We’re a week into a new year. The pressure’s on to be a new, better version of ourselves. We may spot room for improvement, especially when it comes to our parenting, but are our New Year’s resolutions having much impact, or have they already fallen by the wayside? It can be enough of a struggle to …
The Christmas adverts are out: tables heaving with food, well-dressed people, beautiful homes, extravagant gifts, everything bright and shiny. Anyone noticed the cost-of-living crisis? The eat or heat question? Strike action? Or wondered how much of a feast you can manage from a food bank?&nbs…
If you could relive a single day what would it be? A month after my son’s wedding, I’d chosea magnificently ordinary day:He would be 5 or 6, young enough to still call me Mama. Old enough to ride bikes to thelibrary. We’d rifle through the new books and admire the fish. Afterwards, we’d stop for ice…
It’s that time of year again …. the season for ghosts, ghouls and zombies arriving on your doorstep in search of chocolate! I’m not sure which is worse – the prospect of a ‘trick’ or the social awkwardness of trying to make polite conversation with a 6 year-old monster.
It doesn’t need…
There is a corporate mantra, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.”
It warns against trumpeting the five-year plan without changing the culture of the team. No amount of resolutions, colourful charts and snappy sentences will bring about change unless accompanied by shared convictions and habits.
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Jake is Sarah’s eldest child. I saw Sarah on the first Sunday after she dropped Jake off at University for his first term. She said to me, “It’s pathetic. I want to get into the car and drive four hours to take him to church! There’s a good local church so close to him. He needs to walk out of his d…
When my son signed up for French in high school, I tried to convince him to take Spanish instead. Our community in America included many Spanish speakers and our church often organised mission trips to Spanish speaking countries. “When would you use French?” I challenged.
Still, he wanted to take Fr…
Video games are a large part of the lives of children, but as parents we can feel on the back foot. It can be hard to know how to use them positively. By knowing more about gaming we can make informed choices about how best to guide our children in this area.
What are video games?
While video games…
Have you ever spent Christmas at your cousins' house? It’s still Christmas; the tree is decorated, the table set with food, but everything feels different. Askew. It’s not the same as Christmas at home.
This year is our fourth Christmas with the cousins – our cousins across the pon…
In Uganda, for Christmas, most city dwellers head to the countryside where their families live. Once they arrive, families sit together and tell their stories; laughing, eating and celebrating. We heard about a Ugandan Christmas on our recent Faith in Parents podcast, "Christmas elsewhere." What str…
