People First, Tasks Second

In the many different roles we fill as members of the church, parents, in our callings and our jobs it is so easy to become focused on the stuff that we forget the people. Personally as a mother and wife, I often get so focused on what I have or have not accomplished around the house, that I forget the reason I spend so much time at home anyway. This can be done in almost any role we fill. As a teacher it is easy to become so wrapped up in covering all the material in your lesson, that you … Continue reading

Behavior Characteristics: For People Affected By Prenatal Alcohol Exposure

One of the most important things parents are advised is to be firm and consistent with our children, especially when it comes to behaviors. Natural consequences, time out, and other types of discipline are all common ways parents attempt to teach children behavior boundaries. I have 4 children, and with 3 of them standard, ordinary, logical parenting approaches have been very effective. However, I also have one child who was exposed to alcohol before her birth and suffers from Alcohol Related Neurodevelopmental Disorders (ARND) A physical disability of the brain. For this child parenting is a completely different story and … Continue reading

5 Keys to a Hospitable Home

What does it mean to have a hospitable home? It means a home that is welcoming and friendly to those who visit. It also means a comfortable and pleasant place to live in. So whether you are entertaining guests or taking care of your family, your home should be hospitable. Here are 5 keys to having a hospitable home… The first is having at least one room where everyone can comfortably gather. For some people they can’t keep up with an entire house, in making sure it is always guest-ready or family-friendly. So if you pick one room to create … Continue reading

Things You May Not Know About C Sections

Whether you are planning a c – section or not, there is always the possibility that you could end up delivering that way. My second son, Blake, arrived via c – section after he began to show signs of stress during delivery. I had not been planning a c – section and knew next to nothing about it. There was no real time to anticipate it or become afraid, because I was moved out of my room and into the operating room with barely any time to think. Fortunately, the operation went well and both Blake and I recovered quickly. … Continue reading

Keeping House While Working From Home

If you work from home, people may have this strange idea that you have oodles of spare time that you could use to keep your house looking immaculate. While that may be true for some home – based professionals, most of the ones that I know are either very busy looking after their children while running their businesses or very busy with their businesses if they don’t have kids or have older children. We probably have approximately the same amount of time available for house cleaning that anyone else does. That said, when you work from home a clean house … Continue reading

Moving Your Job from the Office to the Home

There are some people who work outside the home and love their jobs. But they wouldn’t mind moving it from the office 30 minutes away to the comforts and convenience of their own home. In fact, they may believe that they would be more efficient this way. Is it possible that you could sell your boss on the idea? You just might be able to but before you decide to bring it up, consider some of the following things. First, how long have you been working for the company? If you have been working there for less than a year, … Continue reading

Defining the Word “Housekeeping”

Housekeeping might not be the most interesting topic to people, but it is a necessity. Like it or not, it’s a part of life and a part of the responsibilities that we have. I was thinking this morning about the word itself and decided to look up its meaning. According to Merriam Webster’s dictionary, there are three definitions to housekeeping. The first is “the management of a house and home affairs.” Doesn’t “management’ make it sound so much more important? Instead of saying, “I am a housekeeper,” I would much rather say, “I am a manager of my home.” The … Continue reading

The Importance of Support During Weight Loss

Gaining weight is easy. It happens fast and with little or no effort at all. If only losing weight was just as easy. Losing weight can be difficult, slow and requires effort. The task is daunting with many giving up before they lose their first pound. No wants to feel deprived and no one has time to keep on a diet with everything else going on in their lives. People are also notoriously poor at holding themselves accountable to tasks they do not enjoy or have a hard time fitting into their lives. The solution is having someone else hold … Continue reading

Are You Enabling Your Adult Child?

What exactly does it mean to “enable your adult child?” What the act of enabling does is to actively prevent your child from achieving appropriate developmental milestones as they age. Thus continually refusing to make your child/teenager/young adult take responsibility for their omissions and commissions of duty effectively leaves them as underperforming adults. In simpler words, if you do not make your 8-year old carry his or her plate to the kitchen after a meal and dispose of it according to age-appropriate behaviors, you are allowing that child to remain emotionally at that age, in that area of responsibility, longer … Continue reading

Facing Some Challenges

This weekend I had to say goodbye to my 16-year-old son. He was off to a military encampment which is part of the Civil Air Patrol program that he belongs to. This is his second summer participating. It is very hard for me as a parent to see him off. First, this is not your average summer camping trip. He stays on an active military base where he goes through the rigors of boot camp. Second, I have absolutely no access to him. There is no contact allowed. The best I can hope for is a picture of him. Someone … Continue reading