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Learning the Alphabet Part I

I am of the opinion, especially after teaching for five years, that learning should occur in the context of everyday living spurred by curiosity and creativity.  Learning should be fun and easy and never forced … if it can be helped. From the moment I found out the I was pregnant with my first baby, I was thinking about how and when I would start to introduce guided learning.   The most important and paramount concern that I had was finding a way to make learning fun and avoid the sense of dread and boredom that tends to come with formal … Continue reading →

Living with Engineers: It’s All in the Timing

Another engineer’s wife and I were having a discussion about household chores yesterday.  We were bemoaning the fact that if we want our husbands to do something for us, we either need to tell them right away, or it won’t happen at all. The engineer’s mind is a constant one-way track of processing information.  It’s what makes them so brilliant and efficient: they zero in on a task, giving it their complete focus until it’s done.  I’m almost always thinking about other things while I’m working on something, which is why it can take me longer to achieve something with … Continue reading →

Mistake #1 Parents Make With Teenagers: Expecting the Worst

I am like any other parent…clearly imperfect.  I have made a lot of mistakes and am pretty sure there is more to come.  But I am also a mom who believes in learning from those mistakes, which is what brings me to this five part series on mistakes we parents make with teenagers. The first one we are going to look at is the mistake of expecting the worst out of your teen.  Sometimes this starts long before they’ve even reached this stage, so it might help parents whose children aren’t quite there yet. When my children were in elementary … Continue reading →

Give Yourself the Gift of Love This Valentine’s Day

Most of us associate Valentine’s Day with the receiving or giving of gifts to others.  How about making this year one about giving the greatest gift of all?  I’m talking about a gift that begins with you…loving yourself enough to make some important lifestyle changes. Now that the New Year isn’t feeling so new anymore, many of us start to lose grip on the goals and resolutions we set.  The energy and enthusiasm we felt in the beginning of the year to exercise more and eat less has started to wane. In fact, some people might even be suffering from … Continue reading →

3 Tips for Parents When It Comes to Chores

As I near the end of January’s focus on cleaning, I want to address chores.  It’s important that housework isn’t put on the shoulders of just one person. My thinking is if you live in this house and help make it dirty, then you need to help keep it clean.  This should start at an early age. Before I get into the whole concept of chores and charts, there are some tips I would like to offer parents.  The first is, don’t look at chores as something for older kids. The younger you start a habit with a child, the … Continue reading →

Serving Others Despite A Busy Life

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I have been thinking a lot lately about serving others. At this stage in my life, it feels impossible to reach outside the needs of my own little family that demands so much, to others that might be in need. However, I believe that the Lord expects so much more of each of us. In the book, Daughters in My Kingdom, there is a quote by George Albert Smith that states, “Our eternal happiness will be in proportion to the way that we devote ourselves to helping others.” When you really think about that statement, it is hard not to … Continue reading →

When Technology Becomes Unhealthy

Living in this world of technology, one thing I have noticed is a change in relationships.  Face-to-face interactions happen less often.  It’s easier to shoot out an email or text.  It may feel safer to have a discussion through instant messaging. Instead of talking about our feelings, we are voicing them on Facebook or Twitter.  And rather than enjoying quality time together with our friends, we sit a few feet from each other, tapping away on our devices. This can be not only unhealthy but dangerous.  I’ve seen one of my daughter’s friends fall for a guy she met online.  … Continue reading →

Scriptures that Strengthen Me as a Mother

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Being a mother is one of the biggest responsibilities in this life. It is not an easy one. It is stressful, and complicated, and tests your patience like nothing I’ve ever experienced. It is wonderful too, but sometimes, I think we as moms need to be reassured, strengthened, and shown love. Unfortunately, we don’t always get that from the little people we take care of. But, there is one person that is there for us, and that is our Heavenly Father. Today I was thinking about some of the scriptures that bring me strength as a mother. And, I immediately … Continue reading →

The Thank-You Threat

First, it was the Santa threat, and now on this 12th day of Christmas, the Feast of the Epiphany, it’s time for the thank-you threat. We have a firm rule in our home regarding Christmas thank-you cards.  The notes of appreciation need to be written by the Epiphany.  This gives the child recipients more than a week to express their gratitude in words to friends and family members who generously showered them with holiday gifts. My mom was a stickler for thank-you notes, Christmas, birthday and otherwise.  In fact, my brothers and I were not allowed to open Christmas gifts … Continue reading →

Will 2013 be the Year That You Start a Home Based Business?

If you feel strongly that 2013 will be the year that you start a home – based business, good for you. You are in good company here on the home – based business blog, where we wholeheartedly encourage anyone and everyone to consider whether working from home will work for them. If you have all of the drive and desire to start your business but you are not sure what type of business to start, here are a few suggestions. Even if one of them does not appeal to you, this list may be enough to get you thinking about … Continue reading →