Category: parenting

Want to find a good friend? Be a good friend!


~ by Tricia Goyer ~

5 Traits of a Good Friend (and How to Help Kids Develop Them) from Faith Gateway

If we want our kids to seek out positive qualities in friends, they also need to possess them. So, what character qualities are important to seek out and help grow in our kids?

Here are five traits of a good friend:

1. Truthfulness

It’s important for our kids to know that they can trust what their friends say is true. Nothing hurts as much as knowing you’ve been lied to. We can teach our children to look for friends who always tell the truth. We can also teach our kids to be truth-tellers, and that lying is a sin. One way to do this is to remind them that being truthful or untruthful reflects their character. “If you tell a lie about the small things how can I — or a friend — believe you in the big things?” Also, let’s be sure to praise our kids when we catch them telling the truth. Remember that what is praised is repeated.

2. Kindness

All of us like to be treated with kindness. Kindness means treating people with respect and putting another person’s needs before your own. Kind friends make everything easier — from play to simple conversations. We can teach our kids to be kind to others throughout the day, from siblings to the elder they may meet at the grocery store. Let’s point out to our children how much others appreciate when we are kind. To encourage positive behavior, praise how our child brings smiles to others’ faces.

3. Understanding differences

No two people are alike, and friends need to know that different doesn’t mean bad. Friendship is not about picking friends who are the same as us, but learning to understand and appreciate the differences of others. We must find ways to help our children share our family and cultural backgrounds and traditions with their friends, and invite their friends to do the same. The more our children learn to appreciate other people, the better prepared they will be to build all types of friendships throughout their lives.

4. Joy

No one likes to be around grumpy people, yet it’s hard to have a good attitude all the time. There will be times when our children’s friends may not have a good attitude. There are times all of us struggle with anger, frustration or disappointment, but in general we should look for friends who — for the most part — have an attitude that is filled with joy. We also need to model a joyful attitude for our kids. They model what they see. Finally, we can encourage good attitudes by telling our children how much we appreciate joyful attitudes. Reward like high-fives or hugs when we see them brightening up another person’s day with joy are a fun bonus!

5. Sharing

It’s important to share what we have with each other. Our children can be taught to thank their friends when their friends share with them. Also, they can learn to look for opportunities to share with others. Children should not be expected to share every special toy or book they have. Instead, we parents can work with them to pick out toys or books that they’ll be eager to share.

Overall, the friends our children choose will impact them for the rest of their lives. And by seeking out these five traits — and developing them — our child’s friendships will be off to a good start!
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Back to school tips for you and your kids!

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Image via: stocksy.com

Whether we want to admit it or not, it is back to school season! Schools are starting back up all across Knox County!

Mount Vernon:

  • Thursday 8/16 (for elementary students, freshman and new students at the high school)
  • Friday 8/17 (for Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors)

 Centerburg – Thursday 8/16

 Danville – Thursday 8/16

 Fredericktown – Thursday 8/16

 East Knox – Monday 8/20

Here at WNZR, we want to help you and your kids get ready for back to school! Care.com has 101 tips for you and your kids! Here are some for you:

  1. Set your kids’ sleep schedules back to “School Time” two weeks before the first day.
  2. Get your kids involved in programs that they can do after school to keep them active.
  3. Visit cultural attractions like museums to shift their brains into “Scholar” mode.
  4. Hire an after-school sitter to help care for your kids while you’re at work.
  5. Encourage your kids to read at least one book before the school year begins (or during the school year).

See the entire list here!

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Keeping you and your kids productive this summer!

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Today on The Morning Thing, guest co-host Abigail Brown and I talked about World Productivity Day. We talked about some ways to up your productivity this summer. Click HERE for more on World Productivity Day and HERE for productivity tips. We also talked about how to help your kids avoid “brain drain” or “summer slide” and help them retain more of what they learned during the school year. Click HERE to read more. For the Morning Thing Game of the day, we played Name that Artist. Tracy from Howard correctly answered Matthew West and wins a five dollar gift certificate to the South Side Diner. As always, thanks for listening!

-Daria

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Father’s Day Week Continues with Dad Jokes and How to be an All Pro Dad!

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Father’s Day Week continues on The Morning Thing. Today, we shared the best dad jokes of the year. Plus an article, 10 Classic Ways to be an All Pro Dad. With Father’s Day just around the corner, take a few minutes to tell your dad how much you love and value him! Plus, don’t forget to register your dad for our Take Dad to Dinner promotion before midnight tonight! Click HERE to register him today!

To arm yourself with the best Dad Jokes this Father’s Day, click HERE!

For the full article on how to be an All Pro Dad from All Pro Dad, click HERE!

1. Love Your Wife

True love is not a feeling. It is a decision. It’s an act of the will to be patient, kind, humble, hopeful, giving, faithful and trusting. The number one source of security for kids is to know that their dad loves their mother and is steadfastly committed to her well-being.

2. Spend Time With Your Kids

How you spend your time is a reflection of what’s important to you. If you value your kids, you’ll want to be with them. Grab every moment you can get with your children.

3. Be a Role Model

It’s impossible to underestimate the importance of a father modeling the type of behavior he desires to see in his children. Role models don’t just talk the talk; they walk the walk of an honorable man.

4. Understand and Enjoy Your Children

Like you, every child has unique DNA, unique fingerprints, and a unique personality. In order to be the best father you can be, you’ll need to understand your children as individuals. Don’t get tempted to wish for the next stage of their development. Have fun with them now, and make memories that last a lifetime.

5. Show Affection

Children long for a secure place in this fast-paced world. They find it most often in the warm embrace of a parent. But showing affection doesn’t stop there. Make sure to say, “I love you” everyday.

6. Secure Your Family’s Financial Future

Financial stress is one of the leading factors that tears families apart. In order to put your family in a position of strength, you have to shore up your finances.

7. Eat Together As a Family

Most children today don’t know the meaning of a family dinnertime. Yet the communication and unity built during this time is integral to a healthy family life. Sharing a meal together—breakfast, lunch or dinner—provides structure to an often hectic schedule.

8. Discipline with a Gentle Spirit

Discipline’s role is not to intimidate or tear down, but to mold and to correct. Correcting your kids should be done in private, and you and your wife should be unified in how you discipline. Strive to be consistent.

9. Pray and Worship Together

Families that have a healthy prayer life and take worshipping God seriously help their children to understand that there is an ultimate authority in their lives—an authority who provides moral absolutes for them to live by.

10. Realize You’re a Father Forever

As he allows his children their freedom to direct their own lives, a good father realizes that he doesn’t abandon them at a dorm room, a wedding altar, or the door of their first job. He continues to encourage, coach and convey his wisdom to his children forever.

 

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Do your kids have good manners?

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Today, The Morning Thing focused on manners. Marcy Rinehart and Todd McKinley shared tips for taking young children out to eat this holiday weekend.
Click HERE to see 10 ways to help your next restaurant visit go a little smoother.

We also shared a guide from www.parents.com
Click HERE to see this age guide that has everything you need to know to raise polite, well-mannered children, no matter their age or stage.

This weekend is a perfect time to put some of these tips into practice. It’s a holiday weekend. Take the family out for dinner and practice good manners.

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8 Phrases that Can Change Your Relationships

Good morning! This morning on the show, we talked about 8 simple phrases that can change your relationships.
Read what those are below and check out the whole article from Mark Merrill on allprodad.com here!

1.”I was wrong.”
A friend once shared with Mark, “You’re never more right than when you admit you’re wrong.” It’s important to acknowledge when we are wrong. It is a sign of true humility. It is the first step in asking for forgiveness.

2. “Help me understand.”
When you have a disagreement with someone, rather than becoming aggressive or defensive, decide to be curious. By taking the time to see where they are coming from and why they did what they did, you can reduce conflict. Really seeing their perspective may even change yours.

3. “That hurt me.”
It’s possible to air grievances without being confrontational. We don’t need to point the finger at someone else. By explaining how we feel without attaching blame—that hurt, not you hurt—we give the other person the opportunity to understand our feelings and consider the part they may have played without putting them on the defensive. We can assert ourselves without putting them down.

4. “Thanks very much.”
Recognizing other people’s actions and efforts works on many levels. It reminds us that we are not the center of the universe. It affirms and encourages others in who they are. It helps build cooperation and community. But it requires taking the time to notice the people around you, to pay attention.

5. “I value you.”
When you say these three words, you are essentially saying to someone that they are important to you. When people know they are valued, the relationship grows. You can fill the 4 chambers of your wife’s heart by saying that you value them.

Those 4 chambers of your wife’s heart are as follows…
Chamber 1:  Being Understood
Chamber 2:  Being Valued
Chamber 3:  Being Protected
Chamber 4:  Being Desired

6. “I respect you.”
We all want others to respect us. Saying these words, especially to a man, is a big deal. As Mark shared in Filling the 4 Chambers of Your Husband’s Heart, a man needs his woman to value and trust his opinions and decisions, even if they prove to be wrong sometimes. A man also wants his wife to respect his abilities.

Those 4 chambers of your husband’s heart are as follows…
Chamber 1: Validation
Chamber 2: Respect
Chamber 3: Loyalty
Chamber 4: Trust

7. “I love you.”
Don’t assume they know or believe it because you told them last week or because of the things that you do for them. Say these magical words to your wife, your parents, and your children when you or they leave the house, when you finish a call, first thing in the morning or last thing at night.

8. “I choose you.”
Marriage isn’t about saying yes on just one big day, it’s about saying the same thing every day afterward and forever. It’s about saying yes to us. When the honeymoon phase has given way to a season in which the sparks may be of conflict, not romance, remember that love is a choice.

These eight phrases are easy to learn, but they can sometimes be hard to speak. The words may be short, but they can get stuck in our throats. So often we are more concerned about our feelings, our rights, our needs, than those of others. But demonstrating the kind of humility these simple words show can speak volumes. In a me-me-me world, they put others first.

As St. Francis of Assisi prayed, “Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love; for it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned.”

Thanks for listening!
– Lilly and Daria

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Moms are AWESOME!!!!

young Marcy and Rachel

Today, The Morning Thing kicked off a week-long focus on MOM!

Today, we shared the Top 10 reasons why Moms are important. Check out the full list HERE.

  1. If it weren’t for your mom, you wouldn’t be breathing right now. If nothing else, you should thank her for that.
  2. Mothers are the emotional backbones of the family. They provide the holding place for everyone’s feelings and do their best to keep us from being hurt.
  3. Who would kiss your boo-boos to make it all better if she weren’t around? Mothers have the magic touch (and kiss) to help us heal our wounds, physical and emotional.
  4. Truly, our mothers worked hard and made sacrifices, so our lives would be better. There are not a lot of people willing to do that, so let her know you appreciate it.
  5. Mothers are forgiving—so forgive her in return. Perhaps nothing will be as valuable a gift to both of you as forgiveness. Open your heart and drop your resentments. Now that’s love.
  6. When you want to climb the tallest mountain, your mother will make your lunch for you. She is the one who will support your dreams when no one else will. She will also remind you to wear clean underwear.
  7. Her boundaries made you a better person. You may not have liked some of her decisions, especially when you wanted to party with your friends, but she did keep you out of trouble. Look at some of your friends without a mom who has cared that much.
  8. A mother’s ears and eyes hear and see everything. They also have a computer-like memory for all the good (and some of the bad) that came your way. It’s nice to have someone with whom you can reminisce about your whole life.
  9. Mom taught you to be a functioning adult. That was her job, and without that, making it through the modern world would be very hard. Your mom may have forced you to do your homework, but now you see how important it was.
  10. A mother’s smile, when it is directed toward you, makes your day a whole lot better. All she needs is to know that she has helped you to be and feel your best. Say thank you.

As with most holidays, Mother’s Day comes only once a year. Make it special for her, and it will come back to you.

Plus, we found some great insight on how to get your Mom to relax on Mother’s Day. Click HERE to see the full article.
Try one of these tips to help your Mom fully relax on Sunday.

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Summer Quest is coming to MVNU!

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This week on the Morning Thing, we talked with Jessica Grubaugh about MVNU Summer Quest. Jessica talks about her role, how to register, and how to stay connected with Summer Quest. Click HERE to listen to the full conversation.

Click HERE to see the complete schedule and to register for Summer Quest 2018.

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Daughters are amazing!

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Today, The Morning Thing talked about the amazing blessing of raising a daughter. We shared great insight from 2 articles found at imom.com

The first one focused on 5 ways to raise a daughter that others admire. Click HERE to read the full article.

1. Teach Her to Put Others First

2. Teach Her to Take Advantage of Every Opportunity

3. Teach Her to Have Joy and Gratitude

4. Boost Her Self-Esteem

5. Be a Positive Influence

Author Lori Clapper has 2 daughters. She shares that one of the main struggles for any girl is self-image. She says that the positive feedback she gives to her girls often falls on deaf ears. Us girls (young and old) too often only focus on the negative feedback we hear or see. So Lori decided to write a letter to her girls about self-image. Moms (and Dads), we hope this heart-felt letter inspires you to have some positive communication with your daughter.

To my lovely daughter,

I see you look at yourself in the mirror and frown. I see you look at the number on the scale and hang your head.

It may be hard for you to believe the words I want to say to you in this letter. That’s okay. Please keep this letter in a safe place so you will always know how your dad and I see you.

You are beautiful:

God’s fingerprints are all over each part of you. You may not be pleased with the break-outs or the unruly bed head hair. But your eyes were made to see the good – not only in other people – but in yourself. Your mouth, with or without your favorite lip gloss, was given to you to speak words of life.

You have significance:

Throughout life, people and circumstances will hurt you deeply. Friends come and go. But no matter what, you are on this earth for a purpose. It’s your job to rise above adversity and be the remarkable woman we know you are.

You can live your dream:

When you work hard and with passion, you can do anything you put your mind to, even get that dream job you always wanted.

You are capable of more than you think:

Push yourself. Always learn. Pursue your dreams with passion. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t.

Love with all of your heart:

I’ve seen you form wonderful friendships through high school. You all truly care for one another and have each other’s backs. I’ve even heard you say you love them. It makes my mama’s heart so proud. Continue to surround yourself with great friends. Keep caring deeply, even when it’s hard.

Always wear SPF on your face:

I started too late, but it’s not too late for you. Take care of your body and skin. You’ll never regret that, especially when you turn 45 and you’re one of the few without wrinkles.

There is so much more I could say, but one thing to always remember: love God and love the way He created you. Keep your heart and mind aligned with these things I’ve written. You’ll save yourself a lot of worries and uncertainties that way.

I love you,

Mom

 

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