Yikes! My kid lies! Does that mean I’m a bad parent? Well…if that makes you a bad parent, then I’m a bad parent, she’s a bad parent, he’s a bad parent–we’re all bad parents if measured by our kids lying. In fact, if kids are being dishonest, it’s a sign that they are growing in …
Attunement vs tuned out
In this age of instant and available communication with most anybody we know available with a few taps, the world isn’t an oyster, it’s a cell phone. Think for a moment. What do you do when: you are caught behind someone in a grocery line who needs a price check that is taking, like, …
Grateful for Gratitude
Refreshed and presented again from our archives…some ideas are just worth repeating! If you knew of a strategy that could make your teen 15% more satisfied with their lives, 15% greater sense of meaning in their lives, 17% more happy and hopeful, and have 13% drop in negative emotions as well as 15% drop in …
Beliebers reflect all of us
So…I’m directionally challenged. The GPS is my best friend in a new city, and even with it, I don’t always get to my destination the first time. I’m not proud of that, but it is what it is, and so I’ve learned to be patient with myself, and allow for extra time. This summer, I …
Increasing our capacity for watching our kids struggle
There are lots of tough jobs out there; I think of the folks who put gas in my van when it’s -45 Celsius (my frozen fingers thank you!), or those who work late and long shifts in hospitals, factories, or riding around in cop cars keeping people safe. I’d also like to think parenting makes the …
FAQ’s about yelling at your adolescent
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh published a study this fall that looked at the relationship between teens being yelled at and their behaviour. The results were inconvenient, to say the least, to parents who use yelling as a form of steering their teenager into appropriate behaviour. To put it quite simply, the study found …
Creative parenting impacts powerfully
I’ve developed a fondness for discovering creative ways to implement non-violent resistance…non violent resistance being understood as strategies to resist things that aren’t right, but doing so in ways that don’t accuse or shame or manipulate or humiliate or harm another. Non violent resistance can be dangerous and requires courage. I saw the movie, Lee …
Carved different now
Twenty years ago yesterday, I went to sleep in my hospital bed with the comforting memory of the strong heartbeats heard earlier in the evening ringing in my ears. Twenty years ago today, I woke up to nurses not being able to find the heartbeats. Twenty years ago today is the day of birth of …
Supporting Your Team
I was at the inaugural event at the new Investor’s Group Stadium this afternoon of One Heart. Mark Hughes exhorted the assembled crowd to remember that all the churches in this city of Winnipeg are on one team, the same team…and that when the churches of Winnipeg support and work together, things become possible in …
A person is more than their behaviour
I spent some time with Deanna Carpentier the other day and we were talking about her work with adolescents. One of her special interests in working with teens…and we’ve seen a lot of teens flock through our doors to see her. Deanna doesn’t try to be a teen…and just “being herself” works. She connects with …