How To Survive When You Get Laid Off

So today I wrote an article on How To Survive When You Get Laid Off What does unemployment have to do with Christian Parenting Tips? Well, nothing really except when you are unemployed, your children will see your reaction. I recently was laid off from my teaching job, our only income. Most people would panic and not know what to do. I am not panicked at all. I am calm knowing the Lord has a plan for me and my family. Anyway, the article shows steps you can take to help when you are unemployed. There are many programs out there that can help with food, health insurance, money...

As I am looking for another teaching position, I take faith that the Lord will provide the position he wants me to be in.

Potty Training Part 2

All parents go through potty-training. It isn't easy! Its a stinky situation! It is something necessary. Parents have a hard time because the child will want to go potty at the most inappropriate times. The following are some tips that will help the process.






Start by praising them - When they actually start using the potty, it is so important to praise them! Over-exaggerate the praise. This will encourage your child to want to use the potty more.



Read or Tell a Story - My daughter wanted to know about when I was a little boy. I would tell her stories about when I was growing up to get her mind off the task at hand. This would allow things to flow easier and we had better results.


Use a potty seat on the big potty. The potty that sits on the floor isn't the greatest. When the child gets to sit on the big potty, he or she will feel like a big kid and have better results. My daughter wanted a Diego potty seat and she felt like a big girl when sitting on the big potty!

Create a potty chart - Children love stickers. Create a chart. When your child goes in the potty, put a sticker on the chart. When it is filled in, give them a surprise. Take them to get ice cream, to the toy store, or something else your child likes. When they feel they are working toward something, your child's results will be better!

Raising Christian Children

Many parents want to raise their children in God's light, yet they do not know how to do it. The following are some steps you can take to make sure you are on the right path to raising Christian children!



Live a Christian life yourself - A child will not learn to live as a Christian if the child's parents are not living a Christian lifestyle. This is a case of "monkey see, monkey do." Change things in your life to make sure you are living a Christian life. It is not easy, and we cannot be perfect, but it is important to do this step! want to continue reading the bible if they see their parents reading to them.

Read the Bible with your children - You cannot teach what you do not know. Read the Bible to learn what to teach to your children but most importantly, read with your children. They will learn more and want to continue reading the bible if they see their parents reading to them.



Find a good church home - If you can, start right away. With our children, we started from birth so our church family has become an extended family and has taken part in raising our girls. This is so important. Find ways to volunteer at your church. This is big in the eyes of your children!

Pray, Pray, Pray With Them - This is probably the most important step. Parents need to pray separetly but parents need to pray with their children too. This will teach the children how to pray. After all, it has been said your relationship with the Lord is based on your relationship with your father. This means, Dads you need to be praying with your children.

Sing with Them!

I am amazed how well Haylee can pick up lyrics to songs. I am a big Bon Jovi fan. We have been playing their Have a Nice Day CD in the car when we go places. Now she asks for that CD everytime we get in the car. She has memorized the lyrics to the song Have a Nice Day and sings it. I am learning to realize she can learn better by music. She is like me. Music is my passion. We have put things to music to have her learn. Shannon has put her cellphone number to music so she can learn to call us if she were to get lost. This is why there are so many children's songs about ABC 123. They will tend to learn it better if sung to them. Don't be embarrased. Get out there and sing to your children!

Home-School or Not To Home-School

Shannon and I are torn. We have been bouncing around the idea of home-schooling the girls. For a long time, I was against the idea because Haylee especially is very social. Having her at home all day, everyday, would not give her the social attention she needs. It wasn't until I started substitute teaching did I realize home-schooling might be an option. The things that come out of children's mouths at such young ages scares me. Haylee already is a little parrot. I cannot imagine what she will bring home.

There are people in our lives that have given us advice on both ends of this topic. Some feel taking them out of the school system will not give the Lord a chance to let our girls shine their light for the Lord in all the darkness. There are also those who hate the school system and make us feel we are terrible parents for wanting them to go through it. This is such a difficult decision because it will effect the rest of their lives.

As of late, our decision is to put in her pre-school two days a week to see how this works. This will help with some of the behavioral learning. We will take a look when it is time for Kindergarten. I am sure this will change a hundred times until she is done with school.

Take a Time Out Parents

Parents give time-outs all day long and sometimes, in the hussle and bussle of life and parenting, we lose touch of reality of who our spouse is and why we got married in the first place. So what does this have to do with parenting tips? A lot! If you lose touch of each other, you start living separate lives and if nothing is changed, divorce is knocking on the door. This effects the kids. No child wants to see their parents split up. Many children will start to blame themselves for the divorce. So what is the parenting tip in this?

10 Great Dates What is this? It is a marriage study that will energize your marriage. They have different books depending on where you are in marriage and in life. We took it through Relationship Skills Unlimited We met for 20-30 minutes once a week to watch a short video on the topic of the day. After that, we briefly discussed the video and we were then sent on our way to have a date. The only rule is we do not go home. We had to go on our date, read the portion of the book, and complete the tasks in the workbook. The topics you will learn about include:
*Communicate better
* Put the sizzle back in sex
* Process anger and resolve conflicts
* Develop spiritual intimacy
* Appreciate your differences
* Balance busy lifestyles
* And much more!

Do your marriage a favor and check this out. Don't just get the book and read it. You will experience so much more in a group setting learning about how to revive your marriage.

Why Won't They Stay In Their Beds!

Why is it children are scared to stay in their beds? I went through it and now my daughters are doing the same thing. Haylee comes in the middle of the night saying she is scared and wants to sleep with us and now Sarah has started it with us. We end up with everyone in our bed. No one is getting sleep and we are all tired. We went through the "There are monsters in my bed" phase. We started having Haylee sleep on the floor when she comes in hoping this would stop her from coming in. This was working but now she wants to start the night on the floor instead of her bed. Last night I started when she comes in, I say nothing to her and take her back into bed and tuck her in, and then go back to my bed. She screamed and cried and came in about 15 times. This started Sarah crying and screaming as well. So I had both girls screaming and I wanted to go to sleep. I did not give in. I kept it up. Finally I told Haylee to stop crying because her crying is scaring her little sister and she is a big 4 year old and should be able to sleep in her bed at night. She stopped and went to sleep. Sarah, still worked up from crying, took a little longer. I am hoping to keep this up tonight to see what happens.

OK most of you are saying, this does not sound like a parenting tip because he is still experiencing this issue. I agree with you except for the fact that the tip is, get them into a routine. There are a couple of steps you can follow at night time that might help which we are going to start to implement (I know a little late but better late than never)

1. Stick to the same bed time as much as possible This is very difficult in today's times of meetings, sporting events, church stuff, etc but it needs to be done. This will get them on a routine of ok now it is 8:30 and we should be in bed.

2. Read the bible with your children before bed pointing out God's love for children This will hopefully show them that God is watching over them and will keep them safe while sleeping.

3. Create a bedtime ritual that you stand by such as dinner, dessert, bath, jammies, story time, sleep time

4. No monsters in the room or under the bed I don't know where they get it but every child says there is a monster in the room somewhere. Prove to them there are no monsters in the room by going on a monster hunt. When they do not find one, eventually they will realize there are no monsters. Telling them God will protect them during the night will help as well.



Good luck and don't give up. This won't take place the first time you do this and it might not even take place the 100th time you do this but it will eventually work. Have patients and trust in God to lead the way!