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5/28/2018 May 28, 2018
 DO THIS // BATH TIME Add a cup that’s easy to scoop with, a large plastic container, and some bubble bath to bath time this month. Encourage your child to scoop the water and bubbles and fill the container. Talk about how Joseph helped Pharaoh fill the barns with food so they would have enough to eat when the food stopped growing.
 MANTRAS FOR DISCIPLINE By Holly CrawshawRemember that one time when you swore you’d never grow up to be one of those parents who used “Because I said so” as a defense for discipline? Remember that time not too long ago when you said those exact words to your kids thirty-seven times in one day? Yeah. Me, too. So about a year ago, I realized that I was using the same lines over and over again when disciplining. Not only that, I would often respond with poor explanations, and at times—wait for it—sarcasm. (I welcome all ridicule because sarcasm is NOT a form of acceptable discipline.) I was saying things like . . . Because I said so. I’m the mama and that makes me the boss. Don’t argue with me—just do what I say. Did you hear me? Slow obedience is disobedience. Now, there’s nothing particularly awful about some of these—I still throw that last one in for good measure. But I began to see a pattern that I didn’t like. My discipline tactics only served to get me what I wanted. They were lazy. They were judgmental. And they weren’t working. So I decided to come up with five mantras to teach my girls that have changed the way I respond when disciplining . . . CONTINUE READING ON THE PARENT CUE BLOG  5/21/2018 May 21, 2018
 DO THIS // CUDDLE TIME Cuddle up with your child this month and pray, "Dear God, thank You that Your plan was for me to be [child's name]'s [mom/dad]. I love [him/her] so much! Help us to trust Your plan even when it's hard. We know Your plan is always best. We love You, God. In Jesus' name, amen."
 ONE MARBLE AT A TIME By Autumn Ward I’ve been told there are 936 weeks in the life of a child from birth to 18. At Parent Cue, we use a visual of a jar filled with 936 marbles. The idea is that when you count the weeks you have left with a kid, you stand a better chance of making your weeks count. As you take one marble out of the jar each week, the marbles begin going down, you see what you have left . . . you get the idea. I have 3 kids and the jar of my first-born has 4 marbles in it. One. Two. Three. Four. Four marbles. A cap and gown. A prom tux. Graduation announcements . . . All reminders that there’s not much time left before the infant that entered my home 18 years ago will soon be leaving as a man. Looking back, I can’t even begin to tell you where all of my 936 marbles went. When I look back, it’s not the “big” moments that I remember most. It’s the smaller everyday moments that stand out . . . CONTINUE READING ON THE PARENT CUE BLOG  5/14/2018 May 14, 2018
 DO THIS // DRIVE TIME As you drive, name things you see that are firm/hard and bendable/soft. Road signs, trucks, and buildings are firm/hard. Leaves, grass, and flags are bendable/soft. Talk about how God's plans are good and firm and only He can change them.
 INNOCENT LITTLE LIARS By Karen Wilson Your cute innocent little children have deceived you. They are not who they appear to be! If you haven’t already caught them in a lie, chances are you will. And more than once—as toddlers, young children, and as teenagers. At first, you might suppress laughter as you watch them unknowingly betray themselves. She’ll tell you she didn’t eat the chocolate cake that’s smeared all over he’ll face. He’ll try to persuade you they brushed their teeth, but not let you smell their breath. She’ll say she found that trinket in the parking lot, even though you saw her eyeing it in the store. Eventually petty lies turn into big whoppers, and one day you might be heart-broken to find out your teenager is living a double life. Lying is a common childhood offense, much more so than you might guess. But it’s our job as parents to show our kids how to value honesty and grow in integrity—even when they make mistakes. To show them healthy relationships are built on trust . . . CONTINUE READING ON THE PARENT CUE BLOG For blog posts and parenting resources, visit www.ParentCue.org  5/7/2018 May 7, 2018
 DO THIS: MORNING TIME When you go into your child's room this month say, "Good morning, [child's name]! I'm so glad God's plan was to give you to me. I love hanging out with you!" Give child a big hug.
 THINGS YOU'LL NEVER REGRET AS A PARENT By Carey Nieuwhof Yes, it really was a bad idea to give your six-year-old access to the finger paints while you did the laundry. And maybe it wasn’t all that wise when you had that fight heated conversation in the kitchen when the kids were watching cartoons. We all have regrets. But the flip side is also true. We all have things we’ll never regret doing as a parent. And if you think about doing things you'll never regret, you can actually do them more often. Here are 5 things I think you’ll never regret as a parent: 1. Taking family vacations It can be so hard to find both time and money to get away, but it’s been one of the best things we’ve done as a family over the years.While staycations can be decent, a vacation moves everyone out of their native environment. All of you move into new experiences and new environments together. Even if you don’t have a ton of money, borrow someone’s house for the weekend (we’ve done that), and change up the scenery. Moments away will become some of your kids’ fondest memories—and yours . . . CONTINUE READING ON THE PARENT CUE BLOG  |
