School Age Kids | Grit and Grace Life

5 Ways to Make Parenting Your Strong-Willed Child Easier

Friends, I like to think that I have a black belt in strong-willed child parenting. My oldest child is one for the record books. He’s loving, he’s kind, and he’s a joy to be around. Unless he’s ready to lock horns, at which point all bets are off and it’s game on. Parenting him has been a joy and a challenge. And after doing life with him for the past 10 years, I feel like I know at least a thing or two about how to handle him and maintain a relative amount of peace in our household. I have even managed to keep my own sanity, which as you may know is no small feat when you have a headstrong child. […]

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How to Raise Strong, Confident Daughters With Darlene Brock

By Tess Lopez / Motherhood

In episode 63, These Strategies Will Help You Raise Great Kids, of our podcast, This Grit and Grace Life, Darlene Brock, co-founder and president of The Grit and Grace Project, shares some of her own parenting experiences and snippets of wisdom from her new book, Raising Great Girls. Having raised two caring and successful daughters of her own, Darlene penned her book in the hopes of encouraging other moms to push past the difficulties that often come with cultivating young ladies (or young men!). In Raising Great Girls, Darlene outlines various job descriptions, like Creative Counselor and Coach, that a parent must assume in order to mold a balanced daughter. She breaks down three of these job titles within the podcast and

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Natural Teeth Whitening—For Your Child and You

By Ashby Duval / Motherhood, Health & Beauty

Lately, I’ve noticed my oldest son’s permanent teeth look a bit yellow compared to my other three boys, who still have their baby teeth. Of course, my first assumption was that he wasn’t brushing correctly. Or worse yet, he’s skipping his brushing altogether. But after a few weeks of supervising and not noticing a big difference, I started to do a bit of research. Apparently, baby teeth are naturally whiter than permanent teeth. One pediatric dentist explains that “permanent teeth not only have a thicker enamel, but the layer under the enamel (dentin) is also more dense. Dentin is yellow in color. This gives the permanent teeth a color slightly more yellow than the baby teeth. And it’s perfectly normal!”(¹) There is

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Old School Parenting Makes Happier Kids—and Moms

By Ashby Duval / Motherhood

Recently, our neighbor across the street recounted a conversation he had with a friend about our four boys. At first, my eyes got wide imagining what he said as images of my naked 4-year-old on a skateboard speeding down our driveway last week flashed through my mind. He quickly put me out of my angst, however, by sharing with me that he tells people it’s like 1969 at our house. I laughed in relief but then said, “Wait, what do you mean?” He smiled and responded, “Your boys are always outside, always laughing and dirty and don’t even know what a video game is! I love it! Reminds me of my childhood.” Such kind words. I wish my kids didn’t know what

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How to Teach Your Child Not to Hold Prejudices

By Dr. Zoe / Life & Culture, Motherhood

Why does it feel so uncomfortable to talk about race and racism in this country? Deep down in our gut, we know something just isn’t right and that makes us squirm. Humans strive for internal consistency, and when it’s not there we become uncomfortable. A part of our mind knows that we are all one family: the human race. The other part knows that we harbor some racism, stereotypes, prejudice, or discriminatory thoughts. Yes, we do. This makes us uncomfortable. When we become uncomfortable, we actively avoid situations and information likely to increase it. So, it’s normal to feel that way. I invite you to feel it now and keep reading anyway. There is something called multigenerational transmission process, which just means

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What Happened When This Mom Stopped Doing All the Things

By Laila Schell / Motherhood

“Ryan! You need to unload the dishwasher!” I could seriously feel my patience slipping away as I yelled upstairs to my 12-year-old son (for the 17th time today). It was already one of those days, and it really wouldn’t take much more to push me over the edge. “I should just do it myself,” I thought, tempted to lose the battle and try again tomorrow. The last thing I wanted was a fight. But then again, his future wife wouldn’t thank me. Okay, I know it’s a stretch, but let me explain. I’m trying something new here. By now, I mean that I’ve failed at it 100 times already and today I’m starting fresh. Again. And I’m hoping (and praying) it’s all

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Here’s How to Help Your Kids Fight a Cold Naturally and Quickly

By Ashby Duval / Motherhood

Oh no… The dreaded sneeze, sniffle, or fever has made its first appearance. Immediately your mama’s mind fills with questions: Are they getting sick? What kind of sick is it? Where did they get it? Did we expose anyone else? Are their siblings acting sick? Can I keep them from getting it? Can I avoid getting it? Do I need to cancel our upcoming plans? How long will we be quarantined? How can I help my kids fight a cold? And then, the most important question that we will cover today: What can I do to help kids fight a cold naturally and cure it quickly? I’m not a doctor, but I will say that over the course of the last seven

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Making Peace Not War With the Elf on the Shelf

To the Mom Who Loathes Elf on the Shelf

By Meaghan Dawson / Motherhood

I want to have a very serious conversation with you today, friends. I want to talk about something I hate with the passion of 10,000 blazing suns. Something that is, for all intents and purposes, supposed to bring joy to the hearts of children everywhere. A newfound holiday tradition that should be yet another joyous addition to our Christmas repertoire. But I hate it. And I’m going to go ahead and go out on a limb and say that parents everywhere are with me on this one. I hate that blasted Elf on the Shelf. I hate him. I get the concept. It was birthed from a stroke of mom genius that morphed into marketing brilliance and has since become a parenting nightmare.

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This Is How Toy Rotation Saves Your Time and Sanity

By Lucy Baker / Motherhood

Have you heard of toy rotation? Ever consider giving it a go? We think it is a great way to help you and your family make time together! What is toy rotation? Put simply, toy rotation is when you replace your kids’ toys on a scheduled plan. For example, you may switch out the toys every two weeks. To some, this may seem a little bizarre. But trust us. There’s a method to the madness! How can toy rotation save your sanity? Can swapping toys out make that much difference? It certainly can! As parents, we all know how frustrating it is to spend time tidying up after our kids constantly. If you think about it, the more toys kids access, the

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These 4 Things Have Helped Balance My Life

By Amy Saxby / Life & Culture

When I went back to work full time, I was determined to conquer the ever-popular phrase “work-life balance.” I figured I could do it all and do it well! I wanted to juggle all the balls at once with none of them falling. However, after many years of working, God has brought me to a place of realizing that there is no such thing as equally balancing work and life. This truth has brought me freedom and rest. “Balance” means: 1) a state of equilibrium 2) an equal distribution of weight This goal of equilibrium would require the different spheres of our lives to measure up equally so that all our time and effort is balanced. For me, that would mean my

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How to Flip the Script on Your Infertility Journey

Busyness: Is It Really Your Badge of Honor?

By Ashby Duval / Faith

As much as I look forward to the autumn season after a laid-back summer, I often find myself totally overwhelmed and burned out by October. This year, I really felt God preparing my heart for a different approach. Specifically, He was emphasizing that the peace of our home is often up to me as a wife and mother. Every family member plays a role in the overall atmosphere, but I’ve noticed that my mood can literally dictate the ambiance of our sanctuary. Things that can assault your peaceful environment can sneak in. Our culture promotes busyness like it’s a badge of honor, something to be proud of—and if you aren’t signed up for a hundred different things then there is something wrong

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Moms-Be-Sure-to-Make-Memories-That-Will-Last-a-Lifetime

Mom, Be Sure to Make Memories That Will Last a Lifetime

By Darlene Brock / Motherhood

I recently traveled through Northeastern Georgia as we headed to the mountains of North Carolina. We have the privilege of enjoying the autumn in the tranquil and beautiful land between the Smoky Mountains and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Observing the burst of color in the month of October leaves one in awe of the beauty of creation. While heading to our final destination, we spotted a Fruit Stand – Corn Maze – Hayride – Bakery – Ice Cream Store and Pumpkin Patch. Yes, these were all there in one location. With fare like this, we had to stop and see which of these we couldn’t live without. Parking in an absolutely full lot, alongside another load of pumpkins being delivered from the

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Your Guide To the Best Momisms All Moms Use

By Amber Koehn / Motherhood

“When you’re a parent, you’ll understand.” How many of us heard these words from our mothers on one or more occasions growing up? If you’re anything like me, you heard these words quite frequently. And if you’re also anything like me, you swore you’d never say anything that ridiculous to your children because, quite frankly, it was never clear exactly what you were supposed to understand. Moms have their own special language, passed down from their mothers and their grandmothers before them. It’s like a secret code, and you can only decipher it once you become a mom yourself. I know this, because I am now a parent, and all of a sudden, I magically understand. A Mom’s Special Language: Momisms As

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Being a mom—the job that keeps on giving (even though it doesn’t pay)

By Melissa Solle / Motherhood

I’ve read so many articles about the veritable “mom salary” over the years, and I’m trying to get my bearings on why this hasn’t gotten any traction. I mean, seriously! We, moms, do it all! I’m not diminishing those hands-on dads or single dads. Just telling a mom-type story. I was a stay-at-home mom for many years when my kids were younger. That was a tough time financially, emotionally, and physically. I went back to work part-time when my youngest was in second grade and full-time when he was in fourth grade. Now he’s in 11th grade, and here’s the deal. The mom’s salary should be real. The last five years of parenting have caused me to be more aware of the

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Dear Mama, You Need to Break up With These 3 Things

By Rachel Hagstrom / Motherhood

Dear Mama, There’s no doubt about it: motherhood isn’t for sissies. As a mom, you are a leader. An advocate. A nurse. A teacher. A mediator. A friend. A vomit-cleaner, diaper-changer, and so much more. Your job requires a steady arsenal of qualities at your disposal: resiliency; stamina; wisdom; grace; compassion; laughter; and, again, so much more. What you don’t need, though, is that inner lethal voice that criticizes you or downright shames you. It’s the voice that tells you that you’re messing up the little lives in your care or that you’re simply not cut out for the job of motherhood. Sometimes, it whispers quietly, and you briefly forget it even exists. On other days, the bully voice screams louder than

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Your Back to School Strategy: Life Lessons and Daily Hacks – 219

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreJust like that, summer is wrapping up and the next school year is around the corner. As a mom, maybe you’re breathing a sigh of relief, knowing you’ll gain a few hours back in the day where you won’t be pestered (we get it!). Or maybe you’re a bit apprehensive—you don’t know what’s in the curriculum this year, whether your child will get along with their teacher, or what they’ll hear from other students. No matter which feeling you identify with, this episode of This Grit and Grace Life will help you feel more at ease in the new school year. Darlene Brock and Julie Bender chat

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4 Ways to Save Your Sanity In a New School Year

By Brianna Barrett / Motherhood

As the summer comes to a screeching halt, so does the school bus coming to pick up your child to start the new school year. The summer months were stress-free with no running from tennis to piano lessons to football practice to the doctor. There was peace in the summer. There is no reason you can’t find that same tranquility in the coming school year. 4 Easy Steps to Save Your Sanity In a New School Year 1. Plan meals ahead. On Saturday I take five to ten minutes to plan out our meals for the coming week. This includes going to the pantry to see what we have and what we need, then writing out a menu and a grocery list.

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