February 24, 2023
top trending topics
👨👧For the tough guys out there, you can still embrace being a #girlldad!
💞 Children need secure relationships— Give them the opportunity to thrive!
💃 Navigating the world of dating as a single parent…
🧡 It’s possible for blended families to function without strife.
🗣 Help! We’ve been arguing nonstop with the kids. How can we move past this??
tips & tricks for growth
live in the present with your child
Does it feel like you’re at war with the clock? Like you don’t have enough time to do all the things on your to-do list? Struggle with finding time for yourself? Feel disconnected from your kids?
If you answer any of these questions with a “yes,” welcome to parenthood! Being a parent is one of the most difficult, yet rewarding jobs. You have so many things on your to-do list. Often, we are spouses, employees, caregivers, dietitians, Uber drivers, and teachers for our children. With so much on our plate, we become overwhelmed and stressed. This easily can turn into not being really present. We feel disconnected from our children, ourselves, and from our lives.
🌤 Things You Can Do First Thing In The Morning To Be a More Present Parent:
- Lovingly rouse them from sleep.
- Wake them by singing a good morning song.
- Cuddle in the bed with them.
- Ask them what they are looking forward to today.
💤 See some things you can do @ bedtime to be more present.
In reality, working moms today are actually spending more time with their children than stay-at-home moms did in the 1970s. Father-child quality time together has almost tripled in that same time period. Please give yourself grace. Make the most of all the moments you have with your child. Don’t allow the stress of “Am I doing enough?” hamper you from enjoying what you are doing.
do you need a minute??
“I’m so exhausted and stressed out!” Is that a cry for help or a badge of honor?
Sadly, we live in a culture that not only normalizes burnout as a way of life but also kinda glorifies it. 👉 If you are perpetually busy and exhausted—You. Must. Be. Important!
But at what cost?
Maybe we need to worry more about being healthy people.
Ah, but insights like that usually only come to us when we slow down, find some quiet, and get alone with ourselves. Alone. Solitude. Introspection. “Sorry, ain’t got time for that!” (I think a lot of people intentionally stay busy because they don’t want to have to think about life and look at themselves.) Make time. Being alone is a healthy skill to be cultivated. Being alone is when some cool stuff happens: Inspiration. Reflection. Insight. Wonder. Clarity. Rest and Restoration. Whatever ambition has you so busy chasing, you’re going to need all this stuff along the way. Plus, the people you care about need you to care about you and take care of you.
Taking the time you need can impact everything.
let’s get REALatable
It’s time to take things a step further & get a little intimate with a Q&A. What do you say?😉 Learn a little bit about the faces behind all of this relationship gold. This week we’re chatting with Reggie Madison, a husband, dad of 7 (Yes, you read that right, he and his wife are wayyy outnumbered!), and the VP of Community Relations here at First Things First. Let’s get REALatable💛 & learn a little bit about him:
Q: What movie have you seen the most?
A: 🎬 I’m giving you two. Courageous. It’s a story about how fathers come together to help one another be courageous and outstanding fathers. It gives me encouragement seeing as I have 7 kids at home to father. And the documentary, “The Men that Built America”. It’s fascinating to me the mindset of business leaders to innovate, contribute to America’s overall infrastructure while becoming legendary business moguls.
Q: If you gave a TedTalk, what would it be about?
A: 💟 The Importance of Entering Marriage in a Healthy Way. So many marriages are doomed from the beginning, but often it’s totally preventable if we approach the premarriage phase differently.
Q: Best part of being a dad?
A: 👨👧👦 Having 2 young adults (my term for teenagers) and a third one mere months away, the joy has been watching them grow into their identity and seeing them make decisions that are consistent with being the kind of person they choose to be. I’m very proud of who they are choosing to be.
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