No matter the amount of technology that’s developed to filter devices in order to keep children from viewing objectionable material, the mental, physical and spiritual risks of digital devices facing children have never been greater. Note: In this article I’m using the word “phone” liberally to mean all digital devices that are in regular use in the lives of our children. Parents commonly share with me the concerns they have about their child’s cell phone usage and how they feel they’re constantly talking about phone usage. They mention children sneaking phones when they shouldn’t have them; not giving the phones up to the parent when they are supposed to; overusing the phone during alone time, in classroom settings, and in social situations; and missing sleep because of phone usage. It doesn’t have to be this way. Parents don’t have to battle these digital devices to reach the hearts and minds …

How Many Times Do We Have to Talk About the Phone? Read More »

Posted by Monica Pond on April 13, 2018

(This event is not hosted by TSG. Nicholeen Peck will be a guest speaker.) September 24-25, 2021  

Posted by Monica Pond on September 20, 2021

“That girl was so rude!” a girl about age 12 said to her mother as she skated off of the roller rink. Immediately her mother started toward the mother of the “rude” girl to tell her to control her daughter and to tell the daughter to apologize for her unkindness. This mother clearly loved and cared for her daughter and was her daughter’s social advocate. “But,” I wondered, “why is this mother not advocating for the social and emotional strength of her daughter?” It’s always hard when we see our children mistreated by other people. I vividly remember feeling a pang in my heart when my son was excluded from social situations because he was homeschooled, and when boys in the neighborhood tried to bully him because he was different. However, I thought differently than the other mother. I realized that these hard, often offensive moments in life would end …

Helping Children Deal With Offensive Situations Read More »

Posted by Monica Pond on August 23, 2021

Dealing with tantrums is the part of parenting which most parents dread. They hope their sweet little baby will not ever hit the toddler tantrum phase or the even worse teenage temper tantrum phase.As a young mother, I was just as afraid of toddler tantrums as the next person.

Posted by Nicholeen Peck on April 13, 2012

Many parents of teen- or pre-teen-aged youth are confused about whether teenage rebellion is an attitude problem or whether the child is displaying healthy independence. When attitude problems seem like rebellion, parents wonder if rebellion is natural or simply a modern social construct that societies now think is developmentally normal.Rebellion is as old as the story of man. Who can forget the violent Old Testament story of Cain rebelling against God and killing his own brother Abel? Surely, rolling eyes and ignoring parents isn’t as serious as killing a person. Yet, it is still rebellion against the proper order of things and the self-evident roles instituted for training the rising generations. Teaching cannot be effectively done by parents if rebellion leads a family to relationship dysfunction.Family GovernmentThe most basic government structure is the family government. In the family an order is supposed to exist that maintains the parents’ roles as …

Healthy Independence vs. Rebellion Read More »

Posted by Monica Pond on March 6, 2019

The political climate is pretty hot right now! Threats, scandals, verbal attacks, social unrest, corruption, and control tactics are all part of the current political scene. People are preparing for the worst no matter what the United States election turns out like. What preparations are the most effective? Preparing your own heart to be calm and focused on truth is the best way to prepare. Having self-government during times of political drama is what principled people do to stay calm. However, to have self-government a person must plan ahead.   Lessons Learned From The Last Presidential Election   Following the election four years ago, angry rioters took to the streets destroying property and making cities unsafe. Some US cities became hotbeds of hate; much like people are fearing might happen this election.   When I was at the United Nations in March of 2017, people even protested me, blocked hallways, …

Having Self-Government During Political Drama Read More »

Posted by Monica Pond on November 2, 2020

Those born approximately 1982-2004 are often referred to as Millennials. They’ve been teased in countless online videos, articles and casual conversations. They’re often mocked for the way they see themselves, view the world, believe where happiness comes from, and for their position on the purpose of life. The characteristic of their generation that is most talked about and seems to be the most obvious problem is their sense of entitlement. Sinek suggests that their social entitlement has led to their generation having the highest addiction, suicide and depression rates. Suffice it to say that many of them are generally not happy. Simon Sinek, who calls himself an optimist and spends his days helping businesses create the kind of business environments that produce leaders and change the world for good, said that he kept getting asked what to do about the problems facing Millennials and the businesses employing them. In a …

Have Millennials Been “Dealt a Bad Hand?” Read More »

Posted by Monica Pond on January 11, 2017

This Thanksgiving Day is dedicated to feeling and expressing gratitude for our blessings. Are you grateful for who you are and the roles you have? Two Mothers Two mothers, Tina and Katy, are watching the ball game of their oldest sons. Their boys play for the same team. Each mother has other children busily running around on the sidelines as well. Each mother attempts to support her ball-playing son by watching all his plays on the field, while also trying to keep her other children from causing any problems for onlookers or officials. Tina’s 5-year-old daughter walks up to her 6-year-old son and says something. The son punches his sister. She whines to Mom to get her attention. Immediately, the son whines to Mom as well. Each are crying that the other did something mean to them. Tina ignores the situation and hopes it will go away so that she …

Grace is Behind the Thanks: Just Ask Mom Read More »

Posted by Monica Pond on November 20, 2018

Have you ever completely lost control of yourself and you weren’t exactly sure why? This can happen to anyone. This usually means that you’ve been triggered in some way. There’s so much talk about emotional triggers nowadays that triggers are turning into common excuses for poor behavior. Could it be that we might sometimes be interpreting bad triggers as good and good triggers as bad? Triggers can be used for good or bad. If you understand how your feelings impact your thoughts and actions you can train yourself to use those pesky negative triggers as triggers for good thoughts and behavior instead of bad. Even calmness can be positively triggered by what used to be a bad trigger, if the person has properly replaced the bad trigger with a good one. That’s what this article’s all about. Understanding Triggers Everyone has triggers, not just people with anxiety or trauma-filled pasts. …

Good Triggers vs. Bad Triggers and Calm Communication Skills Read More »

Posted by Monica Pond on September 7, 2020

When I first decided to leave my high-paying career to stay home with my toddler son and daughter, I had to remind myself that I was picking the greater good. I was in the funeral industry and was really needed at an important time in people’s lives: the death of a loved one. I felt really needed at the office, but the pull to be with my young children daily seemed to be more important in the long term.To achieve my motherhood goal,I chose to become a foster parent for troubled teens to help pay the bills while my husband returned to school.So, I left my power position to be “just a mom” and put my whole heart and soul into my role. I read to my children, taught them, played with them, and helped them overcome challenges. As we dove into family life with a passion, we helped to …

From “Just a Mom” to Being Showcased on a BBC Program Read More »

Posted by Monica Pond on May 31, 2019

Is your teenaged child not getting everything done that they need to in the day? Are they slacking off on their duties and assignments? I had a mother present me with a similar situation, concerned about her 16-year-old son and his lack of productivity. She couldn’t quite determine whatwas going on and wanted some advice.

Posted by Nicholeen Peck on May 2, 2017

My husband is a neat and tidy sort of a person. There was a time when our family was living out of laundry baskets instead of closets and drawers, because I just wasn’t able to stay on top of the laundry like I would have liked to.Spencer suggested the topic of having a set time for the laundry to be done and put away. I didn’t make any comments, because I didn’t want to get involved in his problem solving.Figuring out what someone wants is the first step for helping them have ownership of their thoughts and actions. Problem solving in relationships requires discerning what the person really wants in order to see what is needed to inspire change in the person. Step #1- Ask him

Posted by Nicholeen Peck on June 15, 2008