Yesterday’s sermon was courtesy of Kyle Hayes. My big takeaway was his discussion on Locus of Control. Naturally, if we believe things are out of our control we claim we are victims of circumstance.
Tag: health
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Can a baby be too happy?
When I’m not feeling in the best of moods, nothing can cheer me up like a smiling, laughing baby. Nobody ever wants to make a laughing baby settle down. After all, what are you going to do? Tell him to act his age?
I didn’t think it was possible for a baby to be too happy. Then I found this article from the 2010 Psychology Today that reported covered Angelman Syndrome. This is a rare, neurological disorder that has continual laughter as one of its symptoms. My first thought was:
- Mom was right. No matter what it is, you CAN have too much of a good thing.
- Now parents have another thing to worry about.
Has someone told you to stop worrying about your child, only to discover later your suspicions were right? Or have you worried about something your child did only to find out everything was fine?
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10 steps before you own a pet
Have you ever had a child begging you for a pet? You know it will be extra work and money, but deep down you want the pet as well, don’t you?
One day, my son announced he wanted a dog for his birthday. My wife and I thought it was time and we began looking for the perfect dog. The whole episode ended badly because we were ill prepared for pet ownership. Here are ten things I learned that enabled us to become responsible pet owners later.
- No matter what, don’t let emotions be your deciding factor. We chose the first dog my son loved (which was the first dog he saw!). We needed to consider if dog was the right fit for our family.
- As a parent, assume you will have the primary responsibility. Pet ownership is a great way to teach responsibility, but don’t let your pet suffer because junior forgot to take the dog outside. Parents have to assume they will at least be sure the pet is cared for.
- Biking with a dog is a tricky thing. Don’t assume you or the pet will pick it up immediately. I still have the scars to prove it can end badly.
- While treats are a great reward, too many lose their effectiveness pretty quickly.
- Consider your yard. We thought our backyard was perfect. Little did we know our new dog liked to dig and make a break for it. We soon discovered this dog need much more room.
- Consider the size of your home. This dog wanted outside all of the time. She just didn’t feel comfortable in our house. And because she was outside all the time, the house became much dirtier when she was inside.
- Consider the age of all your kids. Our son was ready. Our daughter is four years younger and she didn’t understand that the dog didn’t want to play dress-up.
- Make sure everyone is prepared and ready to take on this new pet. My wife was staying home with the kids and didn’t feel comfortable with the dog. I knew we were in trouble at that point.
- Admit when you are wrong. Thankfully, the previous owner was gracious and welcomed the dog back. We just weren’t prepared. We had to be humble enough to admit we goofed.
- Start with a smaller pet first. We discovered later that a cat was a better fit for our family. When our family learned to take care of a cat, a dog came later. It was a better fit.
We ended up finding the right pets for our household. How about you? What are some tips you would give someone before committing to a new pet?
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Why kids love pets
It took a long time for me to allow a pet into our family. In fairness, we tried to own a dog once before and it went wrong quickly. We weren’t prepared, the kids were too young and we went on the first dog our son fell in love with.
The next pet came to our doorstep three years later. The kitten knew which house had the daughter in love with cats. He ended being one of the best cats I ever saw (once we learned how to keep him from destroying our Christmas tree!).
Why do kids love pets so much?
- When they feel cared for, kids like to return the favor.
- They want to be responsible. Everyone wants to feel like they can be depended on.
- We all feel an attachment to nature. Even city dwellers like to know there is a wild, natural world out there.
- We all want a companion
If you feel like it is time to own a pet, learn from our mistake and do your research first. I nearly kept my kids from a great experience because I wasn’t prepared the first time. Now we have a dog and a cat. And what do you know? Over the years, those two pets have taught everyone about conflict resolution. Dogs and cats can live in harmony!
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Cartoon of a boy holding a poster with a heart on it and a jaded girl. The girl says, “Do you realize that heart isn’t anatomically correct?”
Saint Valentine’s Day can arouse some negative emotions, especially when people feel pressured to impress their loved one with extravagant gifts.
But if we treat Valentine’s Day right, it’s a great opportunity for kids to see love in action. Here are five reasons why kids need Valentine’s Day.
- Kids need to see love is far more than the physical attraction popular culture tries to make it out to be. Valentine’s Day may focus on the romantic side of love. But it can also be an opportunity to show selfless love (agapé), family/affection love (storge) or brotherly/friendship love (philia)
- Kids need to receive a note of encouragement. We all need to hear something positive about ourselves once in a while
- It’s an opportunity for kids to hear why love is so great (and challenging). Take the time to read 1 Corinthians 13 with your child.
- Kids need to see that love is more than a feeling but is action. We can love even the unlovely, the grumpy and those family members that get on our nerves!
- And kids need lots of candy hearts. Come on! Who doesn’t need candy hearts with corny sayings on them?
Valentine’s Day is a great reminder that love goes far beyond physical attraction and getting our selfish needs met. After all, when it comes down to it, we all need faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these is love.
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