“I hate that I’ve been mean to my children before,” confessed a father I was speaking to recently. Instead of calmly handling difficult situations, this father had become frustrated a few times and lost his temper with his children. His voice tone and body were humble as he confessed this. He wasn’t making excuses for […]
Hope: Facing Toward Self-Government Read More »
If I planted a corn kernel in February, would I be disappointed when it didn’t turn into a large plant that same afternoon? Certainly not! Instead, I would get excited about the plant’s development as I waited for it to grow.
Parenting Programs: Is There a Quick Fix? Read More »
Historically, as young people approached the age of 18, they would start to spread their wings and transition into adulthood by stepping outside of their comfort zones. Sadly, times have changed. Today, many teens are feeling increasingly more inadequate to attempt adult tasks. In fact, they often don’t even feel comfortable talking to adults. In
Teen-Culture and the Land of Make Believe Read More »
Freedom in the family is the key to raising children who are freer and more independent. The problem is, most people don’t understand freedom. Many families institute complete license without consequences assuming that’s freedom and that it will lead to independent children. But in reality, it leads to emotional bondage and relationship dysfunction. Personal freedom
Raising Independent Children Read More »
“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
The Data About Dads and Child Self-Confidence Read More »
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
From “Just a Mom” to Being Showcased on a BBC Program Read More »
When I started learning self-government principles years ago, I was foster parenting some difficult children, most of whom were on medication and had severe anger issues and terrible eating habits.As I started teaching them self-government skills, many of the children no longer needed their medication. Sometimes the anger issues stopped immediately, but in other children the issues re-surfaced later. With these youth I looked at another aspect of self-government: their diet.
The Potential Nutrition Cure for “Difficult Children” Read More »
Recently, while texting with my oldest son, he asked, “Hey, what do you want for Mother’s Day?” I shouldn’t really admit that I don’t like those kinds of questions, but the truth is I don’t. Maybe it’s because my love language isn’t gifts, or maybe it’s because I never know what to say. The most
What Your Mother Really Wants Read More »
In an ideal world, children would dutifully do their chores not only as effectively as Mom or Dad would do them, but also without delay. Unfortunately, we don’t live in an ideal world. Human brains, especially child brains, are wired to find more efficient ways to do tasks in order to save time or effort.
Parents are meant to shepherd their children toward truth and safety, as well as in learning skills, in order to prepare them for the purposes of their lives. But not all shepherds are the same. Two sisters were given some sheep to care for, and a promise that the sheep would be of great value
Shepherding the Children Read More »
The multiculturalism of modern society, or desire to promote all ideas or ways of living as good, no matter their opposition to moral, religious, social, and familial cultural norms, is creating negativity and confusion when it comes to attitudes about marriage and family. People have spent their young years reading books and watching movies that
Condolences Are Not Appropriate Read More »
When my son was 12, he sang barbershop with his dad and grandpa.A few nights a week they had long rehearsals.One night, my son didn’t get to bed until midnight after a rehearsal.He slept in the next morning and realized he missed helping the Boy Scouts deliver flags for Pioneer Day.He said, “I guess I was just too tired to get up.”
Communication: More Than Talking Read More »
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
Healthy Independence vs. Rebellion Read More »
In his book, “The Power of Positive Thinking,” Norman Vincent Peale shares a story of a pastor talking to a painter about worrying. “Howard, don’t you ever worry?” the pastor asked the painter. The painter laughed and said, “No, not on your life. I don’t believe in it.” The painter goes on to tell how
Worry Not – Live Happy! Read More »
A while ago,I was driving down the highway looking at the clear blue sky and the snow-capped mountains.A bird with a bright yellow head and a black body was perched on a wooden fence on the side of the road.The mountains were so beautiful.The spring flowers were starting to bloom.The radio played my favorite classical music station.The drive felt calm, like a dream.
Fun is so important for good personal and family health.Every Sunday we choose a family activity to do together sometime thatweek.My children also set a fun goal for the week with their father.He asks about their goal and makes sure they accomplish it. It’s great relationship-building time with their dad.
Fun… So Important! Read More »
“Is it okay for children to correct their parents?” I often get asked by parents who are hoping to be just in their parenting. My answer to them is, “Well, that all depends how and when it’s done. There is a right way and a wrong way to correct children, and for children to correct
4 Rules to Remember for When They Try to Correct You Read More »
“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,
Stitching That Holds the Family Together Read More »
Even though the mistakes our children make are glaring us in the face, we also know that each of our children has certain attributes that make them wonderful, individual, and precious to us. Charitable parents focus more on those good, productive attributes than on the negative mistakes their children make daily. Each week I answer
Charitable Parenting Read More »
It’s all too common in many modern households to hear sighs, grumbling, complaining and whining from children when parents give reminders of daily work responsibilities, or when additional work assignments are given to children. But, before we think this is the way children have always felt about doing work or that everyone should feel work
How to Help Kids Enjoy Doing Work! Read More »
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
Grace is Behind the Thanks: Just Ask Mom Read More »
“Calmness is the rarest quality in human life. It is the poise of a great nature, in harmony with itself and its ideals. It is the moral atmosphere of a life self-centred, self-reliant, and self- controlled. Calmness is singleness of purpose, absolute confidence, and conscious power — ready to be focused in an instant to
2/3 of the Power Behind a Change of Heart Read More »
When today’s parents were children, the costume was all about sticking out individually. But today’s young people and families are leaning more and more toward theme costumes. Why is this? Well, modern youth and families are more about togetherness than their parent’s generation. Also, the youth seem to recognize the power of community and/or the
Strong Families Create a Halloween Sanctuary for Children Read More »
When the famed prime minister of England, William Pitt, was asked what made him a great prime minister, he didn’t say his hard work ethic, late night hours, or perseverance. He said, “Patience.” There are many attributes that are useful to parents as they’re raising their children during this often busy world full of attitude
Surviving Mom’s Worst Day Ever! Read More »
“There is no more war in my classroom, and there is no more war in my home.” Those were the words of a teacher from Kenya this summer. It was part of a parenting training I attended designed to teach Catholic leaders how to teach their families self-government skills and good communication. In the 19
Fighting Over The Judgement Seat Read More »
Janae and Trisha both have a 12-year-old son who has a habit of being defiant. Each woman struggles with having the confidence to help her son change his behaviors during his outbursts. So why is Trisha’s son making so much more progress on staying calm and listening to her than Janae’s? Why is Trisha’s confidence
Love of Instructions and Reproof Read More »
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
They’re Caught in the Moral Middle Read More »
A few years ago, I received a letter from a woman regarding her nine-year-old son, Colin. Her problem was one that many other parents face. Colin regularly spent the entire day procrastinating his chores. On top of it all, he had a bad attitude. He was sent to bed early, which meant he didn’t do his chores and thought he got away with it. The house was messy because Colin didn’t wash the dishes, and the mom was at her wit’s end — how can the family work around a stubborn child who is constantly seeing how far he can push to get out of his responsibilities?
He Won’t Do His Chores? Read More »
I recently asked a group of 10-year-old children what kinds of negative consequences their families have. “At our house, we sweep the floor and clean,” said one boy. “Mom gets mad and goes into a bad mood,” said another boy. “Mom used to send us to time out, but we don’t do that anymore,” said
What Children Think of Negative Consequences Read More »
2 – What kind of opportunities do you give for kids to follow through before getting consequences?
Example: It’s each of the children’s responsibility to make their bed, tidy their bedroom and get dressed before breakfast at 7:30.I try to say encouraging things to get the kids to hurry along by letting them know how much time has passed and how much is left before breakfast — even advertising what’s coming for breakfast to motivate them.But when they don’t do it, or don’t do it on time, I suddenly wonder what I should do.Do they miss breakfast?
Morning Routine Motivation Read More »
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
What Will You Sacrifice? Read More »
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
Treasure the Little Ones Read More »
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
What a Mother Wants Most! Read More »
I remember one day talking with a dear friendabout parenting.She told me that for about a monthshe was doing so good with the Teaching Self-Government principles in her home.She said she really saw results whenever she remembered the principles and used them.Then she said that her family went on a trip for a week.On the way home from the trip, she stopped using the Teaching Self-Government principles.She said that for some reason she just went back to her old, inefficient way of running things at home.
Staying Focused on Correct Parenting Principles Read More »
“I like Dad better than Mom,” I said to my younger brother one sunny afternoon while sitting on the back of our rusty old Suburban. The moment I said that I knew that just a few weeks prior I was telling him that I liked Mom better than Dad. I knew I had changed my
The Battle Hymn of a Just Parent Read More »
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
How Many Times Do We Have to Talk About the Phone? Read More »
“Mommy, what makes the moon shine?”askedmy six-year-old daughter, Londyn. “The moon reflects the light of the sun,” I responded. After a brief discussion about the moon and the sun, I realized that her question was really profound. Innocence almost always finds truth.I’m grateful for that.The moon reflects the light from the sun. It never turns its back on the sun either.It always faces it.The moon loses light when things get in the way, like the earth.The moon has the power to control the tides on the earth; the very thing that gets in the way.
Dear Nicholeen,I attended your seminar in Bountiful.I certainly had many other choices about how to use that time and I am very glad that I chose to come.I glanced at your blog the day before and because of that I took the time to speak with and hug my upset daughter before leaving, even when I thought I was already running late.I didn’t miss a thing and I was so glad that I took time for her.
Voice Tone: How Do You Sound? Read More »
“You never can tell with bees,” said A.A. Milne’s cherished character Winne-the-Pooh. This was Pooh Bear’s naive way of saying he didn’t understand why bees did the things they did. He made his best guesses, but he always seemed to guess wrong and find himself in a prickled gorse bush — instead of feasting on
Trade Time for Anger: Find Calmness and Patience Read More »
Despite the fact that my parents worked very hard to provide for their growing family, some experiences were memorable in an uncomfortable way. I’ll never forget driving through Death Valley during the summer. It was 105 degrees in the middle of the night. We did our best to keep us all from roasting to death
6 Tips for Making the Most of Your Car Time Together Read More »
A friend of mine asked me what she could do for her teenage exchange student. This student was in the middle of a multiple, day-long teenage tantrum. The mother had told her exchange student that she couldn’t attend a sleepover because the family doesn’t do sleepovers. The teenage exchange student, in turn, became very emotional
Stopping Conflicts Before They Start Read More »
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
Who Are You This Christmas?! Read More »
Reaching a child’s heart is vital for awakening his conscience and morally training him to desire to make good choices, but structure also has a part to play in training the heart. This is a true story, and a new parenting lesson, of how to help a person understand the truths behind your teachings. Structure
How to Reach the Heart of Your Child… and Yourself Read More »
In a world full of sexual depravity, diverse addictions, familial dysfunction, lascivious social platforms, manipulative media, and irate people of all ages, is it possible to even hope for our children to have an innocent upbringing? A routine trip through a store like Walmart, for example, can start a child’s brain processing in sexual and
The Illusion of Innocence Facing Today’s Children Read More »
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
What Is Destroying Family Bonding? Read More »
Younas and Martha Martin are from a small Christian community in Lahore, Pakistan. While looking for a school to send their daughter to, they researched the top U.S. universities to see which ones had the strongest family values. They ultimately decided upon Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. After their daughter married and settled down
Christian Families in Pakistan Uniting to Learn Self-Government Read More »
My son, Porter, loves to visit a restaurant near our home named “Porter’s Place”. Recently our family was eating there around a big round table and one of the children said, “Dad, tell us that story from your childhood about the fire you shouldn’t have started in the field near your home.” At this point
10 Ways to Create Stories That Unite Us Read More »
It might seem unusual to share this personal letter publicly, but I felt many mothers and fathers could relate. My two oldest children have recently left from home. The combination of those events, the ongoing negative messaging about motherhood and families, as well as a few positive events (like the upcoming Mom’s March), inspired me
A Letter of Hope From a Mother To Her Children Read More »
This is the time of year the focus of the world is on education and preparing our children to learn and grow toward success. We enroll the children in classes, schools, programs and activities in hopes they will get an education to prepare them for the future. Is our current educational plan adequate for the
Lest We Forget: The Vision of Educating Young People Read More »
This comment was made by a blogger. My comments arebelow.
“Our family has serious lack of enjoyment issues. I think we just don’t know how to have fun because we are afraid to spend any money on frivolousness when we have debts to pay, and we have not done anything for so long, we don’t know what to do to just get away and have fun together.”
Family Activities don’t have to cost.
Loosen Up! It Makes Life Fun! Read More »
I was standing at the kitchen sink washing dishes, when all of the sudden the happy children noises from the basement changed into cries and yells. I remember distinctly hearing a sad noise or yell from each of my four children. Now, doing the dishes seemed fun compared with sorting out what happened in the basement. I dried my hands and took a deep breath. I wanted to make sure I was calmso that the obviously stressful situation wouldn’t control my emotions. A clear head and calm soul can change hearts and teach minds.
“Every time you’re silly, somebody always gets hurt.” Read More »
Self-government is being able to determine the cause and effect of any given situation and possessing a knowledge of your own behaviors so that you can control them. This means that each person decides what type of person they ought to be and plans for how to become this person. When, as it always does,
To Find Personal Success, Give Yourself a “No” Answer Read More »
“Mom, I think I’m in a phase where I just want to dress comfortable instead of cute. For the last couple of weeks, I don’t even think about dressing nice,” said Londyn, my 15-year-old daughter who has an eye for style, and who always looks good. “Do you think it’s really a phase?” I asked.
Is That Behavior a Phase or a Warning Sign? Read More »
Bethany, a troubled parent, recently shared a shocking story that all too often illustrates what parents nowadays are dealing with: “After we caught our 11-year-old son sending pornographic photos of himself to strangers on Snapchat, we took his phone away. We told him he could have it back in a couple of weeks, but that
Modern Times Call for Pioneering Parenting Read More »
For years I’ve heard adults complain about how disrespectful teenagers are with a tone that suggests the teenagers should fix their problem. I found myself wondering if it was really totally the teenagers’ problem, and if it was possible for teenagers to fix the culture of disrespect all alone. After many years of helping families
Can Teenagers Conquer the Culture of Disrespect Alone? Read More »
The role of fatherhood seems to have been under attack for a good portion of my 42 years of life. When I was very young, I watched “The Brady Bunch.” It featured a smart and socially appropriate father whose children turned to him for wisdom. Other programs like “Little House on the Prairie” also had
Freeing Fathers from False Identities Read More »
A friend of mine recently shared her journey “from scattered to scheduled” with me. She said, “I’ve struggled for years to try to conquer my inability to live a scheduled life. I saw people with their fancy planners and knew I needed to make a change, so I started a planner too. Now the problem
From Scattered and Over-Scheduled to Stress-Free: Self-Government for Adults Read More »
“He’s not breathing really well, and they tell us he’ll likely die in a day or two…” a mother was explaining to a group of adults about her father-in-law, and her young son’s grandpa. Her son was sitting in an adjacent room with his good friend, but he wasn’t playing as his mother likely thought
10 Thoughts Children Have That Might Surprise Parents Read More »
Considering the consistent shouts for equality for women and the blatant attacks on motherhood, motherhood needs defending. I’m fairly certain public school had a negative effect on me and my identity. When I was a small girl, I loved nothing more than playing house, taking care of my baby dolls, and babysitting. But, by the
Defending Motherhood Read More »
One night, after my parents left to go on a date, my brother and I started fighting. I vividly remember the fight getting to the point where both of us were standing on a couch threatening each other with broomsticks. This sad memory changed me. Many times over the years I’ve had that memory return,
6 Steps for Making Siblings Friends, Not Foes Read More »
Even though there’s violence dotting the globe, the largest battle of our day isn’t physical. It’s a war of words. All these words are supposed to lead the listeners to truth. Often the talk feels cheap even though the claim is each new idea, paradigm and argument is the most valuable. Is this word war
Truth Be Told…Influence of Family is Astounding! Read More »
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
Have Millennials Been “Dealt a Bad Hand?” Read More »
No matter how many different types of resolutions we choose to write down and work on this coming year, all the items on our lists are actually just one resolution. At first glance this statement may seem like an attempt to simplify resolutions to make successfully accomplishing them easier. But understanding that all resolutions point
Resolutions Are All the Same, and That’s the Way it Should Be! Read More »
“Look what I got for Christmas,” said my friend Megan as she held up a single serving package of crackers with a small red stick for the spreadable cheese. At eight years old I was shocked. There I was holding my new doll and standing next to my doll’s stroller. Immediately I knew I needed
A Heart-Melting Christmas Read More »
In the United States we have a new president. Some people are elated about this and others are sorrowing. Regardless of where each of us is on this spectrum of election emotions, change is in the air. Change is difficult for all of us, but especially for children. Not only are the children of the
Helping Children Feel Secure in an Emotional and War-Ridden World Read More »
The first cellular phone became available to the public in 1984. By 2007 Apple had made the Apple iPhone, which has since taken the cellular phone world by storm. In 23 short years, society went from brick-sized phones to handheld computers. Today, smart phones are everywhere. Even many of the tribal people in Africa now
Is Giving a Child a Smart Phone Smart? Facts to Consider Read More »
When I was young my mother traditionally made clam chowder in bread bowls for our Halloween dinner. It was hot, yummy and fast — which allowed us to quickly move along to the Halloween fun. One year, all those many years ago, my mother dispensed with clam chowder and made dinner in a pumpkin. It
Dinner in a Pumpkin: Our Halloween Tradition Read More »
Sometimes, no matter how diligently parents try to teach their children and unify their families, they are met with opposition. Sunday Evening 1986 “It’s time for family council,” said Dad, as usual one Sunday evening. “How long is it going to take?” “We hate family council!” “Urgh!” “I’m tired. Can I go to bed?” said
Hope For Homes Everywhere! Read More »
Goals and commitments: what is the difference between these two? And shouldn’t there be synthetic consequences for goals as well as commitments? Listen to this audio to learn more!
Goals And Commitments: Consequences For Both Read More »
“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
The Best Activity Place for Children Read More »
“There is no substitute for hard work.” (Thomas Edison) Years ago, when I was planning a Teaching Self-Government trip to China, a good friend of mine said, “Nicholeen, what are you going to tell parents in China who don’t understand why their child should earn an extra chore? Most parents don’t have their children do
4 Ways to Help Children Enjoy Chores and Become Good Workers Read More »
High-functioning Autism/Asperger’s can cause children to have a hard time focusing on the task at hand. Simple tasks often becomehour-long undertakings,ending up with parent andchild frustrated and angry.
Helping Children With Asperger’s To Stay Focused Read More »
While sitting at an airport I saw a darling girl, maybe age 14, sitting on a different row of seats than the rest of her family. The parents and brother were talking and trying to engage her in their activities and conversation, but she was in her own little world and would not participate. For
6 Digital Dangers & Sensible Solutions for Families Read More »
In November 2015 we visited Kenya and taught many religious leaders, teachers, social workers, family advocatesand parents how to teach self-government in Kenya. It was the first time we did a training like this outside of the United States. When we departed, we had a prayer in our hearts that the wonderful Kenyan TSG mentors
Self-Government Teachers In Kenya Report In This Video Read More »
Fighting over seat positions in the car, teasing, bragging, one-uping… Does any of this sound familiar? Do situations like these arise frequently in your home between your children? These situations are classified assibling rivalry.It can be very distracting and disruptive in the home.
What Inspires Sibling Rivalry? Read More »
It really is shocking. Society is transforming tremendously fast. In the past 10 years the United States has become drastically divided as a nation on important issues like the value of life, the value of religious institutions and morals, and the value of the natural family — as well as what constitutes proper education. The
Counter-Cultural Parenting Part 1 Read More »
Recently I was invited to be a guest speaker on the Joyful Living Podcast with Quinn Curtis. The presentation was completely new and really spontaneous! I think you will like it. Some of the topics covered are: Entitlement issues in children What joyful living looks like How to balance home life and work or other
Nicholeen Talks About How She Lives Joyfully And MUCH More! Read More »
This is a video of a new, exclusive class I gave at the World Congress of Families IX, a conference that brought together speakers from all over the world to talk about the family.
New Exclusive Class! Merry Christmas! Read More »
Every year I read Christmas stories to my children each morning for the twelve days of Christmas, and then on December 23rd we read stories and sleep under the Christmas tree for Christmas Eve Eve. It’s one of our favorite Christmas traditions. One story that always gets read on the build-up to Christmas Eve Eve
Christmas Gift Of Identity Read More »
I’ve never liked the part in the Christmas song It’s Beginning To Look Like Christmas when it says “Mom and Dad can hardly wait for school to start again.” Every time I hear this it makes me sad. Sad that parents wouldn’t enjoy their children and that they would want them to go away, and
Christmas Contention Resolved! Read More »
“You have blessed our lives and our families so much.” “Thank you so much for coming to teach us! You have to come back. Kenya is a big place. We need more teachings like this.” “I have to admit that I never thought anything good ever comes from America. You have proven me wrong. This
Kenyans Show Gratitude For Self-Government Teachings: Our Report Read More »
There is hardly a day that goes by that I don’t find myself laughing, belly-laugh type laughing, with my children. Just the other day Porter and I were driving down the road and I mixed my words up which was kind of comical. When this happened, Porter started laughing. Then I started laughing. We ended
Laugh Therapy For Families Read More »
In recent months, there have been many news stories, YouTube videos and social media posts that show parents getting creative with their discipline techniques to get through to their children. Everyone wants to know if these creative measures are healthy or harmful. I would like to talk specificallyabout public shaming and its use as a
Public Shaming — Is It Creative or Just Wrong? Read More »
Our family memorizes a poem and a scripture each week. Every day after we have our family scripture time, we say the poem and the scripture three times each. After a week, we usually have them memorized. This brief moment of deliberate daily memorization has created an atmosphere of learning and deep discussion in our
The Family Is Like A Book Read More »
Parenting Lessons From A Ten Year Old “Oh Mom, that is so sad!” said ten-year-old Porter when he got in the car after our fun family night activity. “What is so sad Porter?” I inquired. “That little boy, only about three years old, in the car next to us didn’t want to get in his
Are Your Children Slaves to the Media? Read More »
It is traditional in western culture to pause for a moment each New Year and write resolutions for the upcoming twelve months. I have always done this, but I have to admit that some years I haven’t really felt like the process was really worth it. I mean, I have thought hard about what I
“I Resolve…” 5 Steps For Keeping Your Resolutions This Year Read More »
There was a time, not too long ago, when if something was described as “traditional” it was given special attention and even honored socially. Now days many people use the word in a negative way.
Traditions Are Not Taboo Read More »
When I was a little girl I remeber making Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy Christmas ornaments for our red, white and blue tree. I also remember taking a yucky bite out of one of them too. (Most children will try it once.) Make a fun Christmas memory with your children today by making these easy
Fun And Easy Christmas Craft For Kids Read More »
“We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.” (Cynthia Ozick) When I was nine years old I had a terrible bicycle accident and broke my back in five places and fractured my skull. It is a miracle that I have been able to live a relatively normal life. However, through
Confessions of Ingratitude Read More »
To create a rock-hard family, we must first understand the terms involved. What does it mean to be rock hard? The adjectives solid, firm and impenetrable come to mind. If we can create a bond between the members of our family that fits this description, we will have created a family that is impenetrable to
Creating Rock-Solid Families for Tough Modern Times Read More »
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/tsghomeschool Ever since the BBC show came out and people recognized that I homeschool my children, I have been flooded with requests to talk about what I do at my home, and how to homeschool. I have made some audio shorts in the past talking about some of the things I do to homeschool my
How To Homeschool with Nicholeen Peck Read More »
I have a few poems that are my all time favorites. This is one of them. It reminds me that to have courage when I need it most I must already have it within me. I must nurture my courage each day as I step out of my comfort zone and do hard thing after hard thing.
Families all over the world recently gathered around their computers to see how to have a great family night. This video is fun for all ages. Could the “cure for the common cold-hearted world” be as simple as having weekly family night activities and laughing and loving as a family? For many years family experts
No More Boring Family Nights! Video of Awesome And Easy Family Night Activities Read More »
Support Group [weekly GEM] Songs are powerful. They can change the mood in a room, and can change hearts. Of course the wrong kind of music can change the feeling in a room or heart for the worse, but uplifting music with a true message easily makes people and environments feel comfortable. My children aren’t
A Song For Teaching Children To Love Their Siblings Read More »
This is the best family idea we have had in a long time!
Do Your Family History in One Minute A Day And Change The Lives of Your Family Forever! Read More »
People always ask me how they can change their voice tone. Well, since I had to figure that out for myself years ago, while doing foster care, I thought it should share the three ways of speaking with you too. Listen to this short audio clip about choosing your voice tone and how to recognize
Support Group: Finding Your Effective Voice Tone Read More »
In 2010 I was asked to go to China to help parents and children become more united. While there, one question kept coming up, no matter whether I was speaking on the radio, or speaking to parent or school groups. “How do I help my children succeed in school?” Studying education has been a passion
Helping Children Succeed In School Read More »
Recently, I came across a quote that said that the “spiritual solidarity of the family” would determine the success of many things, such as churches and societies. This inspired a lot of thought. We all know the family’s role in society is crucial. In fact, the whole of society pivots around the family. We know
How Can The Family Transform The World Read More »
Happy Mother’s Day! I hope you have planned how you will spend your special day. I usually try to find ways to serve my family like a good mother does. Years ago I fell into the trap of feeling entitled on Mother’s Day. I thought it was my day off. After being thrown up on
One Secret For Turning Mother’s Day Into The Best Day! Read More »
A timely Mother’s Day message. To understand mothers is to understand their power. Some people think that women are only powerful if they become less like women and…
Irreplaceable Mothers: The Power of Moms Who Know Their Roles Read More »
