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!

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.

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

It’s FOOD Week on The Morning Thing!

Today, we kicked off a week focusing on FOOD! It is essential for life. So let’s have some fun looking at something we all need.

On Monday, we shared 7 Brain foods – choices that help kids stay sharp.
As the school year wraps up, these food choices could help your kids face the end of the year projects and exams.

Click HERE to read the full article from patch.com
The article has Parent Tips for each food choice!

  1. Nuts & Seeds
  2. Greek Yogurt
  3. Berries
  4. Fish
  5. Eggs
  6. Oatmeal
  7. Apples and Plums

Make this Easter extra special for your KIDS! The Morning Thing shares ideas for a great holiday.

Easter is coming soon! Thursday’s show was for the Kids in your family.

Check out these FUN ideas for your family from www.imom.com.

Easter Activities for Kids

Fun Easter Ideas for Kids!

20 Fun Easter Jokes for Kids

15 Easter Riddles for Kids

WNZR shines the spotlight on Place 4 Grace

The Morning Thing is focusing on local ministries this week. WNZR’s Marcy Rinehart talked with Kandee Popham, Executive Director for Place 4 Grace.

Kandee shared how the Place 4 Grace team has learned some valuable lessons this past year. She also shared how God has richly blessed them in the midst of this pandemic.

Kandee shares great news about recent fundraising for the ministry. She also shares about the board’s recent approval for the official opening!

Kandee shares goals for 2021 and the exciting news that Place 4 Grace is hiring multiple positions.

Click HERE to hear their conversation.

For more details on the ministry and how to support them, follow Place 4 Grace online:

Website – https://place4grace.com/

Facebook Page –  https://www.facebook.com/Place4Grace

Valentine’s Day Ideas for your family

Today, we kicked off Valentine’s Week on the show. Every day, we’ll talk about topics that deal with love.

Today, we shared 10 Valentine’s Day Ideas for your family from Family Life.
Start some new traditions with your children during the holiday of love.

Click HERE to see the full article.

1. Ask the kids to tell you how they think Valentine’s Day began. Write down what they say. Then do some research with the children, online or at the library, and see if their ideas are correct.

2. Designate the month of February as a time to show special love in your home. Read the following paraphrase together of 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (The Message).

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

Then discuss each of the above characteristics of love at the dinner table on separate nights. For example, “Love never gives up.” How have friends and family stood by one another in good and bad times?  What did God do after Adam and Eve sinned that showed that He did not give up on mankind?

3.  Plan a unique scavenger hunt with the kids for Dad (or Mom). Help the children make and hide clues, taping a small chocolate kiss on each one. Have meaningful gifts at the end of the hunt. Possibilities include handwritten notes of love and appreciation, personal certificates of service (I will wash your car, clean out the garage, cook dinner, etc.), drawings, homemade treats, framed family pictures, etc. To make the scavenger hunt extra special, end your time with a family trip to the pizza parlor or bowling alley.

4. As a family, think of those who may be especially lonely on Valentine’s Day, then brainstorm ways that you could show Christ’s love to them. The kids may want to make unique Valentine cards, bake heart-shaped cookies, or invite them to a special lunch or dinner.

5.  Cultivate a sense of appreciation in your children by helping them express appreciation to their grandparents. Have each of the kids write Grandma and Grandpa individual Valentine’s Day notes. On February 14, personally deliver the notes along with an arrangement of flowers or a balloon bouquet. If grandparents live out-of-town, mail each note in a separate envelope and also call Grandma and Grandpa.

6.  Make February 14 a “red letter day” for your family. Decorate the kitchen or dining room with hearts, red and white streamers, and heart-shaped balloons. Wear a red outfit or apron and serve the family heart-shaped pancakes; add some red food coloring to the syrup. Make heart-shaped sandwiches for lunch, and choose dinner entrees that are red.

7.  Mail each of your children a Valentine’s card from you and your spouse. Share not only why you love your child unconditionally, but also your gratitude to God that your son/daughter is your child.

8.  Tell your children how you celebrated Valentine’s Day as a child. Then have the kids call/visit their grandparents to see how they celebrated it. Talk about ways that Valentine traditions have not only changed, but also remained the same.

9.  Help the kids make an “I love you because” book for someone special (parent, grandparent, pastor, teacher, etc.). In addition to writing and drawing heartfelt messages, include some favorite photographs and artwork. For a lasting keepsake, have the book bound at a local print shop.

10.  With your spouse, decide on personalized ways that you can show love to each of your children on Valentine’s Day. Spend time praying about how to best do this. While love for one child may be expressed by time, another may feel loved by words of affirmation or gifts. You may want to read The Five Love Languages of Children by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell.

A new year is a great time to start a new tradition for your family – family devotions.

On Monday’s show, we shared a simple way to start family devotions.

Three tips to help you succeed (from Focus on the Family):

Set a reasonable goal – Once a week do something active to teach a spiritual truth. The kids will have fun — and their enthusiasm will fuel you to keep going.

Keep the tie-in time short – Great family devotions get one nugget of truth across after the activity. One. This shouldn’t take more than five minutes. Your kids won’t have time to get bored — and will remember the application. This will fire you up to prepare the next lesson.

With multiple age groups, focus on the older kids – If you bring the level of your devotions down to your youngest, your oldest will think family devotions are only for younger kids. They’ll check out, and you may not get them back for the balance of that devotion — or for future ones. Remember, you’ve got less years to impact your older kids, and likely they’re closer to the bigger dangers. As long as you keep the older kids actively engaged, you’ll find leading family devotions makes a difference, even with your younger kids, and you won’t be tempted to quit.

Click HERE to read the entire article from Focus on the Family, including some great resources for every age group in your family.

We also talked about how to do “devotions on the GO”.  
Click HERE to learn more.

Click HERE to access 52 free devotions for your family from Focus on the Family.

Picture from focusonthefamily.com

Relationship Tips from Triple P – Positive Parenting Program

On Monday, The Morning Thing shared some insight from the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program. We shared tips on supporting healthy relationships and managing disagreements during COVID-19. This is a timely topic as Marcy and Wesley return from quarantine.

Friendship Month

September is friendship month and we talked about friendship this morning on the show.

We talked about two different parts of friendship. During the 6 o’clock hour we talked about what we should look for when choosing our friends. If you want to see the full list click HERE.

In the 8 o’clock hour we talked about how to fix a broken friendship. Another list that talks about how we can fix a relationship that was broken because of something that we did. If you want to see that list click HERE.

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