but your baby needs you to move on and do what needs...
Successfully Breastfeed Your Baby With These 15 Breastfeeding Truths!
Yes, breastfeeding is amazing. It’s all the great things you’ve heard it is, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. I am so glad you are passionate about breastfeeding your baby. That is a good thing. You need that passion. I was adamant about nursing all four of my babies and I did just that! There...
3 Simple Ways to Know Baby is Getting Enough Milk
Congratulations on your new baby! That’s one adorable little doll! I wanted to take a minute and address a question I get a lot from new moms just like you. “Shelley, is my baby getting enough breast milk? How do I know? There’s no way to measure!” Being able to tell whether or not your...
How To Brush A Baby’s Teeth In 15 Simple Steps! Age 6-12 Months.
Today is important. We’re going to talk about how to brush a baby’s teeth. During my four years in Pediatric Dentistry, I regularly saw many babies as young as 18 months who needed extensive dental surgery. Surgery that required general sedation. I want to tell you how to prevent that because I don’t want your...
11 Ways To Make Your Baby Smarter Using The Outdoors!
I want to tell you how to use the outdoors as a free and effective way to make your baby smarter! Neurodevelopment is the brain’s development of neurological pathways, which essentially make your baby smarter. I’m going to give you several ways to be working on intentionally creating more of those pathways for your baby....
9 Ways To Love Your Baby Better!
That baby of yours is just so darn cute! I love how squishy and soft he is. Did you know he has a baby love language? Ya, it’s true. Do you know what his baby love language is? Let’s figure it out… shall we? The hugs and kisses you’ve been giving him are a great...
Make Christmas Magical For Your Child
Spend a lot of time in the car, listening to the radio during December, and you’ll hear Christmas music. “I want a hippopotamus…” “Tiny Tots with their…..” Wait! What?! TINY TOTS? Driving along and like a blow to the stomach with a simultaneous slap to the face, bringing tears to fill my eyes… I realize...
4 Ways to Praise Your Child – How to Know When to Praise
Being told you’ve done a good job feels great! Especially as a mom. Moms don’t get enough accolades. Have you ever noticed that? When was the last time someone came up to you and said, “Good job! You’re a great mom!” Never? If someone did, it was probably your husband’s or your own parents. Grown-ups...
Is Intentional Parenting Really Necessary?
Doctors go to school for years, (aren't we glad) lawyers must know all the laws, CPA's, teachers, scientists, all need a lot of training. They could not be successful without it. Babies, however show up after no formal training for the parent. One day you are not a parent, then a few months later, you are. We are left to
Top 5 Best Practical Parenting Books For Useful and Realistic Parenting Help
Intentional parenting and child training takes a lot of effort. Moms like you and I, moms who are determined to raise great kids, need parenting books that understand our parenting goals. Parenting books and resources that tell you, “when your child does this, you should do this.” Boring ole’ facts. Strait to the point help!...
Creation Museum Review. Is It Worth the Time and Money?
Creation Museum Review. Our time at the Creation Museum was such a blessing to our family, I want to share this Creation Museum Review to help you decide if a trip there should be a priority for your family. Dismissing a trip to the Creation Museum likely happens for a few reasons. It is expensive....
4 Great New Mom Gifts, That You Didn’t Get At Your Baby Shower!
Did you know September is the most popular month to become a new mom? It’s true. Funny… but true. People make babies during the holidays! I also became a new mom for the 1st time in September! When I was pregnant with my first I had 3 baby showers! Can you believe that? I cried...
