• Thin-Skinned Water
  Water has many amazing characteristics. Today we’re going to see how water molecules hold on to each other! More…
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• Mary and Joseph Look For Jesus
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Luke 2:41-52
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• Preschool:
  We love watching our kids “betend.” They are so creative! How can we encourage their imaginative play?

• Imaginative play is a primary way in which children gain understanding of how life and relationships work. And although they may not enjoy it when you dress them up, children “betend” more, and more creatively, when you provide a variety of interesting clothing items and props!
• A dress-up box delights young children. Discovering the textures, colors and sizes of items is a learning experience in itself. Whether your dress-up box is a large storage container or an antique trunk, the finest source for items is a grandparent who has never thrown anything away! Your own closet leftovers are also valuable. Items gleaned from family members have the added value of the history that goes with them: “Your daddy wore that vest when he played cowboy, too.” For greater variety, expand your child’s horizons beyond your own family’s fashion sense! Thrift shops and garage sales are a prime resource for anything that can be washed and dried.
• Basic home-related costumes and props should always be available. Accumulate sets of theme-related props and clothing items (Bible times, cowboys, explorers, flower shop, yard work, doctor’s office, post office, restaurant, etc.). Place them in clear plastic boxes and rotate the items to keep dramatic play interesting.
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• Younger Elementary: Vows and Parenting
  by Tom Prinz
  Tom Prinz, a licensed educational psychologist, worked as a school psychologist before beginning private practice as a marriage and family therapist. He has conducted hundreds of workshops on parenting and marriage enrichment, as well as seminars for teachers on discipline and classroom management.
  
  “When I grow up, no one is going to tell me what to do.”
  “When I have children, I am going to all of their sporting events.”
  “Whenever we go to an amusement park, I will buy my child a souvenir.”
  “When I have children, they’re each going to get the chance to go to college.”
  Whether or not we were aware of it, many of us have made unspoken vows that were usually based on how we were raised. In his book Pain and Pretending, Rich Buhler describes four general categories of vows: vows of silence, revenge, perfection and safety.
  Vows of Silence—Some adults decide to never acknowledge painful things that happened to them as children. Vows of silence can lay dormant for many years before being triggered by similar experiences of our own children.
  More…
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• Older Elementary: How To Listen To Your Child
  by Tom Prinz
  Tom Prinz, a licensed educational psychologist, worked as a school psychologist before beginning private practice as a marriage and family therapist. He has conducted hundreds of workshops on parenting and marriage enrichment, as well as seminars for teachers on discipline and classroom management.
  
  Many parents ask me how they should talk to make their kids listen to them. I tell them the most important thing parents can learn is how to really listen to their kids. If we do not listen to our kids, they will not listen to us. Listening is a skill that can be developed. It is a skill that you may not have observed in your parents when you were a child. Did your parents listen to you as a child, or did you grow up understanding that “children are to be seen and not heard”?
  
  One of my favorite quotes is, “A joy not shared is cut in half, and a sorrow not shared is doubled.” If you win a tournament, or an honor or a promotion at work but have no one to share it with, the victory may seem hollow. If you are suffering in pain or disappointment, or become frustrated about a relationship and have no one to share it with, the pain increases.
  
  How sad I felt in a counseling session when a 17-year-old boy told his parents that he had decided not to share his joys or his sorrows with his parents. Fortunately, this family is working on these issues, and hopefully by the time he leaves home he will be able to share his joys and his sorrows with his parents. What drove this youngster to feel uncomfortable sharing his feelings, thoughts and ideas with his parents? More…
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• Prayer: Hello God, It's Me!
  One of the most awesome responsibilities of parents is to give children the tools of prayer. Even young children can approach their heavenly Father with the confidence that He hears their prayers. It’s never to soon for children to establish a habit of daily prayer. More…
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• Leading a Child to Christ
  Many adult Christians look back to their elementary years as the time when they accepted Christ as Savior. Not only are children able to understand the difference between right and wrong and their own personal need of forgiveness, but they are also growing in their ability to understand Jesus’ death and resurrection as the means by which God provides salvation. More…
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• Print these fun family appreciation images.

Download the Star Appreciation image.
Download the CrackerJack Appreciation image.

 

 

Check out more resources and information for parents and churches at FaithBeginsAtHome.com