Resilient Parenting

Taking a new step? Remember: Life doesn’t need to be perfect before you take it.

By: Joanna Myers February 5, 2020

Blogbeginnings, Christian living, lessons learned, new startLeave a Comment

Is it just me, or do others hold themselves to very high standards? I’m always surprised when I come to realise that I’ve been holding myself to an unrealistic subconscious rule. One I recently became aware of was: When starting something new, it is important to start well. (Well meaning: in perfect health of body…

I’ve had dud presents, but there’s one gift I’m always thankful for.

By: Joanna Myers December 20, 2019

BlogAnn Voskamp, Christmas gifts, Jesus is the reason for the season, One Thousand Gifts, thankfulnessLeave a Comment

Have you ever received a gift you didn’t particularly like? I think most of us can recall such an item. As a teenager I once received a particularly memorable pair of pants. They were hot pink with white polka dots, ankle length and billowed around my legs like clown pants… they didn’t scream vogue! I…

Are you a good listener? There’s an art to holding your tongue.

By: Joanna Myers November 22, 2019

BlogChris Hudson, emotional rollercoasters, listening well, parenting teens, understanding teenagers2 Comments

I’ve been treating myself of late to watching previous seasons of The Crown (a Netflix drama) in anticipation for the new series about to air. In one episode, the Queen was bemoaning to her mother, the fact that she felt ill-equipped to converse with the many educated people she was required to meet. She acknowledged…

Screen time; have you found a balance?

By: Joanna Myers November 7, 2019

Bloghealthy screen habits, motherhood, parenting, technologyLeave a Comment

Recently a controversial cartoon by Michael Leunig was published in The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. It depicted a mother so fixated on Instagram that she failed to see her baby had fallen out of its pram. This depiction of modern motherhood sparked outrage online as it unkindly suggested that the mother loved her…

Alison’s Story

By: Joanna Myers October 25, 2019

Stories that EncourageLeave a Comment

Let me introduce Alison. She is a mother of four adult children and five grandchildren. She has faithfully lived out her role as a stay-at-home mother with much gentleness and kindness; tirelessly giving her time to her family, her church and the community in which she’s been planted. She fashioned her home and garden to…

Are you on an emotional rollercoaster with your teen? A recent seminar had some helpful thoughts on how to survive.

By: Joanna Myers October 18, 2019

BlogChris Hudson, emotional equality, emotional rollercoasters, understanding teenagers6 Comments

Last week I attended a seminar entitled “Surviving the Rollercoaster of Adolescence”; the speaker was Chris Hudson from of Understanding Teenagers. While I can truthfully say that I have already encountered and survived the steep climb and the initial stomach-lurching plunge of the rollercoaster that is likened to living with teens, and have definitely encountered…

“What are your core values?” A helpful question to ask yourself.

By: Joanna Myers September 19, 2019

BlogChristian living, core values, love is costly, parenting1 Comment

In an attempt to return to a more helpful headspace, I was recently encouraged to think about what my core values are. I have engaged with this question before and found it a beneficial exercise; seeing how my life choices reflect what I truely value and then how these choices impact my day to day…

Crosswords and Adele; unlikely interests led to a better connection with my child.

By: Joanna Myers August 20, 2019

Blogbuilding relationships, crosswords with teenagers, motherhood, parenting, singing to AdeleLeave a Comment

I have always been conscious, that in a family of more than one child, there is always the challenge of splitting your time and attention between them all equally. It is true that some kids are easier to connect with, and some kids demand more of you, and it’s possible there will be one child…

“Remember when…” What milestones do you celebrate?

By: Joanna Myers August 12, 2019

Blogcelebrations, happy days, Kent and Barbara Hughes, parentingLeave a Comment

I like the image of a long hiking adventure, to describe how I see life’s journey. The view of a mountain range can take your breath away and to walk its course a privilege. However when you actually begin to travel the path, you quickly find there are a lot of variables that can make…

Ruth’s Story

By: Joanna Myers June 12, 2019August 12, 2019

Stories that EncourageLeave a Comment

Let me introduce Ruth. She is the mother of four adult children, grandmother to 16 children and great-grandmother to 24 children. She became a mother in the 1950’s (what I like to call the ‘golden era’ of stay-at-home mothers) and raised teenagers through the 1960’s and 70’s – in a period when for most mothers their…