Q: I am totally struggling with my oldest… One thing that I’m having trouble with is knowing how to discuss things with him. He still struggles with basic obedience, so that is an issue. Also, he tends to argue with me while we are talking. For example, this morning I told him that something he […]
Mother's Day – Jess Connell
Wanna know five ways to ruin Mother’s Day for yourself? #1- EXPECT YOUR DAY TO GO WELL IN EVERY WAY. Expect the kids– no matter how young– to be dressed to perfection, on their own, or by someone else, without your help. Expect that you will be waited on, hand and foot. Though more may…
church – Jess Connell
I’ve been a Pastor’s wife for three and a half years. The first two of those years, my husband was an administrative pastor, which was a very different thing from the counseling and discipleship pastoral role he has now. It’s not been very long, really, but it’s been long enough to have learned a few things and made…
8 Practical Ways to Show Affection to Your Preschooler – Jess Connell
Here’s a video my almost-3-year-old Theo & I made to share our favorite snuggly and silly things. These are eight of the fun and easy ways that I practically show affection to my 1-5 year old kiddos, and enter into their little preschool hearts and have fun with them: VIDEO 0:59- #1– zuburts & kisses, “big ones” […]
mom – Jess Connell
Q: how differently should boys be parented vs how girls are? Examples would be, I know that boys don’t like to sit still. They need to be physical, to run and climb and use up all of their excess energy. What tips could you give a new boy mom as to how to deal with… […]
The Question Every Mom Needs To Ask Herself – Jess Connell
How you answer this question affects everything. It’s a game-changer. It’ll make or break the way your day goes. But perhaps even more importantly, it’ll affect the way you THINK AND FEEL about how your day goes. ESSENTIALISM, FOR MOMS I’ve been listening to the book, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, by Greg McKeown. […]
physical strength – Jess Connell
This past spring, I knew something had to change. I’m 36 (and– gulp!– I can only say that for another month or so). And I had started noticing my age. It was little things: groaning, with an additional “oof” or “oh!” when I got off the couch hearing clicks in my knees and ankles…
attraction – Jess Connell
On a post last year about the growing expectations on young woman to look physically perfect (and increasingly generic), a commenter wrote: Quick thought from a guy – Know what really hurts? When a girl spends a mountain of care and attention trying to win over exciting but unsaved “bad boys”, but then discovers the…
giveaway – Jess Connell
Yay, it’s August! Nearly time for a new school year to begin!! We’re actually going into our tenth year of homeschooling… which is crazy! In January of 2007, we began curling up together, Ethan and I, with Sonlight books. We discovered the world together through books like Twenty and Ten (WWII– Nazis, rations, resistance), Understood Betsy (farm life, lifelong learning), A Grain of…
large family – Jess Connell
Hi Jess, I don’t know if you answer emails like this since you aren’t active on your blog, but wanted to tell you I took your advice to heart and am not blogging. It was the best decision. I had my fourth baby, and I would’ve had to lay down priorities in caring for my family to… […]
A Christmas Giving Tradition You Can Do WITH Your Kids – Jess Connell
This is a sponsored post. One of our family traditions is to use the Christmas season as an opportunity to GIVE. Beyond our personal giving (Christmas gifts to one another), each holiday season brings an opportunity to reevaluate the charities and ministries we give to. Over the years, one ministry we have consistently participated in is Operation Christmas […]
Q&A: HOW Do You Read Aloud with Little Kids Around? – Jess Connell
This question came in response to the article where I shared that on school mornings, we read aloud for about an hour/hour and a half. Q: “how do you keep the littles occupied during that 1.5 hr reading time? Are they sitting right there, if so, doing what? How do you keep their attention. Also what about […]
Sometimes I Don’t Want to Be Godly – Jess Connell
Sometimes I want to be selfish. I like having things go my way. I like being in control and I don’t like it when things happen that are A- outside of my control, or B- directly the opposite of what I would want to happen. Sometimes I want to sit in my room and pout […]
memorization – Jess Connell
“Many of the difficulties we experience as Christians can be traced to a lack of Bible study and reading. We should not be content to skim through a chapter merely to satisfy our conscience. Hide the Word of God in your heart! A little portion well digested is of greater value to the soul than…