Thoughts and stories, by Pal

This has great ideas for parents today!  When I was raising children, we had some strong-willed (probably stubborn!) children also.  The children being born today have very strong spirits! TOPICS POPULAR MORMON REPORT LESSON HELPS Ask a Latter-day Saint Therapist: How Can I Keep My Kids from Defying Me? by Jonathan Decker, LMFT  | Jan. 11, 2019 Makes You Think Mormon Life For daily gospel-based relationship insights, join Jonathan’s  Facebook group . To submit a question for Jonathan,  click here .  Q:  My children are driving me crazy. They range in age from teen to toddler, and for the most part, none of them respect me as a parent. They expect me to take care of their every need but often refuse to do their chores, clean up after themselves, or follow simple instructions. They can be so rude to me, and to each other, and none of my punishments seem to be working. What do I do? ...

These are great thoughts, and very wise! Are We Ever Released from the Responsibilities of Parenting? By Julie de Azevedo Hanks  · January 16, 2018 We’ve heard phrases like “parenting is a calling from which you are never released [i] , [ii] ” over the pulpit many times, but rarely do we actually reflect on what this means. When taken literally, that it’s a parent’s job to continue to be their child’s caretaker throughout their lives, this belief can create enmeshed families with weak boundaries that undermine the adult child’s agency. Here are some ideas to consider about the danger of parents who are overly involved with their adult children and adult children who don’t fully transition into an adult role. Intrusive Parents   Too often, this belief of eternal parenthood is used to justify a parent giving constant (often unsolicited) input or criticism into an adult child’s life decisions. Does never being released from parenthood mea...

This is a very perceptive and informative article!   Two years ago today, my husband Wayne was told his esophageal cancer was gone -- (endoscopy)  but he passed away just after 3 more months would pass.  To read about it go to my blog for that day:    https://grandmapalspocket.blogspot.com/2015_11_16_archive.html Raising Innocent Children in a Morally Toxic World By Nicholeen Peck  · November 15, 2017 Sign up for Meridian’s Free Newsletter, please  CLICK HERE In a world full of sexual depravity, diverse addictions, familial dysfunction, lascivious social platforms, manipulative media, and irate people of all ages, is it possible to even hope for our children to have an innocent upbringing? A routine trip through a store like Walmart, for example, can start a child’s brain processing in sexual and dysfunctional directions. What is a parent to do about this problem? How can a family live in the world but not become...

This article has a great idea I would try if I had small children.  Also, here is the link for the talk today, for the 40 day challenge. https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2017/10/apart-but-still-one?lang=eng Shutterstock This parenting tip could change the game with your little ones. I have not read every child psychology book, nor did I take a course on how to avoid/stop/end a child’s tantrum. But because of a personal experience with my 5-year-old daughter, I really want to share a “formula” that I learned recently so that people can change course when kids insist on getting all worked up over something small. But first, I need to tell you a story. My daughter started kindergarten and she was a little anxious. She kept saying she wasn’t going to be able to keep up. And this behavior ended up unfolding at home: she was increasingly throwing tantrums over anything, even the smallest most meaningless things. On the school’s recomm...

This insightful article was the second most read article in Meridian Magazine this past year!  Great article, which can bring a lot of happiness into your marriage. The Marriage Miracle That  Can Improve Your Marriage, but Only Few Will Try by Joni Hilton  | Nov. 14, 2016 Makes You Think Mormon Life I watched a young woman lift her crying baby from the stroller at the airport. Her husband began to fold the stroller up for stowing, and she said, “You don’t have to fold it up, yet. Not until we’re He stopped, puzzled, but pushed the empty stroller along. “We should get some bottled water,” he suggested. “No, I just want to get to the gate,” she said, jostling the baby to quiet her down. “They’ll have water on the plane.” Again, a little more defeated, he fell into step with his wife. “Do you want me to try?” he asked, reaching for the infant. “No way,” his wife said. “That’ll just make it worse.” I hear banter like this all...

This is the first of 3 articles which Richard and Linda Eyre will post about Grand-parenting.  The others will be published the next 2 weeks.  I will put them on this blog. These are especially interesting, as I will be moving up in April to live with my son and his wife, and be much closer to several grand and great-grand children.  I hope to be much closer to them. Can Grandparents Save the World? By Richard and Linda Eyre  ·  December 6, 2016 Sign up for Meridian’s Free Newsletter, please  CLICK HERE Editor’s note: This is the first article in a three part series on “Mormon Grandparenting”. The second article will appear here in a week and the final one two weeks from today. Statistics tell us that if you are a baby boomer, (now in your 50s or 60’s) you likely have another 20 good years ahead of you and that you probably have grandkids who you consider to be the best part of this “Autumn of lif...