by Nicholeen Peck The many messages telling us how we ‘should’ live our lives can be dizzying. It seems to me everyone has a plan for us; from advertisers to organizers. For years, I’ve sat in committee meetings and witnessed presentations laced with presumptions and conclusions based on someone else’s value system – their plan […]
What Matters Most Wins Out Read More »
Families are concerned about their children who are struggling with stress and anxiety. Why are stress and anxiety so prevalent nowadays, and what can families do to help in loving ways? Understanding Stress and Anxiety Stress and anxiety are real feelings that many children suffer with daily. According to Georgetown University Health Policy Institute Center
7 Tips For Reducing Stress and Anxiety In Children Read More »
Some people seem to be naturally patient, while others seem to struggle with increasing patience because of their strong/hard natures or how they were nurtured. However, when patience is more understood, we all might find that we’re taking more steps toward patience than we think we are. And, if we keep taking those steps, then
4 Steps For Increasing Your Patience Read More »
Diplomacy is dying. MSN’s Feb 18, 2022 article called, “Is This The Year Of The Angry Parent? The GOP Hopes So,” talked about how parent anger about masks and social issues was helping the GOP and causing a problem. Yahoo News declared, “A parents’ revolt is currently sweeping the nation,” in their Feb 18, 2022
The Death of Diplomacy And The Impact On Children Read More »
Sadly, teaching strategies for proper social and emotional health are often unorganized and conflicting. Parents are left feeling like they need to choose between teaching children to have self-control and teaching children to be emotionally heard. These choices seem like opposites to most people. But, to a person who has true emotional intelligence, both of
One Easy Way To Increase Emotional Maturity In Children Read More »
We can’t afford to serve two masters anymore because our children’s hearts and minds are a prize to be won. For years now, society and media have dually honored both animalistic sexual license as well as humanely nurturing the innocence of children and admiring the goodness of God. Unsurprisingly, basic nurturing and some of God’s
Children, The Sexual Target? Read More »
An online school teacher was recently giving me the highlights of his career. He proudly told me that his favorite part of his job was that he gets to teach children discernment. I could see how this would be exciting for him but was also instantly concerned. A series of “what if” questions came to
Are You Teaching Children Discernment? Read More »
Parents and school administrators have requested that I make a short, free curriculum that parents can use to help their children navigate some of the social issues children are often forced to encounter at young ages. This curriculum is basic but deep, and it’s a principle-based lesson plan to help parents prepare their children to
Stand Out & Speak Up – Self-Government Principles For Our Day! (Curriculum) Read More »
Chris W. shared this shocking story with me about his experience last week with his son at a California park. “My son and I were playing soccer at a park in the bay area of California. Multiple African American boys came up to my son and started punching him in the head for no reason.
Is Critical Race Theory Hurting Our Children? Read More »
Think of the voices that surround our children. Voices leading children to love money, God, family, power, popularity, prestige, entitlement, activism, intellectual achievement, personal worth, truth, pleasure-seeking, time wasting, productivity, industry, judgment, despair, and more. It’s easy to see how some of these voices mislead and hurt a child’s potential. Yet, these voices oftentimes come
Hurting or Helping Children | The Battle For Hearts And Loyalties Read More »
In 2012, a woman attending one of my Teaching Self-Government parenting trainings began to cry in the middle of my presentation about different styles of parenting. She timidly raised her hand and I called upon her to speak. Through sobs and tears she said, “My mom was that modern progressive, permissive type of parent you
Reclaiming The Right To Parent Our Own Children Read More »
A mother recently asked me how to help her daughter feel motivated to do anything besides sit around the house. She isn’t alone. With the new quarantine lifestyle, many families are thriving with the increase of family time, personal time, and relationship-building. But, even the most involved parents can still find that their child might
Simple Solutions for Lack of Motivation Problems Read More »
One of the primary roles of parents is to be a leader of their children. Dedicated, motivated parents are usually one of two kinds of leaders; ambitious leaders or led leaders. While ambition seems like a powerful quality in a leader, it’s flawed because ambition is self-serving. On the other hand, a leader who is
The Truth About Ambitious Parents Read More »
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
The Coronavirus Cure For Your Family Read More »
Trapped! That’s what many people feel like they are right now. Many children are complaining of being bored, or worse, having way too much screen time. Stress is infiltrating more homes globally by the day because businesses are closing their doors, people are losing their jobs, bills are still coming due, social distancing is making
How to Thrive When You’re Trapped Inside Read More »
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
The Artificial Extension of Childhood Read More »
I’ve been writing about the best practices in raising children since 2006. During this time, I’ve covered a variety of subjects, but never did I think I would end up writing about a topic like this. No matter where you live or how you choose to educate your children, this database scandal could likely affect
Public Databases Destroying “Safe Places” For Children 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 »
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 »
The other day I was attending a very heated legislative committee meeting in Utah where changes to the way state school teachers teach about sexual health were proposed. I recognized someof the legislators were not acknowledging the real solution to the problems facing teenagers. Debate and public comments on the proposed changes went on for
Solutions for Today’s Teenage Sexual Problems Read More »
Let’s be careful not to bully our children into not being bullies. In a recent Huffington Post article a mother talked about how she taught her daughter”to damn well treat people right.” (Sorry for the language. That washer exact quote.) In the article the motherthreatened her daughter with no ride to school if the daughter
What If Your Child Is A Bully? Read More »
No matter where your children go to school or what age they are, there is one lesson they must have for their future happiness and success — and it’s one only parents can teach properly. This is the time of year when children worldwide begin anew learning secular subjects like history, math and reading for
Moral Back-To-School Lesson For Families Read More »
Preparing children for college requires more than helping them get good grades and financial aid. The most important preparation a parent can provide is to give their child the tools they need to think and communicate effectively. It’s never too soon to start teaching these valuable life lessons. Recently, while visiting a university campus, I
Preparing Your Child For College: Start Now! Read More »
Becoming an adult requires doing adult things, and learning adult skills for daily living and communication. Planning a party is a great way to do all three of these things. Recently, my children planned parties. See what they did and learned here.
Party School: Learning Adult Skills For Life Read More »
Why does everyone think they are bad at math? It’s like an epidemic in our country. Just saying the word math can make some people get anxiety. I have to admit I was raised hating math too. Let me clarify. I loved thinking, but I hated memorizing formulas and procedures. I didn’t see the point.
Math Class Needs A Make-Over Video Read More »
By Nicholas Pond Are you teaching your child to play the “grade game”? If you are…you’re not alone. Everyone in the educational institutions from the principal, to the teachers, to the students themselves have been doing the same thing…teaching your child to play the “grade game”. While grades are important as a rule, they should
Teach Your Child To Learn By Principle Not Principal 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 »
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 »
What is a teacher or parent to do when they have a group of troublesome toddlers or cheeky children? They don’t stay in their chairs, they crawl all over the carpet when they are supposed to be listening to a lesson, they talk out of turn and to each other, they don’t participate, and they
Give Me 5! – Obedience Chart For Class Settings Or Group Teaching 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 »
What is a patriot? Do they exist today?
In Webster’s 1828 dictionary, it says that the word “patriot” comes from the Latin word “patria” which means “father or native country.” This detailed dictionary also says that a patriot is someone who supports and defends the interests of his country. A patriot is “devoted to the welfare of one’s country.”
As I pondered this definition I wondered how many patriots we really have in our world today. I know that many people profess to be…
In James Madison’s essay “Property” it says, “…a man has a property in his opinions and the free communication of them. “He has a property of peculiar value in his religious opinions, and in the profession and practice dictated by them…” This is a piece of the philosophy of the founding of the United States.
Five Ways To Protect The Consciences Of Our Children Read More »
Math is stressful! Some people get anxiety when they do math. In fact, I bet most people have felt anxious about one math concept or another over the years. Stretching the brain can be frustrating and can even hurt sometimes. One day my eight year old son, Porter, was doing his math. It was a
Hugs Make Math Easier! ~ Stress Relief Techniques Read More »
About 75 years ago, ten year old Tommy Monson had a Sunday School teacher only six years older than he was named Phyllis Bowden. Even though Phyllis was young, she knew the fundamentals of being a teacher to young children and took her role and responsibility seriously. So, when young Tommy became “quite fond of spit wads” Phyllis knew how to handle the problem. When Tommy wouldn’t stop his bad behavior Phyllis sent him to the bishop’s office to talk about the issue.
It Doesn’t Have To Be That Way: Role Reversal Read More »
Many parents wonder what to do about problems at school. Sometimes the best behavior therapy for classroom behaviorshappens at home. The video interview below discusses what parents can do about school related behavior problems.
Other parents want to know how to prepare their children for educational success. No matter what way you choose to educate children at your house, you will gain a lot from hearing this conversation between veteran teacher and college professor, Nicholas Pond, and homeschool mother, Nicholeen Peck, about school pro
School Problems? Making Your Child A Genius! Read More »
This week I was invited back to Family Voice Talk Radio with BJ Stober, family therapist to talk about helping children overcome difficult behaviors, and strengthen relationships at the same time. ,
Breaking bad habits is no easy task. Habits are like snow flakes. They fall ever so softly, but then before you know it you have something powerful, and often destructive, like an avalanche. However, even though habits can seem p
How To Break A Habit: More Than Behavior Modification Read More »
“I am not a teenager and here’s why…” said a group of youth one day during a discussion on the article by Dr. Michael Platt, The Myth Of The Teenager. One after one each of the group of fifteen or so youth declared why they were not or would not be teenagers.
Becoming A Youth: The Answer To Teenager Problems Read More »
A Mother’s Question About Building Self Esteem In Children
“Emma said to me at bedtime that she thinks that she’s ugly. I’m not exactly sure where she heard this since I’m always telling her how cute she is, but what would you say to your kids if they said that?”
Improving Self Esteem: How To Build Self Confidence In Children Read More »
There are many ways to show love for family members. However, in our family, we don’t write to each other as much as we talk to each other or do acts of service. So, for one of our family activities we decided to make a family mail system.
You’ve Got Mail! Love Note Ideas Read More »
This might seem off topic, but I don’t know if it really is. I think having motivated students is something all parents work for. The question was posed to me: Nicholeen, what do you do to prepare your teenage youth for academic success?
On a recent conference call I went into great detail on the subject. As a special treat I have the recording of that call to share with you today.
OT: How To Motivate Students To Learn Read More »
A few years ago I noticed a new sign posted at our local swimming pool. The sign read, “Absolutely no cell phone use in the locker rooms!”
At first, when I saw the sign I felt like some of my rights had been taken away or something. It felt like I was being controlled.
Teenagers And Cell Phone Use: Warning! Read More »
(This article contains Nicholeen’s daily home and school schedule for this coming year & a video of how she makes a yearly plan forthe family.)
We have all heard the term “super mom” before. Some people have a positive association with the term. They think, “Wow, that lady is amazing. I want to be a super mom like her.” And, some have a negative association with the term.
Preparing For School With An Ex-Super Mom & My Homeschool Schedule Read More »
Last week I talked about how there are certain skills which are important to posess for social success. These skills are different from the self-government skills I teach in myParenting A House United
Social Success: Too Little Friend Time Part 2 Read More »
Can You Have Too Little Friend Time?
“ Importance of Child Development: Are Friends Essential? Part 1 Read More »
A parent’s work isn’t limited to working with our own children. Sometimes we are in situations when we are in charge of other people’s children. Occasions where this most likely happens are at church, when friends come over, at clubs, in school settings, and on outings. These times are enjoyable, but can also be complete disasters.
Classroom Behavior Problems Read More »
“I have a9yo daughter. Although she is considered as the best in her class and even in her grade, me and my wife are sometimes still frustrated as we have been trying hard to seek for a way to teach her to be more confident in her life and more concentrated in her lessons at
Helping Children Succeed In School Read More »
My daughter has a hard time to stay on task with homework. Yet when she reads a book, she can not get away from the book. We are trying to praise her more often. What other suggestion(s) do you have to help her with staying on task to do homework?
My Child Hates Homework! Read More »
If you are sending your children back to school this year or if you homeschool your children you have the perfect opportunity to make fresh starts and new relationships. Fall is exciting because of all the new beginnings that happen. We also seem to be more motivated to start new projects and increase our spiritual
Back To School Suggestions Read More »
“My two oldest boys, ages 8 and 7 are really giving me a run………..I know that if I stay strong, it will all pay off.
We have a family mission statement, we have a job jar, we have been roll playing. They know what our “standards” are.
My 7 year old has had discipline “issues” for 1 and 1/2 weeks consistently every morning during “school time”. He gets so frustrated with me when I calmly let him know that he earned another “consequence” I make sure and tell him that I love him and I wish that he could join us for privileged free time. He assures me that he will try harder but the same things keep happening over and over. He is 7 and very wiggly and dreamy, and distracted. He even has been swearing which is NOT our family standard! I try to explain to him that if he has good control over his body and mouth during school time, he will earn privileges, but he just doesn’t learn…………Any tips?”
It sounds like you are doing pretty well at creating an environment for self-government in your home.
I hope your son is doing better now. If not read pages 66-69 in my book Parenting A House United. I am guessing you have it. This section goes over motivation for children who get themselves in a rutt.
Negative Consequence Rutt: Parenting Tips Read More »
I found Character, by Samuel Smiles in ebook format for free. So cool! Here’s the link if you want to pass it along: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/2541/2541-h/2541-h.htm#2HCH0011
Character Book: Must Read Read More »
“I have a 5 year old son that is in kindergarten. He loves school because of all his friends there… Unfortunately with school I see him still coming home with some bad habits that we must work to break. I think his teacher is great but with all the kids in the class she can’t be expected to enforce/reward self-government principles. My concern is that he is getting confused with discipline at home and less discipline at school. How do you address this issue with your kids?”
It is hard to have a child come home from school with behaviors you need to break all the time.
School Problems ~When The Classroom Comes Home Read More »
