You don’t have to be blooming to be growing
Twenty-one years ago, my husband, Troy, and I welcomed our first son into the world. Two years later, I gave birth to another boy. And again two…
When pride leaves parenting
Pride Leaving “I can’t believe we’re doing this,” I admitted to my husband on the thirty-minute car ride to the graduation party. “We can’t hide away…
Should Christian parents allow their kids to play video games? Navigating virtual worlds as a faithful believer
Video games have emerged as a prominent aspect of contemporary society, captivating billions* of players globally, especially children. Yet, for…
What “good” moms are supposed to do
By the time our second child, Brett, came along, I was pretty sure I had the parenting thing all figured out since, you know, I’d been a mom for…
Tips for partnering with your child’s teacher
As a Christian parent, I believe all God’s children deserve a quality education. Not just my own three children (now grown!), but also my two…
Parent Differently: Raise kids with biblical character that changes culture
Is character really a big deal? For your children to develop biblical character, you need to pay attention to and address what they believe. I’ve…
What do you do when your child lies?
Dear Mattsons, What should we do when we know our daughter is lying? We talk constantly about integrity and character, but certainly want her to…
Raising kids who do the dishes…without being asked
Wait. Did you read that title correctly? Is this simple little blog post actually going to give you a step-by-step formula for getting your kids to…
Becoming a peaceful parent
I could hear the kids squabbling again and I found myself sighing in frustration. What in the world could they be arguing about now? I was in the…
