It's no easy ride. A site for parenting teens.
I love the British phrase “Well done you!”. Whenever a friend said it to me, it felt like someone had given me a gentle pat on the back; a thumbs-up; an encouragement that I’d done a good job. Nothing flashy, no fanfare; just a simple acknowledgement that they’d noticed my effort. It brings a smile…
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I was reminded this week of how thoroughly positive it is to plan a getaway. Whether it be a family holiday or time away just with your spouse, be it a weekend or a week; having something to look forward to is an effective antidote to the humdrum of everyday life. Sometimes the mundane can…
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In a creative response to being unwilling to pay the exorbitant price of muesli bars that fit all my dietary needs at the moment, (sugar, gluten, dairy, egg and fructose free) I came up with my own version of a muesli bar. It resembled something I’d bought previously and enjoyed. The quantities and method I…
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If there is one thing I have learned about teens and tweens it is: that there is nothing they hate more than being nagged. Nobody likes being told what to do; least of all a teenager. A nagging parent is like an annoying drone in the background of your favourite song. No matter how much…
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Let me introduce Roslyn. She is a mother to 5 adult children and 11 grandchildren. She has faithfully lived out her role as a stay-at-home mother, while co-partnering with her husband in his church ministry. Having lived in 6 different places, whilst raising a family, she has drawn upon her faith in God and her…
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I’ve been in a battle of late; it’s been a battle against discouragement. It started with a setback; or more accurately, what I perceived to be a setback. For me, a setback always begins with reoccurring pain; back and neck pain to be precise. It’s a part of the backdrop to my life, and with…
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As far as I can recall, this was my first memory of baking a cake. I was in my late teens, and I must have been given free rein in the kitchen; guests were coming and we needed to feed them. My mother had always been extremely health conscious, and so rather than follow in…
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This fructose and gluten free recipe is my daughters kind attempt to cheer me up in response to recent health issues that have caused me to modify my diet. For a sweet tooth such as myself, I have been surprised how much I have enjoyed these sugar free alternatives. The coconut and cacao make for…
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“Are you kidding me! How many times do we have to have this conversation? I thought I made it very clear when I said… I can’t believe we are still having this problem!” Does this sound like a conversation you have on a semi-regular basis with your kids? The utter frustration of having to revisit…
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Over the past year I have been really challenged to consider the way I parent… teenagers will do that to you. What had once been a reliable and comfortable way of relating to my children, was now met with a prickly resistance. Their emergence into adolescence significantly changed my relationship with them, leaving me confused…
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