: Life is hard. God is good. We need each other.
Are you worried that you’ll do everything you can raising your kids in the faith and yet when they’re an adult they’ll walk away from it?
There’s no more important mission field we face than raising our children to adore God. You could be a hero of the faith, but that’s meaningless if you neglect to parent well. No pressure, right.
Summer is often the time when families hit the road. Whether it’s a vacation, visiting family, or heading off to camps and conferences… we are on the move.
The first really long road trip we made as a family was from Minnesota to Louisiana for a wedding when the boys were just about 2 and 3 years old. This was before ipads and other devices so we did what we could: We wedged a tiny TV between the front two seats and made a 6 hour video tape of Dora the Explorer and Bob the Builder episodes to entertain the troops.
Before you say, “What were you thinking…6 hours of Dora?!” We weren’t totally crazy, we also brought The Wiggles videos.
Oh, wait. Nevermind.
As kids get older, though, there is so much that you can do to make family trips more enjoyable, more memory-filled, and more intentionally filled with learning.
There’s no one definition of a picky eater, but I think we can safely agree that plain wins the day. These simple recipes tend to go over well and can be customized.
Do you have picky eaters?
If so then you, like me, are skeptical of lists that claim to be “kid friendly”. It’s especially offensive to click a link promising “10 recipes your picky eaters will devour” only to find it full of recipes with ingredients many adults I know wouldn’t even eat.
Chickpeas, really?
Do you prioritize girl time, or are you lucky to squeeze some in on rare occasions? Maybe you’re like me and you try be good at scheduling time, but most often end up falling into the latter category.
One thing I try to do sorta semi-regularly is schedule girls movie nights with some of the younger ladies I know. Maybe I see it as my job to introduce them to films they might not check out on their own. Maybe it makes me feel younger. Mostly, I like the chance to watch some of my favorites again.
And it only breaks my heart a little when they don’t love a movie as much as I do. (Gone With the Wind, I’ll always love you).
The ties between Planned Parenthood and the eugenics movement are undeniable. This documentary shines a light on the targeting of black families and babies within the abortion industry.
The men at our church have a monthly men’s breakfast and my husband is in charge of finding videos to watch and discuss with the group. Often, I get to preview them with him, and sometimes come across a gem like this that I end up using myself to teach with.
It’s called Black Genocide in 21st Century America. And this video was so thought-provoking and moving that I used it to teach a women’s class, showed it at the Family Camp we attend and it was the basis of the class I taught at the teen youth camp this summer.
It’s that good.
Family games for Christmas are a great idea! Links to lots of games your older kids and teens will love. Start a new tradition this Christmas!
Do you have a family gift tradition? Some families open new pajamas on Christmas eve. Some give a family movie or have a tradition of hot chocolate in new mugs.
We are a game playing family, and so we like to wrap up a new family game to open on Christmas. It started when the boys were quite young. Hungry Hungry Hippos was the first game made a family gift. Over the years our games have grown up with the boys.
If you’re looking for some unique ideas for a game for your family, I’ve compiled a round up here to give you some ideas. While many of these would be great for upper elementary aged kids and older, we got them because they’re games that both teens and adults enjoy playing.