Category: parenting

It’s Back to School Week on The Morning Thing. Are you ready?

We are celebrating the start of school all this week on the show.

We wish the best of luck to all students, teachers and staff at our local schools.
Here is the schedule for school starts in our area:
Monday, 8/16 – Danville
Tuesday, 8/17 – East Knox
Wednesday, 8/18 – Centerburg and Fredericktown
Thursday, 8/19 – Mount Vernon

Throughout the week, we have shared 101 Back to School Tips for both kids and parents.
Check out the list HERE.

These tips from www.care.com are set up in 16 categories:
Prepare Mentally
Put time and schedule management plans in place
Make arrangements for before and after school hours
Set up a system for making or buying lunch
Shop for school supplies and gear
Organize your entire home for the busy season
Do everything you can the night before
Set the stage for a good night’s sleep
Plan for smooth mornings
Devise a plan for homework
Stay connected with teachers
Purge and declutter regularly
Set goals for the school year
Schedule time for fun
Delegate wherever you can
Take care of yourself

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Do you treat your children like you treat your dog?

Parents, you can learn a lot from the Dog Whisperer.

Here are 10 ways that you should treat your children like your dog, from imom.com

Click HERE to read this article that is full of insight for parents.

1. Be the Alpha Dog. Be confident in your parenting.  Let them know you are in charge and are the “alpha-dog.”  Your children will pick up on this and be confident in you as their parent/owner.

2. Give Them Treats. Encourage and praise your children for doing the right thing and showing good behavior, just as you would give your dog a treat for being good.

3. Be Consistent. Dogs learn new behaviors through repetition and consistency.  Be consistent with rules and discipline so lessons can be learned.  Inconsistency sends the wrong message.

4. Play. Puppies are playful, and so are children.  Make time in your day to play with your kids and let them be children.  Let them act silly, get a little loud and run off some of their puppy energy.

5. Keep them on a Leash. When dogs are small, they need to be kept close so they don’t run off and get into danger.  Children need close supervision too.  Even as they leave the tiny puppy stage, you still need to be very aware of the details of their school life and friend life.

6. Work as a Team. You and your husband should have the same philosophy about raising your children.  If you tell your kids no, but your husband goes against you and tells them yes, it’s like a puppy begging at the table—it will go to the person more likely to give it food.

7. Expand their World. From an early age, children and dogs need to be socialized with people outside the home and with peers.  Learning to interact with others is essential and important for development.  Once children get older, socialization is still important.  Children are easily influenced by their peers so it is important that you as a parent are aware of who your children spend time with.

8. Lavish Them With Love. We reward every little thing our puppy does right; do the same for your children. Hug them every day.  Kiss them and show them all of the love you feel in your heart.

9. Reprimand Quickly and Then Forgive. Make sure you address behavior issues right away so they are fresh in the child’s mind.  Be fair with punishment.  Do not hold grudges.  Forgive your children, but stay firm with punishments.  When the discipline is complete, move on.

10. Train them for the Long-Term. Put in the time when the child is young and the end result will be good behavior when they’re grown.

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Want to get your kids excited about prayer? Check out these fun activities.

Today (6/24), The Morning Thing shared some fun activities to get your kids excited about praying. Prayer is a wonderful tool that God has blessed us with for our spiritual walk with Him.

Check out these 4 fun activities from youversion.com

Click HERE to read the full article.

  1. Count Your Blessings. At the end of each day, spend 5-10 minutes talking about a few things that blessed your family. After everyone’s shared, thank God for the good He’s done in your life that day. Modeling thankfulness for your kids now will help shape the way they remember hard seasons. (Plus, focusing on your blessings can help lower stress levels.)
  2. Pray Through the Week. Each week, pick a theme with your kids. (It could be a country, a person, or something your children love.)Every day, have a child pray for that theme and allow whoever prays to choose a theme-related activity for you to do together. (Need activity ideas? You can find Bible-based coloring pages and Adventure Books here.)
  3. Go on a Nature Walk. The next time you go outside, ask your children to point out anything that makes them smile. Take turns thanking God for creating the beauty around you. Try to enjoy the world through their eyes, together.
  4. Pray through Praise Songs. Everything you do can be an act of worship. Pick one of your children’s favorite worship songs and sing it together. Make that song your prayer for the day.
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The Morning Thing focuses on Fatherhood all this week.

Today (6/15), we shared the 6 Phases of Fatherhood and 5 typical Dad Fails.

Fatherhood is full of joys, sorrows, growth and love. AllProDad.com is a great resource to help you navigate through every step and challenge of being a Dad.

The 6 Phases of Fatherhood shares some encouragement for Dads at every stage in the journey.

Click HERE to read the full article.

1. Expectant Dad

2. Sleepy Dad

3. Playful Dad

4. Stretched Dad

5. Sacrificial Dad

6. Wise Dad

AllProDad.com also shares a list of typical Dad Fails and how to avoid them.

Click HERE to read the full article.

1. Reacting Instead of Responding

2. Not Encouraging Your Kids Beyond Performance

3. Not Blessing Your Kids With Our Attention

4. Not Sticking Up For Your Wife

5. Not Living Out Your Faith

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It is Father’s Week on The Morning Thing. Today, we share the power of our words.

On Monday, we kicked off a week focused on Dads on The Morning Thing. All week, we will dig into some powerful articles from AllProDad.com – a great resource for Dads at every stage of life.

Today, we shared 5 things Dads should say to their kids every day.
Click HERE to read the full article.

1. “Hey, I love You.”

2. “So, Buddy, what are your plans for the day?”

3. “I am so grateful to be your dad.”

4. “Have a great day at school, and don’t forget who you are.”

5. Words of Affirmation

We also shared 10 ways to say “I am proud of you” to your kids.
Click HERE to read the full article.

  1. “You did a great job cleaning your room!”
  2. “That was hard work, but you finished the job!”
  3. “You are an amazing brother/sister!”
  4. “You’re showing great leadership (at school, on your team)!”
  5. “It makes me proud to say ‘that’s my son/daughter!’”
  6. “You must be the fastest kid on your team!”
  7. “You’re a really great reader.”
  8. “How did you know that answer, that’s amazing. You are so smart!”
  9. “You are very mature for a __-year old kid.”
  10. “That was a tough situation, but you handled it really well!”
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Teaching your kids to pray

Today (5/20/21), The Morning Thing focused on prayer and parenting.

We focused on teaching your kids to pray. We shared some age level insights and how a kid’s perception of communicating with God changes as they grow.

Check out this informative article from mylifetree.com

Click HERE for the full article.

Keep these things in mind as you’re teaching kids to pray and connect with God:

Prayer is an attitude. Praying constantly means we’re always aware that God is here. We can sense God’s presence with us no matter our circumstances. We can pray about anything and everything, including other people and their needs.

Prayer is a routine. Regular times with God help shape our prayer attitude. Help children establish “check in” times with God, not out of obligation but out of love.

Prayer is a first response. When troubles and tough decisions loom, we can turn to God before trying anything else. Prayer should be our first resort, not our last.

Prayer is listening to God. Prayer is a dialogue that involves letting God speak to us through everyday life. Because prayer is two-way communication, we also should practice listening to God.

Prayer is modeled. The best way to challenge your children to pray is by letting them see and hear you praying often. Regularly share with them how you see God at work through your prayers.

 Age Level Insights

Children’s perceptions of communicating with God change as they grow:

Ages 2 to 3: Young children understand that Jesus is their friend. Say (or sing!) simple prayers that relate to children’s lives.

Ages 4 to 6: Children this age become very aware of the world around them. Let kids know that God cares about everything that happens to them and other people.

Ages 7 to 9: These children feel a need for God’s help and can verbally express thoughts. Help them look up Bible verses about prayer.

Ages 10 to 12: Preteens realize God is more personal. Let them understand that no prayers are insignificant to their heavenly Father.

Conversation Starters

Start a discussion about the importance of talking and listening to God by asking children these questions:

1. Why do you think God wants us to pray to him? How often and how should we pray?

2. Does God hear and answer all your prayers? How do you know?

3. What does it mean to listen to God’s voice? In what ways does God speak to us today?

4. What things should we pray about together as a family? How can we add more prayer time to our daily lives?

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Words of Encouragement for MOM

The Morning Thing wrapped up “Mom’s Week” by sharing words of encouragement for Moms.

Click HERE to find encouragement for those weary, tiring days. Thanks to imom.com for being a fabulous resource for all of us walking this beautiful and challenging path of motherhood!

Here are prayers of encouragement that you can pray on those challenging days.

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The Morning Thing is hosting Mom’s Week. We have some tips on how to copy with stress, plus some fun ways to celebrate the special day on Sunday.

Mom – are you feeling any stress? 🙂 We know that parenting is difficult. So, we shared 5 Smart Ways to Cope With Parenting Stress.

Click HERE to find some encouragement from imom.com

The problem: You can’t control things. The Tool: Flexibility

The problem: You feel like you’re failing. The Tool: A Mom Friend

The problem: You are ready to explode. The Tool: Your Go-To Calming Mechanism

The problem: You can’t juggle one more thing. The Tool: Perspective

The problem: Your kid screws up. The Tool: Appropriate Consequences

Click HERE to read the full article.

Maybe getting the perfect gift is causing you some stress for this Mother’s Day. No problem. We found a list of 15 ways to celebrate Mother’s Day even in the midst of a pandemic.
Click HERE for some gift ideas and activities to make this a special Mother’s Day.

10 wonderful Mother’s Day activity ideas during coronavirus

1. Share a lovely meal

2. Say hello from a distance

3. Enjoy nature together

4. Attend a virtual concert or show

5. Tour a museum, virtually

6. Relax with casual activities

7. Watch their favorite sports together

8. Bake or cook together

9. Relax with music

10. Read a book together

5 thoughtful Mother’s Day gift ideas

1. Send a heartfelt card or letter

2. Send flowers

3. Gift a device that makes video calling easy

4. Give gift cards for favorite services

5. Create a custom photo album, calendar, blanket, or puzzle

Click HERE to read the full article!

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Hey Mom! What your kids say is proof that you are a good Mom!

Moms, do you ever question yourself? Do you wonder if you have done enough to raise your children to be good human beings? You are not alone. All mothers go through times of questioning and second-guessing their parenting ability.

The Morning Thing has GOOD news! There are 8 Things Kids Say That Prove You ARE a Great Mom!
Click HERE to see the list from imom.com

1. “That’s not fair.”

2. “I forgive you.”

3. “I messed up.”

4. “I didn’t know that.”

5. “My dream is to…”

6. “Everyone else is allowed to.”

7. “I feel bad.”

8. “I’m ready to try again.”

Click HERE to read the full article.

Mom – we want you to know that you ARE doing a great job! You are loved! You are appreciated! You are NOT alone.

Here is a special song for Moms. Grab a tissue and enjoy the message of “Slow Down” from Nichole Nordeman.

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The Morning Thing kicks off “Moms Week”! Monday – Encouragement for all stages of motherhood

Today, we kicked off “Mom’s Week” on The Morning Thing. Each day this week, we will share encouragement for all types of Moms!

On Monday, we looked at the many stages of motherhood and shared advice for Moms with kids of any age.
Click HERE to read this encouraging article from Focus on the Family.

What stage are you in Mom? We hope you are encouraged today. We love and appreciate you MOM!

CHAPTER ONE – Prenatal, Birth, and the First Three Months

CHAPTER TWO – 3 Months – 3 Years

CHAPTER THREE – 4 Years – 8 Years

CHAPTER FOUR – 9 Years – 12 Years

CHAPTER FIVE – 13 Years – 18 Years

CHAPTER SIX – Eighteen Years and Older

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