10 Reformation Day Activities for Christian Families

Written by Krista Smith.

As a kid, I always looked forward to Halloween. The candy. The costumes. My last time trick-or-treating was when I was 16. (Insert the blush of red cheeks here.)  I don’t know why the six of us way-too-old-and-tall to be out trick-or-treating went that night, but we did. Not surprising, there were several people who turned us away with a shameful glance and a reproachful, “Aren't you guys too old for this?” I blame Liz. She was 6’2” and wearing a giant ape costume with a purple bra strapped to it.

Homeschool Moms, Beware the YA Book Shelves {with a few exceptions}

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I picked up Tweet Cute from the library several weeks ago because I had seen it on so many Best Of lists this past year, including many from Christian book reviewers. It's a 21st-century literary reinvention of the popular 90s Rom-Com You've Got Mail. One such reviewer even used the word "chaste" to describe it on a list of must-read romantic comedies. (Although now, in hindsight, most of the other books she included on her list were definitely of the "open-door" variety--the kind that gives you a front-row seat into someone else's bedroom. So a book that doesn't have any explicit sex scenes would perhaps be "chaste" comparatively.)

The Power of Life-Giving Words in Your Homeschool

Written by Talvi McCuskey.

It has been said that in every man there is a king and a fool. A wise person will appeal to the king in someone, and not the fool. This idea can probably be applied to every man, woman, and child, as we are all born sinners, with the ability to respond from a higher or lower nature. But I think it's especially applicable to kids and how we as moms speak to them.

100 Manners to Teach Your Kids Before They Turn 18

A few weeks ago while waiting to pick up my older kids from a youth group activity at church, I witnessed something that prompted me to compile a list of manners that I hope to pass on to each of my kids by the time they turn 18.

Hoards of teens were leaving our church auditorium at the close of an event. The evening had ended with a buffet style snack bar that included all the usual suspects: donuts, cookies, chips, brownies, and an Everest amount of red dye 40. The teens were encouraged to grab a plate and dish-up on their way out the door. Not surprising, they were all carrying out plates of snacks piled high.

Cultivating Character in the Homeschool Day

Written by Krista Smith.

A while back, I shared the Ticket Journey to Obedience, the system I learned from a very Godly woman and incredible mother whose three children are all following Jesus passionately as adults.

And while I thought the Ticket system worked wonders for us in the discipline department, and while it took a lot of the power struggles and tantrums right out of our school day, I noticed that there was still something missing in the life-blood of our family: edification.

The Ticket Journey to Obedience

Written by Krista Smith.

If there's one thing I pray for on repeat, it's, “Help me, Good Lord, to raise children who’ll follow you with abandon…without losing my mind…or getting too many more grey hairs…Amen.”

There are days when it seems like I can’t go 15 minutes without a rebuke or a correction. (You know the days.) I'd rather figure out what is going on in the hearts of my kids than just "get by" or make it to the end of the day. I'd like to lead my children in the way they should go--to find a salve to their souls and to mine.

Homeschool Mom, Make the Effort. Have the Fun.

Written by Jessica.

It’s back to school time, and that means looking at the year ahead and planning all of the teaching and learning that will take place. It means choosing the books and curriculum and topics and projects and activities that we’ll take part in. It’s a time for thinking about new beginnings, goals, and starting the year off right.

As I’ve been thinking about the school year ahead, I’ve been considering how much and how well I incorporate the “special” and the “fun” into our days. Sometimes I do jazz hands really well, and other times, not so much. I don't think I'm alone in this.

As home educators, we are usually good at checking off the big stuff: the teaching of academics, instilling character and faith development, imparting practical life skills, and the like. But home education isn’t about creating a better version of “school” at home. It’s a philosophy and a way of life, and it makes room for so much more. I want to make the most of the unique time and opportunities that homeschooling gives my family.

Raising Financially Smart Kids and How Homeschooling Can Help

Written by Chelsea Gonzales.

Nobody wants to see their child struggle financially. Unfortunately, our society doesn’t really set anyone up for success in the financial department.

From the very beginning, American kids are trained to want more -- to never be satisfied. Before they can even talk, they are surrounded by advertisements telling them what would make their lives better. A child need only to look around at all the excess to begin to grow feelings of envy.

Public, Private, and Home Schools...There's Room for Them All

Written by Jessica.

Most parents begin weighing parenting choices even before their first child is born. There are so many decisions to be made: natural childbirth versus medicated…breast or bottle…cloth diapers or disposable…co-sleeping, rooming in, or the crib…to stay at home or to go back to work…what style of parenting…when to introduce solid foods…when to vaccinate…when to wean. Intentional and thoughtful parents study all of their options, do research, consult trusted family and friends, consider their own faith, values, and unique circumstances, balance all of these many factors, and try to make the best and most informed decisions that they can.

Parenting Like It's 1985...sort of

Written by Krista Smith.

I grew up in the ‘80s and like most kids of that generation, my neighborhood was my oyster and I spent many a summer day away from home from dawn until dusk, playing with friends, riding my bike or getting a Slurpee at the local 7-11. I knew to be wise about strangers and I was careful about traffic.

Raising a Knight in a Decaying Culture

Four weeks ago, my son along with all the other boys in his boys' club at church, was presented with a wooden sword. It had his name and the words of I Timothy 4:12 painted on the blade.

It was given to him as a symbol. It's a call for him to be a modern-day knight -- to show mercy, humility, honor, fear of God, faithfulness, courage, sacrifice, and respect -- all the qualities of the knights of old. It's to remind him of Proverbs 27:17 -- that iron sharpens iron and that by surrounding himself with other Godly young men, he will be drawn towards Godliness. And it's to be a picture of the very Word of God, the sword of the Spirit.

Body Changes, Sex Ed, and Purity: Top Resources for Christian Parents

Body changes and the-birds-and-the-bees...

Two potentially awkward speed bumps in the journey of parenting, or so I'm told. 

The Hubs and I came from two completely different backgrounds for handling the delicate topics of hormones, body changes, sexuality, and purity. So, when faced with parenting in a hyper-sexualized society, we knew we had to find some common ground and face the task together. We determined early on that we wanted to be proactive in this area of parenting rather than reactive. We wanted to be the first ones to introduce our children to certain topics in order that our kids could learn the true worth and value of sexuality according to Scripture instead of the world's fractured view of it. 

Pieces of the Promise: a family Easter tradition

I'll have to admit, it's so easy to do Christmas well. With its bright lights, holiday parties, and Advent traditions, Christmas is a month-long celebration. But the truth is, the Savior's birth is only one half of the story. Our hope would not be complete without Easter...without the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. I don't want to amplify one part of Redemption's story and not the other. So, for the past five-or-so years, I've been on a quest to do Easter well... to make it as tradition-filled as Christmas.

The Very Best Bibles for Kids

I walked into the Christian bookstore looking for a Bible for my son and was instantly handed the latest "IT" kids' Bible.

"It's our most popular. A real best-seller!" the sales clerk proclaimed as she pointed to an entire display shelf heavy-laden with copies of it.

But, as I peered down at the one she held, I knew this was not the Bible for my son. I had listened to a similar spiel and had unfortunately bought one of these same versions for my daughter six or so years ago. And while it was a good Bible because it was, after all, God's Word, (What could be wrong with that?!) I knew that this particular version was not what I was looking for. It was too...too...what's the word?

Bedazzled.

Curbing Entitlement During a Season of Excess

The "entitlement epidemic" isn't just another trite expression flung around on morning talk shows. It's not just sarcastic Baby Boomer banter. It is the sad reality of our current culture. From lack of responsibility, to lack of empathy, to overabundance of stuff, 21st-century kids are proving to be s.p.o.i.l.e.d. like no other generation of American kids before them. 

MUST HAVE Bible Study Resources for HOMESCHOOLED Tween & Teen Girls

"Mom, I like it fine. But, it's just kind of...well...fluffy," she said one day when we were discussing her personal devotions. And it was true. The devotional book my daughter was currently working through lacked depth. Finding meaty resources for her had been difficult, to say the least. 

So many of the devotional books that line the shelves of the local Christian bookstore are, as she said, full of fluff. On top of that, most are written for girls facing the public school struggles of catty girlfriends, negative peer pressure, and boy trouble...none of which apply to her. 

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While popular tween/teen devotional books such the One Year Book of Devotionals for Girls and the One Year Be-tween You and God are certainly much-needed resources for the average tween/teen girl. They don't necessarily make for the best Bible studies for my daughter or other homeschooled girls.

FREE Filtering Resources for Screen Safety

With the launch of Kiddle, a "kid-friendly" visual search engine, earlier in March, talks of safe screen resources and apps have lit up my Facebook feed. Opinions of this site and others like KidRex are mixed. Some say they are filled with political ads and that their filtering options are not stringent enough. Others find them to be a great online search alternative for little eyes.

Establishing a God-worth With a Book of Twelve

For most girls, twelve is a year of great physical change, of a widening world, of the awkwardness that comes in the in-between. 

The years that follow twelve are often marked by insecurity and self-doubt. Many feel pulled by the pressure to "fit in" and also the call to stand out. 

Twelve is a fork in the road. When faced with the path less traveled or the path of least resistance, so many girls just can't decide. The world would call this uncertainty a lack of self-worth. But, I see it differently. 

Core Values: Giving Your Family Meaning and Motive

21st-century living is messy.
It's busy.
And with the never-ending barrage of media, it's also very noisy.

The world shouts more. More. MORE! and attempts to pull a family in a million different directions.

The constant stream of pressure poured out on social media has us, all, convinced that we're not doing enough, we're not buying enough, we're not fill-in-the-blank enough.

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And so, we put our kids into multiple extracurricular activities to keep up with the Harvard-bound kids up the street.

And we bake homemade bread with wheat that we've grown and ground ourselves in hopes of getting the approval of all the have-it-all-together mommas.

And we invest in a pricey new boat that we can't afford because we've convinced ourselves that we deserve it.

And we clamor for more. More. MORE.

The 21st century, with its fish-bowl Facebook living, has put an entirely new spin on "keeping up with the Joneses."

The world seeks our attention. But, while we continue to add more to our plates, we divide our time, energy, resources, and talent. We end up with lives defined by average because we haven't carved out room for the things that really matter.

Why My Kids DON'T Read Many Award Winners

This past Monday, the 2015 ALSC Book and Media winners were announced...among them, the Newbery and Caldecott honorees. As always, the list created quite a stir in children's lit circles.

Sadly, many parents and teachers rushed out to be the first to stock their shelves with these titles deemed medal-worthy by the "experts." With little to no regard for who these "experts" actually are and the criteria they use for judging children's literature, well-meaning folks plunked down their dollars in hopes of buying "quality" for their budding readers.