The Last "First Day"
Though we reached the end of a season, this last first day won’t truly be the last for Emma. As I wonder what lies ahead for her, I can’t help but reflect on the many first days I’ve already had alongside those yet to come: the first day of college, of grad school, of marriage, of motherhood… the first day of work, of caring for an elderly parent, and eventually the first day of learning to live without parents when they pass on. The constant in all of the first days is God. He redeems all the ugly of uncertainty for my good, though I can only see it clearly in hindsight.
Raising Kind and Curious Kids
I want to raise my kids to be people who help others move from feelings of anxiety to a sense of belonging, and I imagine you do, too. And since raising kind and curious kids takes intentionality, we have some important questions to answer: What do we do when we notice differences in others? And what do we say when our children notice?
The Call to Persevere
This season of COVID-19, and social distancing, and working while being my kids’ cruise director has made me weary. The scary news headlines and heartbreaking stories of injustice have made me feel anxious and worried and sad. I’m trying to be brave and strong, but the weight of it all feels like too much. And then the guilt of feeling weary, when I know others have far more to complain about, sits heavy too. Can anyone relate?
Thanks, Daniel Tiger
I love gleaning little tips and tricks from other parents along the way. So, I reached out to some fellow Summit parents to find out what phrases they use in their households. What they shared with me is absolute parenting GOLD. A friend of mine told me that whenever she shares a life lesson or fun fact with her kids, she follows it up with “write that down!” Trust me, you’re going to want to write these down...
Decision Fatigue Got You Down?
As parents, we have been faced with a barrage of new and difficult decisions over the past few months. Do I feel safe sending my daughters back to daycare? Is it ok to play at the neighborhood playground? Can you actually use too much hand sanitizer? I’m a peacemaker by nature, so I put a lot of pressure on myself to try and make everyone happy. Add in a dash of perfectionism and it's a perfect storm of anxiety and decision paralysis.
Racial Justice Children's Book Recommendations
As parents, there are ways we can model and teach anti-racism to our kids, and children’s literature can be a powerful tool. The following books are ones we’ve read and recommend specifically as you talk with your children about individual and institutional racism. As children of God, we want to take a stand against injustice in all its forms and raise kids who will do the same.
Rhythms of Community
The isolation that has come with COVID-19 has been hard for all of us, and especially challenging for our preschoolers who don’t have a clue what “six feet apart” means. But necessity is the mother of invention, right? Or, at least, doing-whatever-you-can-to-maintain-your-sanity is the mother of invention...
Rhythms of Celebration
It may be tempting to check the box and rush to put this school year behind us, but I believe a milestone like this calls for CELEBRATION! Now, more than ever, we need to take the time to reflect and rejoice with our kids. We need to affirm their effort, even if it was frustrating, even if we didn’t always get it right, and especially if it was hard.