Posts in parenting
Making More of Jesus at Christmas with Teens

Making much of Jesus over Christmas isn’t only about commemorating our Lord’s birth.  Making much of Jesus is about following his example and living in a way that brings glory to God.  As Christians, this what we are called to year-round, but the holidays are a special time of year, where people are often particularly sensitive to the things of God.   @@We can use the holidays as an opportunity to be a light in the world for Jesus@@ and we can lead our kids, through our example, in what this looks like. 

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family, parenting, faithDawn Klinge
When Your Teen is Struggling With Their Faith

“If our kids never struggle with their faith, they will have borrowed convictions.” –Josh McDowell

I was raised in a Christian home. My mom was a children’s pastor.  I felt like I was always at church.  But when I got to high school, I started having doubts about my faith.  I was no longer interested in taking everything my parents said at face value.  I had to figure it out for myself.  More importantly, I needed the Holy Spirit to help me…to change my heart.  I could no longer rely on my parent’s faith.  It had to be my own.

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The Importance of Grace in Parenting

I could hear my seven-year-old happily singing from the bathroom as I loaded the dishwasher.  It was almost time to leave for school.  His big sister pointed out that he’d been in there a long time, and that he was probably getting into stuff.  It was the same suspicion I had.  His bathroom shenanigans were usually no more harmful than the occasional overzealous application of his Daddy’s cologne- and sometimes, he used way too much toilet paper, causing the toilet to overflow.  I’m an expert with the toilet plunger.  I have a lot of practice.

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Holiday Etiquette for Gracious Kids

Christmas is a time of year that has an abundance of teachable moments for parents to guide their kids towards graciousness.  Attending and hosting parties, formal dinners, gift giving and receiving...these are all occasions that present an opportunity for children to learn about etiquette.  The heart of good etiquette is about making the other people around us feel comfortable.  It's about putting others first and showing honor to them...out of love. 

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parenting, resourcesDawn Klinge
How You Can Make More of Jesus at Christmas: with teens

Making much of Jesus over Christmas isn’t only about commemorating our Lord’s birth.  Making much of Jesus is about following his example and living in a way that brings glory to God.  As Christians, this what we are called to year-round, but the holidays are a special time of year, where people are often particularly sensitive to the things of God.   We can use the holidays as an opportunity to be a light in the world for Jesus and we can lead our kids, through our example, in what this looks like. 

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parenting, faithDawn Klinge
20 Best Posts on How To Encourage Your Child

Words of affirmation, encouragement, and affection:  our children need us to be generous with these gifts.  I recently wrote a post called 10 Ways to Encourage Your Spouse.  I intended to follow that up with 10 Ways to Encourage Your Children- but when I noticed that what I wrote for spouses, overlapped with what I wanted to write about encouraging our kids, I decided that rather than be repetitive, that, instead, I would share some favorite posts that I’ve found on other blogs, on the topic of encouragement for our children.

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parentingDawn Klinge