The young man grew up in a home where his dad was physically present but alcoholism and a violent temper kept the dad distant. It was an emotionally and physically abusive home situation. There was no relationship with the dad, no encouragement and no affirmation for the boy. It was a steady stream of criticism, derision and discouragement.
Easy to say! In a time when you can pick your crisis of the day domestically or on the world stage, is it really a great day? Then, using the news source of choice along with the associated links for more background, one can get overwhelmed with information available in short order. Conversation among friends and co-workers can become heated with everyone having their own feelings about the crisis.
And it is a tough day when your 14year-old asks ...read on
I have a confession to make – I am not a native Texan. But as the bumper sticker reads, “I got here as quick as I could.” I was actually born and grew up in Missouri, the “Show Me State”. There are a lot of stories on the unofficial slogan for my home state. They all suggest that Missourians are seen as “somewhat stubborn and have a dedication to common sense.” In Missouri, actions definitely speak louder than words.
With a new ball and glove, the boy said, “Show me how to throw Dad!” ...read on
Their daughter came home from school crying, “All my friends hate me!” as she ran to her room and slammed the door. One of the biggest challenges a dad and mom face in the transition from the ‘Teacher’ season, the first ten years of a child’s life, to the ‘Coach’ season, the second ten years, is providing a healthy perspective on relationships.
Mom understood the low their daughter was experiencing – girls she thought of as friends had ...read on
The preacher asked, “Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to hold until death do you part?” The young man said, “I do!” with all the commitment that vow required of him. A commitment he would regularly hold himself accountable to as the years passed.
Children that grow up in a home where such a commitment of love is lived out every day assume ...read on
Unbeknownst to Mom, when the young boy got home from school, he grabbed her phone and ran up to his room. When she realized the boy was not there for his after-school snack, she went to his room and found the door closed. When she opened the door, the boy threw the phone on the bed and said, “I have been bad.” Mom picked up the phone and saw pornographic images.
In the transition from the ‘Teacher’ season to the ‘Coach’ season of ...read on
The kids’ eyes got real big when grandpa told them that his parents had a drug problem when he was young. Then with a half-smile he said, “Yeah, they drug all us kids to church every Sunday morning. Then they drug us back there for evening worship and drug us to Wednesday services too!” All had a good laugh but grandpa said it was that routine that kept him grounded when he went off to serve in the military as a young man.
In the ‘Teacher’ season of fathering, the first ten years of parenting, kids are ...read on
Dads are to pray for and with the kids, and teach them to pray. One dad spoke of how his prayer life increased dramatically when he learned his bride was pregnant with their first child. One evening, as he listened for a heartbeat, he saw a foot contort the expectant mommy’s tummy. The miracle in process overwhelmed him. Prayers for health and well-being of mom and baby took on a new fervor and he began to include prayers for himself to become the husband and father his new family would need!
Dads are to play with the kids and teach them to play. One picture depicts a dad tossing his young son up in the air a few feet and catching him. The boy is thrilled but the mother is nervous. The picture shows her perspective as if the boy is being tossed fifteen feet up in the air. Then there is the perspective of the boy – he feels like he is being thrown ten feet up in the air and has complete trust in dad to catch him.
Dads nurture through play. A UCLA study years ago documented how kids and adults need eight to ten touches a day for ...read on
"A majority of American fourth- and eighth-graders cannot read or do math at grade level, according to the Education Department. And that assessment is from 2019, before the learning losses from pandemic school closures" (Jason L. Riley, WSJ 7/14/21). It seems elementary education has lost its focus and effectiveness in teaching children the basics. One of the blessings of the school closures has been the wakeup call it gave parents to the consequences of abdicating education to the schools.
One of the most important thresholds to cross in the elementary school years is ...read on
The young man grew up in a home where his dad was physically present but alcoholism and a violent temper kept the dad distant. It was an emotionally and physically abusive home situation. There was no relationship with the dad, no encouragement and no affirmation for the boy. It was a steady stream of criticism, derision and discouragement.
Easy to say! In a time when you can pick your crisis of the day domestically or on the world stage, is it really a great day? Then, using the news source of choice along with the associated links for more background, one can get overwhelmed with information available in short order. Conversation among friends and co-workers can become heated with everyone having their own feelings about the crisis.
I have a confession to make – I am not a native Texan. But as the bumper sticker reads, “I got here as quick as I could.” I was actually born and grew up in Missouri, the “Show Me State”. There are a lot of stories on the unofficial slogan for my home state. They all suggest that Missourians are seen as “somewhat stubborn and have a dedication to common sense.” In Missouri, actions definitely speak louder than words.
Their daughter came home from school crying, “All my friends hate me!” as she ran to her room and slammed the door. One of the biggest challenges a dad and mom face in the transition from the ‘Teacher’ season, the first ten years of a child’s life, to the ‘Coach’ season, the second ten years, is providing a healthy perspective on relationships.
The preacher asked, “Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to hold until death do you part?” The young man said, “I do!” with all the commitment that vow required of him. A commitment he would regularly hold himself accountable to as the years passed.
Unbeknownst to Mom, when the young boy got home from school, he grabbed her phone and ran up to his room. When she realized the boy was not there for his after-school snack, she went to his room and found the door closed. When she opened the door, the boy threw the phone on the bed and said, “I have been bad.” Mom picked up the phone and saw pornographic images.
The kids’ eyes got real big when grandpa told them that his parents had a drug problem when he was young. Then with a half-smile he said, “Yeah, they drug all us kids to church every Sunday morning. Then they drug us back there for evening worship and drug us to Wednesday services too!” All had a good laugh but grandpa said it was that routine that kept him grounded when he went off to serve in the military as a young man.
Dads are to pray for and with the kids, and teach them to pray. One dad spoke of how his prayer life increased dramatically when he learned his bride was pregnant with their first child. One evening, as he listened for a heartbeat, he saw a foot contort the expectant mommy’s tummy. The miracle in process overwhelmed him. Prayers for health and well-being of mom and baby took on a new fervor and he began to include prayers for himself to become the husband and father his new family would need!
Dads are to play with the kids and teach them to play. One picture depicts a dad tossing his young son up in the air a few feet and catching him. The boy is thrilled but the mother is nervous. The picture shows her perspective as if the boy is being tossed fifteen feet up in the air. Then there is the perspective of the boy – he feels like he is being thrown ten feet up in the air and has complete trust in dad to catch him.
"A majority of American fourth- and eighth-graders cannot read or do math at grade level, according to the Education Department. And that assessment is from 2019, before the learning losses from pandemic school closures" (Jason L. Riley, WSJ 7/14/21). It seems elementary education has lost its focus and effectiveness in teaching children the basics. One of the blessings of the school closures has been the wakeup call it gave parents to the consequences of abdicating education to the schools.
