In this image-obsessed culture, your daughter is constantly wondering if she’s beautiful.  Here are three ways you can help her see her beauty. First, TELL her.  Don’t wait for your daughter to ask you if you think she’s beautiful…look for opportunities to tell her, unprompted, how beautiful she is on the inside and outside.  Tell her that she makes what she wears beautiful, not vice versa.  Telling her that she...

Somehow a small disagreement turned into a major dispute.  You and your spouse continued to fight until it got out of control.  Now you’re left standing alone in the kitchen, knowing she’s upstairs in the bedroom with a hurting heart.  Our first instinct is to stand our ground and “win” the argument.  But, when you do that, nobody really wins. So, what should you do? Hold your spouse higher than your pride. Don’t...

There’s no excuse for having an affair. And sure, sometimes they happen out of the blue but, more often than not, affairs don’t just happen. Usually there are things that are said or not said, done or not done, over the years that are contributing factors.  Here are some ways to push your spouse toward an affair.  First, constantly, compare and criticize.  Hurt and tear down your spouse with critical or comparing...

Porcupines have trigger points that cause the sharp quills on its back to raise up. When it’s threatened or irritated, it can get really mean and shoot those quills into someone or something and cause a lot of pain. Well, I’ve got certain trigger points that cause me to get cranky and prickly. One of mine is unmet expectations. When I have crazy high expectations for others, and those expectations are not met, I...

From an early age, we can recognize the innate differences between our sons and daughters.  But it’s even more important to understand how to handle those differences and uniquely parent your boys well.  Part of our job as parents is to turn our rambunctious, young sons into respectful, mature men.  So here are several principles for raising boys well.  First, channel their energy.  Instead of constantly telling...

There are some short sentences that every child needs to hear, on a regular basis, from their dad.  These sentences can make or break their sense of identity, belonging, security and value. For example, tell your child “I'm here for you.” Being available to your child is incredibly important. And it’s more than just permission to come to you when times are tough…it’s an invitation with a welcome mat.  It tells...

Movies have a way of making puppy love seem sweet and innocent.  But when our kids begin dating in real life, it becomes a whole different ball game.  So how involved should dads be in their child’s dating life?  Well, here are some things to know about the person your child is dating.  First, learn the basics.  For safety reasons, you should know their cell number, the type of car they drive, their parents’...