Since the natural man is an enemy to God—and to His children—it should not surprise us that our natural inner voice can be uncivilized and unhelpful. When our children misbehave, our first response is often an accusation: … Read more
Children learn the meaning of our words by connecting them to our actions. When our words and actions don’t match, children learn to believe our actions and discount our words.
Imagine that you’re getting the family ready … Read more
Have you ever noticed how quickly a child can become “the problem”?
Maybe one child is slow getting ready for school. Another leaves things everywhere. One argues. One forgets. One seems to push exactly the button that … Read more
The Soft-Spoken Parent
Most of us are like writers of fiction. We take our life experiences and weave them into stories. But our stories are never entirely objective. We write to make a point. We color every … Read more
A man was guiding several youngsters through the exhibits in a museum. He was obviously impatient with their side trips and slow pace. Finally, he blurted out, “Hurry up! If you stop to look at stuff, we … Read more
Latter-day Saints often say that the purposes of mortal life are to receive a body and to be tested. For anyone who suffers from test anxiety, that is not good news.
Certainly, mortality includes testing. But I … Read more
God teaches surprising lessons about dealing with injustice. After suffering terrible injustices, Joseph Smith cried out to Heaven for vengeance on the Missourians: “Let thine anger be kindled against our enemies; and, in the fury of thine … Read more
When our children struggle with pain and disappointment, we are often tempted to jump in with advice. We may also investigate, correct, lecture, or even get angry about the choices that contributed to their trouble.
There is … Read more
When children behave badly, we often see defiance, carelessness, or selfishness. Compassion invites us to look deeper. Their difficult behavior may be the outward sign of confusion, fear, discouragement, fatigue, or pain. Compassion does not ignore a … Read more
We often judge children’s behavior by its effect on us rather than by the intention in their hearts. If their actions—or inactions—irritate us, we may assume they are malicious, careless, or irresponsible.
Blaming children for every irritation … Read more