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Who Drives You Crazy?
“But what if they just keep talking back and are driving me crazy,” a mother asked me while I was instructing a group of parents on how to teach their children to accept “no” answers.The mother of three told the group she knew she needed help becausesometimes she feels so crazy, or out of control, when she’s around her children that she looks forward to going to work instead of being at home with the family.I immediately noticed that wanting to go to work when things got rough at home was really just a desire to run away from a problem she didn’t feel quite prepared to solve.This mother was missing vital tools and honest perspective needed to stop herself and her children from going crazy or running away.Children most often develop the habit of talking back to parents in disrespectful ways because the behavior is occasionally tolerated. Parents unknowingly …
Posted by Monica Pond on October 19, 2019
Who Are You This Christmas?!
Christmas is full of symbols and characters that inspire us and that we can relate to. We all want to be Santa for someone each year, so we look for needs that we can meet anonymously — just like he would. Some of us relate to Rudolph. We feel different, but know that our difference is just what the people around us need to accomplish their goals. Some of us are the Littlest Angel, so we give our best for Christ even though our offering seems small and humble. Some of us have had or are having a change of heart like Scrooge or the Grinch. Who are you this Christmas? As I ponder the true meaning of Christmas, I can’t help but delight in the profound comprehensiveness of the characters in the nativity story. Everyone can relate to one or more characters in the story. When we see the …
Posted by Monica Pond on December 21, 2017
What Will You Sacrifice?
Sacrifice is vital for happiness. Most people think the word “sacrifice” is bad and sounds like a hardship, not a joyful journey. Happiness sounds much better! But without giving up some of our indulgences, excuses and time wasters, it’s difficult to accomplish the things that bring the most happiness, like fulfilling our roles as parents and living the missions God has in store for us. What’s your mission? Do you feel called to, “Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, heal the sick, teach the ignorant, comfort the lonely, create beauty, liberate the captives, or preach the gospel”? (Oliver DeMille) These eight missions appear repeatedly throughout history as ways people change the world and others’ lives for good. Does one of these missions stand out to you? Did you know that being a parent covers all eight of these missions? What will we sacrifice to do our very best at our …
Posted by Monica Pond on June 6, 2018
Transformational Education Conference
(This event is not hosted by TSG. Nicholeen will be a guest speaker.) Welcome! I don’t know about you, but 2020 was a tough year! Homeschooling wasn’t the same. I heard from so many people who were on their own and needed inspiration. …New homeschoolers who were trying to school at home. …Veteran homeschoolers who were trying to make this new “normal” work for their kids. …Parents whose kids were not doing well with the limited socialization. One day it came to me… I want to help. And I know of many others who want to as well. So, the Transformational Education Homeschool Conference is BACK! Register TODAY to join us Friday, February 19th, and Saturday, February 20th, from 8 am to 4 pm Pacific. There is NO COST for this online conference. You get to enjoy it in your own home. It is our gift to you! There will be …
Posted by Monica Pond on January 19, 2021
The Dignity of Work & The Will to Choose It
Think about Santa. He works all day every day without pay to get ready for one exciting night when he works harder than he has ever worked before in order to bring happiness. Think about Jesus. He worked every day of His mortal ministry; teaching, leading, healing, walking, serving others, and travailing to prepare Him and us for the one night and day that He worked harder than He ever worked before to bring happiness and peace to the world. Think of the American Dream. Every person has the freedom to work hard every day doing what they want to do and create businesses, nonprofits, necessities of life, spread goodness and even change the world. Rafael Cruz said, “Only in America can someone start with nothing and achieve the American Dream. That’s the greatness of this country.” That’s the power of work. Work vs. Work I recently watched a TV …
Posted by Monica Pond on December 14, 2020
The Data About Dads and Child Self-Confidence
“Go long Porter!” said Dad to his 15-year-old son as they played Frisbee in the circle in front of our home. Dad and Porter throw Frisbees regularly in the evening. Am I mad that my husband is playing games with his son instead of helping me with the dinner preparation? No way! That play time is more vital that even he realizes. In fact, it’s because of that play time that Porter wants to work with his dad and be like his dad one day. It’s also one of the big factors in Porter’s confidence and high standards.Sometimes dads are given criticism for being a little bit too light-hearted, playful, or getting the children all wound up at the wrong times — like when it’s time for bed.When I was a little girl my dad would say, “Time for bed. How are we getting there tonight?” At this point, we …
Posted by Monica Pond on June 13, 2019
The Coronavirus Cure For Your Family
Could it be that Coronavirus could actually cure your family? Now families have to be together all the time. Some families think this sounds awful. If a family is thinking this, then they are in need of lots of family time, not the contrary.In an effort to turn this pandemic into a blessing for your family, I did a free webinar on March 21, 2020 to teach parents how to improve their family cultures. If you missed that event, here is a link to a part of that. This is a message all parents need to hear during this time.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5a2ENPFr_Y&t=7sHere is a link to the full webinar:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NWoGd4qYO4&t=3sDon’t let your spirits get down during this crisis. Families really can thrive during this time if they focus their efforts on strengthening their family cultures, instead of focusing on what they can’t do.
Posted by Monica Pond on March 25, 2020
The Building Heroes Podcast
(This event is not hosted by TSG. Nicholeen will be a guest speaker.) The Podcast will be available January 25th at https://podcast.buildingheroesacademy.com! ——————- As a parent, you love your kids so much and want to help them fulfill their potential. But sometimes the kickback you get from them makes you want to give up – or you try to MAKE them do what they are supposed to do! Parenting is difficult. But most worthwhile things are! How do you really help your kids live up to their potential without making them do it, or worse giving up on them? I’m excited to let you know about a NEW podcast that is launching to help you learn to help your kids take their own journeys to live up to their unique missions in life! Let me introduce you to my friend, Molly Christensen. She is a mother of 7 children, homeschooling …
Posted by Monica Pond on January 19, 2021
The Artificial Extension of Childhood
Are we holding our children back?In the past 80-100 years, society has started holding children back with an artificial extension of childhood instead of empowering them forward toward purpose and adulthood.Thomas At age 12, Thomas Edison convinced his parents to allow him to leave home in order to sell newspapers to Grand Trunk Railroad train line passengers. In no time he had started his own newspaper and opened a private laboratory in a railway baggage car. Edison was a 12-year-old entrepreneur. This was a steppingstone to the laboratories, inventions and businesses he would once be known for all over the world.Before you start thinking that Thomas Edison was an especially gifted child, you may want to know that he was kicked out of school at a young age because the teacher said he was not smart enough for school.So, how did this homeschooled world icon become the Edison we know …
Posted by Monica Pond on October 7, 2019
Talking About Nothing: Is It Healthy?
Our family loves games! We play card games, board games, outdoor games, sports, and imagination games. Sometimes we have conversations about games we play, but most of the time we talk about things of more substance such as family, improving relationships, truths we’ve found, books we’ve read, experiences we’ve had, memories we share, family history, skills, problem solving, religion, politics, goals, questions we have, and dreams. Once when talking about a game we both enjoyed, I analyzed a conversation with my son. It was fun to get excited about a game, but something was missing in that conversation that usually appeared in our other conversations. Purpose, personal impact, and unity were all missing from the conversation. People love when their conversations have meaning or purpose for their lives. When we leave a conversation that inspires us to become a better person or gives us an insight to ourselves or others …
Posted by Richard on June 1, 2020
Support Call 2-15-19
This Call Covers:Helping silly children who “take it too far”Creating a Family Vision in hard times
Posted by Nicholeen Peck on February 20, 2019
Stitching That Holds the Family Together
“If our society is coming apart at the seams, it is because the tailor and the seamstress in the home are not producing the kind of stitching that will hold under stress. In the name of giving advantages, we have too often bartered away the real opportunities of our children.” (1981, Be Thou an Example, Gordon B. Hinckley)In these modern times, Hinckley’s statement might be seen as too blunt or even not understanding of some parents who are trying their best to raise good children in these hard times. To focus on what this statement is not, however, misses the mark completely.This honest assessment by Hinckley is a call to action for parents. He was saying that parents are creating something in their homes. They are producers of a product, just as tailors and seamstresses are producers of clothing. The valuable products parents potentially produce are good adults who strengthen …
Posted by Monica Pond on January 4, 2019