Entries from December 2007

Afraid of New Year Resolutions?

December 26th, 2007 / 1 Comment

“Do you remember the Sunday School lesson you taught us at the beginning of this year?” One of my young adult Sunday School students asked me last week. I was embarrassed to say I do not even remember my own lesson! Yet, this was a lesson that this student remembered all year. She told me […]

An Attitude of Gratitude

December 26th, 2007 / 4 Comments

“I didn’t get what I wanted for Christmas!” “Is that all??” Did you hear that at your house after all the Christmas presents were opened? How do we teach our children to have a thankful heart instead of being discontent with what they have? “I am disappointed that I didn’t get what I wanted for […]

MySpace and the computer dilemma

December 24th, 2007 / 1 Comment

Would you agree that the computer and the internet are not going away? Would you also agree that usage of the computer will continue to grow, and our children will have more of their lives connected to the internet then even now? As much as we as a parent may want to control the expansion […]

Christmas “gifts” you don’t have to wrap

December 12th, 2007 / No Comments

Would you like to give gifts that you don’t have to wrap? In fact, it doesn’t even cost you any money and it’s very meaningful! What can be better than that? Here they are: 1. Give a compliment. The cashier has been on her feet all day, and everyone in the long line is probably […]

The True Meaning of Christmas

December 10th, 2007 / No Comments

Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Winter Wonderland Jingle Bells White Christmas Those are some of the most requested Christmas carols of this season and they certainly bring a joyous Christmas spirit. Yet, there is something missing in those titles… What happened to the traditional carols such as Oh […]

When it’s one of THOSE days

December 8th, 2007 / 1 Comment

No matter what a great parent we may be, we all have one of THOSE days…the baby is hollering, the kids are fighting, the dishwasher overflows, there’s nothing for dinner… We’ve tried all the usual tricks – bake cookies, play with Playdough, eat snacks, watch TV, eat another snack… Nothing is working. I just read […]

Motivating our kids

December 7th, 2007 / 4 Comments

How does a company motivate its employees to work harder? They usually offer incentives or bonuses. In the same way, our kids can be motivated by incentives when we want them to achieve a certain behavior. Some parents do not believe in using rewards. Doesn’t it make your children become dependent on working only when […]

Get Into the Christmas Spirit!

December 7th, 2007 / 1 Comment

Are you getting overwhelmed by the busyness of the holidays? Take it easy on yourself and keep things simple yet meaningful. Cindy Leung, a mother of 2, shares a few simple ideas for creating great memories for your family.

What do we want for our children?

December 6th, 2007 / 2 Comments

During recess at the elementary school today where I was substituting, I observed with interest all the children playing in the playground. There were boys playing football and kickball in the field. Groups of kids were playing handball and basketball on the blacktop. Some were on the swings and monkey bars. Many of the girls […]

What do you give your kids for Christmas?

December 5th, 2007 / No Comments

My family was not financially well off when I was growing up. At Christmas we did not receive any presents from my parents. After all, they reasoned, they give us room and board, isn’t that enough? Can’t argue with that. I brought along a similar frugal mentality when we had children. Since as a young […]