Raising Boys

Five Things You Need to Know About Your Boys & Internet Porn
"I don't know who else to talk to. My little boy has been watching horrible stuff. I don't know what to do." There are five things we wish all parents knew about internet porn. If they did, there would probably be a lot fewer of these heartbreaking messages for us to answer! (Note, this post…
Mama, Thank You for Disciplining Me
Several years ago one of our boys suggested that we take a few minutes at our family birthday celebrations and each of us share something we love or respect about the birthday person. We've done that ever since and wow. Just wow. It has been incredible to hear every member of the family express out…
Dear Mama to Boys
I'll never forget the first time I went out shopping after our third son was born. We were in the shoe store when an elderly couple approached me. "Is it a girl???" they asked, gesturing towards the stroller. "No, this is our third son," I said with pride. "Oh, honey! I bet you were just…
Ten Practical Ways to Keep Kids Safe From Predators
The past couple of weeks, we've been talking to and praying for friends who've been dealing with a great grief. Their young son was molested while he was visiting with his beloved grandparents. It was a young adult, a trusted friend of the family, who victimized their child. The parents are heartbroken. Sadly, this is happening more…
Q&A: My 11yo Has Horrible Manners!
A reader asks, "I have been struggling with something that I'm not sure how to fix it our 11 year old boy is very very stubborn. I almost feel like he does it for the attention or he just doesn't care. At the dinner table he will eat with his hands burp without saying excuse…
When Do You Step In When Boys Are Wrestling?
A reader asks, "When do you step in when boys are wrestling? My 10 & 8 year old boys are constantly in some form of a challenge on the trampoline, in the yard, on the lake, in the house, etc." The way boys are always wrestling can be pretty frustrating, especially for moms. It's hard…
Four Reasons You Need to Change Your Parenting Style
Our oldest son shook his head, sadly. “You never would have let me do that,” he said, watching a younger sibling. We had to admit, he had a point. When he was that age, we were new parents, full of theories but short on experience. He was Offspring 1.0, and parenting was still something of…
Welcome to Rough House!
  We have six boys (some of them grown now), and back when they were little, Melanie got a surprise. (more…)
How Do You Sort Out Conflicting Stories?
One of our webinar participants asked a simple but significant question: When two children have an argument, how do you determine the truth when the two disagree? What do you do when you get two different stories? "Mama, would you please lower the boom on somebody?" Often when the kids have a disagreement, we only…
When Your Boys Gang Up On Each Other
A mom with several boys asked us, “How do you handle the constant ganging-up on each other?” (more…)