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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
What Is Destroying Family Bonding?
There is an international parent/child bonding problem. The world has never seen a global lack of parent/child attachment like this before. Of course, there are factors leading to this detachment, factors that the world has also never seen before. Are we experimenting on our families and children and calling it good leadership? Have we given up our roles in the family for social conformity, loss of identity, and cluelessness? I know I’m not going to win many points with diligent, loving parents by calling them clueless. I’m not intending to be mean, but every day I see video after video that laughs at what parents don’t know. Comedians and YouTubers have never-ending fodder for their acts if parenting is continually equal to a joke. If parents are overly tough, people will laugh. If parents are passive, people will laugh. If parents are worn out and have attitude problems, people will …
Posted by Monica Pond on November 1, 2017
What Breaks Relationships And How To Fix Them
Relationships require selfless service to survive. Although there are multiple reasons people site for their relationship dysfunctions, from infidelity to arguments, relationship problems usually all have two things in common: dishonesty and selfishness. According to The Institute For Family Studies, the leading causes of divorce are: infidelity, incompatibility, drinking or drug use, growing apart, a lack of commitment, and too much arguing. In my own studies of families who are working to overcome dysfunctional family relationships and fractured family bonds through Teaching Self-Government parenting services, I’ve noticed that the main causes of broken or damaged family bonds can be grouped into a handful of reasons. These reasons include: lack of communication, laziness, not valuing family, arguing and fights, lies and manipulations, excuses for bad behavior, disrespect for parental authority and position of the child, losing common values, and only being concerned with one’s own feelings and wants. Every reason listed …
Posted by Monica Pond on December 28, 2020
What a Mother Wants Most!
It’s often said that “a mother’s work is never done.” There are multiple ways to see this sentiment. Either Mother never does her work, or Mother always has a task that needs doing, or perhaps that Mother is a mother no matter the age of her children. The first interpretation gives a negative and lazy view of Mother. The second seems to make Mother into a martyr to household chores. But, the third interpretation of this common saying offers wisdom and a vision of Mother’s key role in the lives of her family members forever. The focus of this article is this third interpretation. No matter how old her children and grandchildren grow, a mother is always invested in their welfare and concerned about their happiness and moral success. A few years ago, I came across a letter written by a mother during World War Two. It was a response …
Posted by Monica Pond on May 9, 2018
Treasure the Little Ones
As I rounded the corner of a shopping isle at a local grocery store, I heard crying. Through tears a young girl, about 8 years old, said, “Tell me what it is Mom. Tell me what this is.” The moment I turned into this isle, the mother was in the middle of yelling, “Shut up right now or you’ll be sorry!!!” The mother caught a quick glimpse of me and immediately pretended she was examining the paper towels on the shelf. Then she quickly walked away. She had four girls with her. The oldest looked about 13. The 13-year-old, who didn’t see me, grabbed her younger sister by the arm and whacked her on the back side as hard as she could. The older sister looked proud of herself — even though she now knew I was watching. Then the two of them quietly followed the group to the next …
Posted by Monica Pond on May 23, 2018
Traveling Trends Meet Parenting Problems
Family travel looks different these days than it used to. Today’s parents were raised in a slower time. Most families planned one or two trips a year, which were usually taken during school holidays, and in our case, in the family travel trailer. While there are still families that really don’t like to leave home for even one night (even though I don’t know any of them myself), the average household spends 2 percent of its annual income on travel expenses. A family’s average cost of travel is $4,700 per year according to Value Penguin and $4,300 per vacation according to Stuffed Suitcase. Many families spend around 30 days on vacation annually. What impact do all those travel days have on family relationships? I think the hope is that they be positive. Parents have always known that to create lasting memories, families need to have shared experiences for extended periods …
Posted by Monica Pond on June 18, 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
They’re Caught in the Moral Middle
Today’s children are caught in the middle of multiple moral battle zones. You could even say that children’s moral battles are divorcing them from their parents. One of the most common characteristics of a child with divorced parents is that the child feels pulled between the parents’ different values and lifestyles. It’s common for husbands and wives to get divorced because they start following different morals. The children are almost always caught in the middle of these two moral worlds and are left to decide which parent they want to follow. Unfortunately, children of divorce aren’t the only ones who feel caught in the middle of mixed moral messages. Even though most parents weren’t perfect youngsters, the majority still try to implement high moral standards at home and raise the moral bar higher than what they lived up to as youth. This is especially the case for parents who lived …
Posted by Monica Pond on August 1, 2018
There Are Other Ways
A few years ago, Paije, my daughter who was seven at the time, asked me, “Why do all the ants get flustered when the leaf drops in their path on the movie Bugs Life?” What a question. I had never really taken the time to analyze that part of the movie; probably because I never really liked that show.
Posted by Nicholeen Peck on November 9, 2017
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 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 Best Activity Place for Children
“Let’s stay at home for a while,” suggested my children after a month full of fun day trips, camping trips and cousin time. Even though they love all of these activities and seem to be able to go forever, they do need time at home too. While discussing our August schedule at a family council meeting the children suggested we spend the majority of the month at home doing our own stuff, like reading the books we had on our summer goal lists and playing our musical instruments. Home is the best activity place for children. Multiple times during this summer I’ve had mothers tell me that their children had begged them to stay home instead of going on outings. One mother said that her children asked if they could please play with their toys because they don’t have much time at home to use them. Yes, home is the …
Posted by Monica Pond on August 16, 2016