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…
Why judging other moms diminishes the power of the cross
The minivan sliding door of shame—it’s a thing. You know, when you drop off your kids at school with all humanity watching, the door slides open and…
Four ways to teach kids the incredible power of words
Our words have a profound impact on those around us. Whether we’re using our speech to build others up or pull them down, what comes out of our…
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…
The two nonnegotiables in our house
Key Verse: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34 NIV). I’m the middle kiddo of…
Grace based parenting
When I write about grace based parenting, I'm not referring to the book by Dr. Tim Kimmel, or any parenting books for that matter. Grace based…
Connecting to your child’s heart
We were having a few friends over in the afternoon, and I had prepared a tray full of matching teacups, a crystal dish of sugar, and an array of…
Helping your child with lying
Did you know that honesty and truth telling are part of living a blessed life (Psalm 34:12–13)? But we still lie. Why is that? Often it’s because we…
Running into grace
A common misconception about my family is that since both of my grandfathers were evangelists and preachers, everyone in the family must be saints.…
