Apologizing is hard. Teaching your kids to apologize is even harder! But you might be making the task more difficult than it has to be by the way you explain it to your kids. If your kids struggle to apologize and to be sincere in their apologies, I'd like to recommend that you teach them to apologize backwards!

One of the hardest parts about having young children is the challenge of finding babysitters and the cost involved in hiring them. But what if your older children could handle the babysitting? Today, we're diving into just that topic - how do you know if or when your kids are ready to babysit younger siblings, and what needs to happen to make that a workable setup? We'll talk theory and practical tips, too!

I often hear from parents who ask for help on teaching their kids about respect. But when I sat down to write a podcast epidose on that topic, I had a bit of a light-bulb moment, and my planning took a little bit of an unexpected turn!

Listen in as I share something that I think will have a major impact on the way you teach your kids about respect, and how you can model it in your home, too!

Modesty is a "hot topic" (no pun intended) in Christian circles. You'll hear lots of talk about fabric and hemlines and necklines, temptation and stumbling blocks and female virtures.

But have we gotten off track in the way we talk to our kids (especially our girls) about modesty? What have we lost in the conversation that needs to be revisited, and what are some of the potential pitfalls of the current discussion?

In this episode, we're revisiting something I touched on briefly in Episode 15 to add more clarity and context. I'd love to know what you think!

In the last episode of the podcast we took some time to define Common Grace. In this episode, we're diving a little deeper into how a misunderstanding of common grace can lead to problems, and a proper understanding of common grace can lead to ... freedom!

Common Grace may sound like an intangible theological term. But understanding this idea is essential to careful and wise parenting. This week, we're taking a look at what common grace is and the examples we see of it in Scripture.

Once you become a parent, you can pretty much count on changing diapers, losing sleep ... and fielding lots and lots of parenting advice from other directions! Parenting books and blogs are just the beginning. We might also get advice from friends, relatives, or well-meaning strangers! What does it look like to be teachable and open to correction while also having the confidence to make decisions for yourself and your own unique family? Here are five things to keep in mind.

Nobody likes to be wrong or to hear correction and criticism from someone else (maybe especially not from a sibling!). But there's one thing siblings can do that almost guarantees the other person won't be able to listen well. We're talking about that today!

Are you tired of running around after your kids and reminding them to do every last think they are supposed to be managing? In the last episode, we talked about behavior modification - rewards and consequences. While those tools have their place, they can't bring about lasting heart change. Today, I'll share five tips for building internal motivation that will benefit your children for their whole lives!

How do you know if you're practicing gospel-centered, heart-focused parenting ... or if you've slipped into over-relying on behavior modification? We'll talk about some of the red flags that will help you to see where you've been off track. And then we'll discuss a basic framework for re-focusing on a heart-centered approach!