by kathilipp | Jun 2, 2014 | I Need Some Help Here |
It’s the official launch day of my new book I Need Some Help Here! Hope for When Your Kids Don’t Go According to Plan.
This book is for every mom out there who has ever doubted herself, wondered why her child didn’t “turn out” the way she thought he would, or is feeling alone in her mothering journey. Whether your kids are little or young adults, motherhood can be so difficult (but eventually rewarding, I promise).
To celebrate the launch with my fabulous readers, fans and community, I want to give a book away every hour from 6a-8p PST on June 3, 2014. I would love your help in spreading the word of hope to your friends and family as well. So feel free to pick a tweet, Pin or picture to share with your peeps on your favorite social media site. We’ll pick a new winner every hour. If you just want to enter to win, you can do that too by filling out the entry form below.
Pins (post to Facebook or Pinterest)
Tweets to share on Twitter
But frustratingly, the next step isn’t do. Sometimes the next step is to be still & know that He is God. http://bit.ly/T8QJXf @kathilipp
One of the most powerful sentences in the English language is “Me too” http://bit.ly/T8QJXf @kathilipp
You move from sympathy to empathy when you hear that someone is in the same battle you are. ” http://bit.ly/T8QJXf @kathilipp
You need to be reminded in the hardest times that God loves you and God loves your child. http://bit.ly/T8QJXf @kathilipp
We move from control to influence in our child’s life, and those changes can feel like little deaths. http://bit.ly/T8QJXf @kathilipp
I was not a perfect mom, but I was the mom God chose for them, therefore I was the perfect mom for them. http://bit.ly/T8QJXf @kathilipp
When you are brokenhearted you are broken open for other people to see into you and see what they need. http://bit.ly/T8QJXf @kathilipp
I can love my child with boundaries prayer & grace. It is my actions not my feelings that qualify me as a loving mom http://bit.ly/T8QJXf
So the one thing I did right was the hardest thing I know how to do: nothing. http://bit.ly/T8QJXf @kathilipp
We parents run a real danger of misplaced hope. We put our hope for our kids in our kids. http://bit.ly/T8QJXf @kathilipp
No matter how much your kid is struggling and how out of control you feel, God is always in control. http://bit.ly/T8QJXf @kathilipp
Kids need to see a model of what it’s like to have emotions without allowing them to be the basis for bad behavior http://bit.ly/T8QJXf
The best thing I can do is put my kids in the safest place they could be: the feet of Jesus. http://bit.ly/T8QJXf @kathilipp
Instead of worrying about what you did or didn’t do put your hope in the one who loves your kids more than you do. http://bit.ly/T8QJXf
or Enter to Win
by kathilipp | Jun 1, 2014 | I Need Some Help Here |
The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Psalm 145:8
A few years ago, my husband and I decided to take our kids, ages 5 and 2, to Walt Disney World in Florida. We had just received our tax return and figured that it might be the last time we could go without worrying about taking kids out of school.
I knew practically nothing about Disney World, so I read up on the subject. I asked my Disney-loving friends for advice, checked out guide books from the library and read the latest posts on Disney blogs. I decided that this was going to be the trip of all trips…that one special time that we would all remember about for the rest of our lives.
One of my friends had bragged that her family had eaten a character meal every single day of their Disney trip, so I made it my mission to do the same. I called the dining reservation hotline every day for weeks until I finally got a meal time for us at Cinderella’s Castle. It meant we had to eat breakfast at 11:15, but at least we were in.
I wanted my kids to meet all their favorite characters (never mind that they hadn’t seen many Disney shows or movies) and I wanted us to ride on all the most fabulous rides, eat in the most popular restaurants and see the most exciting parades and shows.
Basically, I had every minute of our 9-day trip scheduled.
After 5 days of Disney “fun,” i.e. walking all day in the hot sun, no time for naps, battling crowds, standing in long lines, getting up early every morning to be the first in the park, and endless photos with characters, my kids were beat. They didn’t want to wait in any more lines, they didn’t want to sit around waiting for a dining reservation, and they certainly didn’t want to smile for another camera.
The tipping point came as we watched our daughter turn into a princess at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. After paying $60 for hair, nails and make-up on our 5 year-old, we were instructed to walk to the next building to have her picture taken.
At the photo studio, we waited in line for 30 more minutes until it was our turn for pictures. As the photographer called us to come over, my daughter abruptly decided that she didn’t want her picture taken. No amount of sweet talk, promises or flat-out bribery would make her sit for a picture.
I don’t know what happened next…I just sort of snapped. I remember walking out of the studio before I started into my rant about our expensive vacation and how she was ruining it. Then I stood in the middle of the Happiest Place on Earth and shamed my precious little hungry, tired and worn-out girl for not getting her picture taken. In front of hundreds of people.
My sweet husband, whom I love more than life itself, couldn’t even hold me back. I continued ranting and raving all the way back to the stroller rental, where I proceeded to vent to the cashier about how awful my girl was acting, especially after we spent so much money and time on “her dream vacation.”
Hours later, I felt just terrible…I had acted worse than the Evil Queen, Maleficent, and Ursula all rolled in one. My unrealistic dream of a perfect Disney vacation had been more important to me than the tender heart of my baby girl. How could I have been so mean?
[Tweet “My dream of a perfect Disney vacation had been more important to me than the tender heart of my baby girl. How could I have been so mean? “]
Luckily, she cheerfully accepted my apology and thought no more about it, and we actually had fun on the last 2 days of our trip.
I asked my daughter, who is now 8, if she remembered that terrible day at Disney World. She doesn’t (and neither does my husband), but I will always have it tucked back in my mind as a lesson of how not to be a mother.
Dear Heavenly Father, you are gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. Thank you for using these “Bad Mom” moments to teach us mothers to be more like you. Help us also to become gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love for our children.
Erin Myers is a stay-at-home mom of 2 beautiful kiddos and has been married to her hero for 13 years. She blogs at mymommyworld.com, where she hopes to inspire moms in their everyday lives with recipes, homemaking tips, and more.
Join the Bad Mom Moment Monday Link-Up!
If you’re a blogger and have written about one (or more) of your own “Bad Mom Moments” — or any post(s) that offer authentic encouragement to moms — we’d love to have you link on up! It’s as easy as 1-2-3:
- grab the button above
- include it in your post, hyperlinked back here: http://wp.me/p4zUEg-1Nf
- click on “Click here to enter” below and follow the instructions!
(And if you can spare one more minute, stop by and say “Hi!” to the blogger who linked up just before you.)
by kathilipp | May 28, 2014 | So Here's the Thing |
June 2014 is such an exciting month for me personally. My 10th book, I Need Some Help Here! Hope for When Your Kids Don’t Go According to Plan, will officially drop (you know… like when Beyonce drops an album, only cooler…) (but is already available).
And I’m just as thrilled about my newest endeavor! On June 3 my podcast, So Here’s the Thing with Kathi Lipp and MOPS, will begin! I teamed up with the fabulous people at MOPS International to talk about all things women love to talk about- kids, husbands, friendships, sex- EVERYTHING! We’ll have fabulous guest speakers and one thing is for sure— we will have FUN!
I want to personally invite you to become a So Here’s the Thing Insider. Those in the Insider’s Club will get exclusives including:
- Podcast at least one day before it’s available to the public
- Freebies from our guests that only Insiders will get
- Opportunities to suggest topics and guests for future podcast episodes
- Exclusive discounts and offers
- Exciting Insider look at the conversation between me and my guests during the “after show“!
To become an insider, simply sign up here!
Be sure to listen in on our very first podcast this coming Tuesday, June 3, 2014! You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or get a reminder in your email to be sure you don’t miss out on any of the fun.
by kathilipp | May 28, 2014 | Uncategorized |
Thank you to all of you Hope Heroes out there who are supporting the I NEED SOME HELP HERE! launch with all of your love, prayers and social media savvyness.
This week we are giving away a $100 TARGET GIFT CARD!!!
How do you get your hands on those bull’s-eye bucks?
Things We Need Some Help With (if you are willing! We would be so grateful if you can share some hope with a friend!):
1. Order a copy of I Need Some Help Here!
When you order, be sure to download your FREE Surviving Summer eBook . This eBook that will save you in the summer is only available for a limited time so download and share with your friends while there is still time.
2. Share it with family, friends, coworkers and followers on social media. Choose the platform of your choice:
Option #1: Post on Facebook:
Post about I Need Some Help Here! on Facebook. Click here to share this post on Facebook.
Option #2: Post on Pinterest.
Post about I Need Some Help Here! on Pinterest. Click here to repin this pin on Pinterest.
Option #3: Post on Twitter.
Post about I Need Some Help Here! on Twitter. Click here to retweet this tweet on Twitter.
Option #4: Post About the Book on Your Blog
When you post about I Need Some Help Here! just send us an email at bronwyn@kathilipp.com with the link to your blog. You’ll then be entered to win one of the weekly prizes!
3. THEN JUST FILL IN THE FORM BELOW TO BE ENTERED FOR THIS WEEK’S PRIZE! You don’t need to do any of the above but we know you’re kind of amazing and will want to give another mom some hope!)
If the form doesn’t show up, you can use the online version.
Thanks for your willingness to bring hope to a world of women who desperately need it. Check back for a new AMAZING mom-approved give away each week!
by kathilipp | May 26, 2014 | I Need Some Help Here, Relationships |
Welcome to the I Need Some Help Here! Launch Party
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be giving away one AMAZING giveaway every single week.
I’m so excited to be able to share our stories of struggles and successes in this book. It’s been a long time coming for me and the rest of the “Bad Moms Club” but after a lot of laughter prayers, tears and love it is finally ready to launch and I couldn’t be more thrilled to share it with you!
I just spoke for a group of moms where one of the mentor moms asked me where I got the ideas for my books. My response, “I usually write out of my own weakness. My next book is all about how we as moms can feel that we are not good enough as parents and how to rely on God in those weak times.”
The mentor mom replied, “Oh, I never felt inadequate as a mom.”
This book? It’s not for her.
My hope with I Need Some Help Here! Hope for When Your Kids Don’t Go According to Plan is that every mom who thought that her parenting journey would be different, who thought that if she just tried her hardest, her kids would fall into place.
This book is for all of us who have done our best, but our kids — whom we love and adore — are not necessarily on the path we would have chosen for them.
[Tweet “This book is for all of us who have done our best but our kids aren’t on the path we would have chosen for them”]
If you have doubts as a mom, join me. We want you to assure the moms that you influence, that you speak to through your blog and via social media, that they are normal. They are OK. They are cherished. And while we try with all our might to do the best we can with our kids, ultimately, they belong to God. And that is the best place for them to be.
As a thank you for all of your love and support with this launch we will be giving away one super fun mom approved prize each week!!
Things We Need Some Help With (if you are willing! We would be so grateful if you can share some hope with a friend!):
1. Order a copy of I Need Some Help Here!
When you order, be sure to download your FREE Surviving Summer eBook . This eBook that will save you in the summer is only available for a limited time so download and share with your friends while there is still time.
2. Share it with family, friends, coworkers and followers on social media. Choose the platform of your choice:
Option #1: Post on Facebook:
Post about I Need Some Help Here! on Facebook. Click here to share this post on Facebook.
Option #2: Post on Pinterest.
Post about I Need Some Help Here! on Pinterest. Click here to repin this pin on Pinterest.
Option #3: Post on Twitter.
Post about I Need Some Help Here! on Twitter. Click here to retweet this tweet on Twitter.
Option #4: Post About the Book on Your Blog
When you post about I Need Some Help Here! just send us an email at bronwyn@kathilipp.com with the link to your blog. You’ll then be entered to win one of the weekly prizes!
3. THEN JUST FILL IN THE FORM BELOW TO BE ENTERED FOR THIS WEEK’S PRIZE! You don’t need to do any of the above but we know you’re kind of amazing and will want to give another mom some hope!)
If the form doesn’t show up, you can use the online version.
Thanks for your willingness to bring hope to a world of women who desperately need it. Check back for a new AMAZING mom-approved give away each week!
by kathilipp | May 25, 2014 | I Need Some Help Here |
When the snow drifts finally melted, and the threat of a hard frost was almost gone, I made the announcement to my boys: “We’re planting a garden!”
As we gathered supplies, I congratulated myself for such a fun, educational, outdoorsy idea for my 5, 4, and 3 year-old sons. Long garden tools, tiny colorful seeds and loads of dirt! What’s not to love? Add to that the promise of fresh sweet corn in 90 days, and I skipped out to the garden with a hoe over my shoulder and my three helpers trailing with plastic shovel, pail and watering can in hand.
Unfortunately, planting didn’t go as smoothly as I had hoped. My rows were crooked, and every time I drove the stakes to string a line and straighten them, a chubby little hand would pluck it out and carry it away. The bag of seed corn was accidentally dumped in a heap on the freshly tilled dirt, and the watering can spilled on my seed packages.
I eventually scared my three helpers away by barking “Stop!” “Don’t!” “Go!” So when they abandoned the garden for the swing set, I had no remorse.
Finally! I can do this right!
The summer sun baked the dirt, the seeds absorbed the scant moisture and little cornstalks eventually unfolded and poked through dirt clods.
In August my hearty rows of sweet corn stood proudly, and I was anxious to harvest.
The boys ran down the rows and tripped over weeds and ruts as I checked for readiness, but the silk was still white and moist near the ear, and the kernels were still small.
Maybe next week.
Disappointed, I returned to the house to adapt the dinner menu and fix something else. As I began, I looked out my kitchen window toward the garden just in time to see my five-year-old with both arms stretched around more than a dozen ears of freshly picked corn.
And I flew into a rage!
I shot through the kitchen, flung open the screen door just as his overloaded frame reached the top step of the deck.
I noticed a neighbor’s truck disappearing around the corner, and I waited until he was out of sight before I screamed my son’s full name. He looked up at me from behind the pile of corn and started to speak, but I cut him off.
All my hard work! Ninety days of gestation! A premature harvest! Ruined!
I yammered on. “You’ve ruined the corn.” “It will taste yucky!” “Ask before you pick something from the garden!” “In fact, stay out of the garden!”
He struggled under the weight of 16 ears—which looked quite large—and tried to speak again.
I stopped him. There is no excuse!
“Drop them on the deck!” I barked.
He did.
As they tumbled and rolled I noticed the silk on each ear was crunchy and dry, and each ripe cob filled out the husk.
“I didn’t pick them,” he said.
Yeah right! And now you add lying to your offenses!
I grabbed his ear and demanded, “Then where did you get them!?”
His voice quivered, “Somebody in a pickup truck gave them to me and told me to bring them to you.”
A cold, breathless feeling halted me, and it all came clear.
Our neighbor. A generous farmer. Sharing the first of his harvest. He’d just turned the corner to the next house.
Generosity and innocence doused my rage and brought me to my knees.
Embarrassed, I asked my son for his forgiveness which he was all too happy to grant now that he was clear of my emotional tornado.
And there on the top step of the deck, my son stood as a little reminder of the exchange God has offered me in Christ.
The innocent one endured my anger. And what do I earn for unleashing an undeserved reprimand? A ripe harvest of sweet corn. Better than I’d hoped. Earlier than I’d planned, and free to me if I would just stop screaming and pick it up.
In the same way, Jesus endured God’s wrath reserved for us. Then in spite of all our flawed striving, God offered his righteousness. Better than I could ever do. Earlier than eternity, and free to me if I will just stop trying to earn and receive it.
Today’s Challenge: Accepting Forgiveness…again.
Do you wonder if you’ll ever stop “blowing it?” Remember, God’s mercies are new every morning. His forgiveness never runs out. Our “Bad Mom Moments” provide an opportunity to demonstrate humility, turn in repentance, give an apology, and accept forgiveness. And someday, by God’s grace, our kids will be able to do the same.
Lord, give us grace to turn toward You even in our red-faced embarrassment. Help us gratefully accept your forgiveness so we can extend it to others.
“When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners.”
~Romans 4:4 (NLT)
Today’s Bad Mom Monday Author: Shauna has the wild and hilarious privilege of raising three boys along the breaks of the Missouri River. She blogs about lessons learned in the “School of Motherhood” at permissiontobereal.blogspot.com.
Do you sometimes feel like a bad mom?
Check out my new book, I Need Some Help Here! Hope for When Your Kids Don’t Go According to Plan.
Trust me sister, you aren’t alone.
Join the Bad Mom Moment Monday Link-Up!
If you’re a blogger and have written about one (or more) of your own “Bad Mom Moments” — or any post(s) that offer authentic encouragement to moms — we’d love to have you link on up! It’s as easy as 1-2-3:
- grab the button above
- include it in your post, hyperlinked back here: http://wp.me/p4zUEg-1LP
- click on “Click here to enter” below and follow the instructions!
(And if you can spare one more minute, stop by and say “Hi!” to the blogger who linked up just before you.)
by kathilipp | May 21, 2014 | I Need Some Help Here |
For those of you that have ordered my new book I Need Some Help Here! Hope for When Your Kids Don’t Go According to Plan, I want to say a BIG THANK YOU!
For you, I have this exclusive, limited time gift – 50 Days of Hope Through God’s Word verse flipper. It is super adorable and more than that, it is the perfect companion for I Need Some Help Here! Whether you have toddlers or your kids are grown, being a mom means constantly wanting the best for our babies. It can be so difficult when our kids are making bad decisions, acting out or just plain disrespect us, to not feel the twinge of guilt. Through prayer, experience and God’s word, this book, along with the verse flipper can offer hope for every parent.
To get your fabulous verse flipper, filled with 50 days of verses that will give you hope no matter what you are going through with you kids, s
imply click on this link and fill out the form. You’ll be given the download link right away which includes instructions to build you own (and inexpensive) holder.
If you haven’t gotten your copy of the the book, I Need Some Help Here! yet, get it today and come back and fill out the form for your very own verse flipper.
Already reading the book? Share your thoughts on my Facebook page.
Thank you friends!
by kathilipp | May 19, 2014 | 21 Ways to Connect With Your Kids, I Need Some Help Here, tips and ideas |
Summer is almost here and I know that you want to avoid “couch zombie” syndrome! Sure it’s quiet when your kid’s face is in a screen, but I’m pretty sure that the glazed look in his eyes is not a good sign.
Why not have an unplugged, memory-making kind of summer?
I have just the thing to help you have fun with your kids without pulling out your hair. My friend Kimberlee at ThePeacefulMom.com is offering her e-book Summer Sanity: A Mom’s Guide to a Great Summer FREE when you subscribe to her free weekly eNotes filled with ideas to help you save money, get organized and love your life.
Click here to get your FREE copy!
Please Note: If you would rather not subscribe, you can get the book for just $3.50 (40% off) with code SUMMERFUN – that’s hours of summer fun for about the cost of a box of frozen fruit pops!
Click here to purchase.
For more summer sanity, check out the Summer Survival Kit!
Make this your best summer yet!
photocredit: Ambro; FreeDigitalPhotos.net
by kathilipp | May 18, 2014 | 21 Ways to Connect With Your Kids, I Need Some Help Here |
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
Philippians 2:3-4
When Annemarie was laid in my arms as a newborn, I felt the fierce “Mama Bear” instinct rise up in me for the very first time.
I was certain that I would defend this precious child against anyone who tried to attack her.
I’d forgotten what sixth grade can do to a girl.
And I had no clue what sixth grade can do to a mom.
*****
Eleven years later, I rip into Annemarie the moment she shuts the car door behind her.
“Mrs. Smith told me how you’ve been manipulating the other girls on the playground.”
My daughter’s eyes widen and brim with tears. But I am a mom on a mission, unmoved by her emotions.
“She’s seen you interrupt two girls playing together, convince one to come with you, and leave the other all alone,” I continue, my voice trembling with shame.
Annemarie’s shoulders slump, and she looks down.
“Mrs. Smith has watched you steal her daughter’s friends over and over, leaving her nobody to play with.”
Hot tears spill down my cheeks as I shout, “I can’t believe that my own daughter is the ‘Mean Girl’ of sixth grade!”
Annemarie turns away from me.
I stew in silence. She’d better be planning how she’s going to apologize to Mrs. Smith’s daughter. We were just starting to get to know each other, and I know we’d be great friends. She’d better not blow my chance to finally develop a new BFF friendship of my own.
At bedtime, I’m still so upset that I refuse to hug and kiss Annemarie goodnight. I spend a sleepless night wondering Where did I go wrong as a mother?
The next day, I head to school to gather data for spin control with Mrs. Smith. If I act fast enough, perhaps this will be just a blip on the radar and our friendship will keep growing.
But as I talk with Annemarie’s teacher, the principal, and other staff members, I discover that I’ve sided far too quickly with my BFF-to-be.
Turns out, she’s practically been stalking my daughter for weeks, spending her volunteer hours watching Annemarie like a hawk. And she’s been pulling my daughter aside for long lectures without talking to the teacher or me.
My Mama Bear instinct finally kicks in, and I tell Mrs. Smith to leave my daughter alone, to bring her concerns directly to me. Her disdainful response makes it clear that all my hopes for friendship have been nothing but wishful fantasies.
Now guilt-ridden, I apologize to Annemarie for siding against her before even hearing her side of the story. We begin the journey of re-building the trust I’ve broken.
The answer to my late-night question – Where did I go wrong as a mother? – is obvious now.
I went wrong at the point where “looking to my own interests” became a higher priority than mothering my daughter.
I’d been so confident in my Mama Bear instincts that I was blind-sided by my own “selfish ambition.”
With humility newly born from failure, I discover an unexpected parenting truth: the Mean Girl my child most needs a Mama Bear’s protection from is me.
And from this Bad Mom Moment I learn the importance of investigating carefully–rather than blindly believing–another parent’s perspective.
Prayer: Lord, open the eyes of my heart when I am blind to the pain my selfishness is causing my child. Help me follow your leadership as I learn and grow as a parent.
Today’s Challenge: My Interests over Mothering
Has there ever been a time in your mothering journey that you chose your interest over your child’s? Is there a situation right now that you need to apologize to your child for mishandling in order to rebuild the relationship? If so, make that positive step with your child today. Admitting we are wrong will go a long way in building trust with our kids. Sometimes it’s not appropriate to apologize to your child but taking it to your Heavenly Father is always appropriate.
My bad mom friend and author of today’s challenge is Cheri Gregory. Cheri has been married to her college sweetheart for over a quarter-of-a-century and has two college-aged kids; she blogs about expectations, “baditude,” and hope at www.CheriGregory.com.
Join the Bad Mom Moment Monday Link-Up!
If you’re a blogger and have written about one (or more) of your own “Bad Mom Moments” — or any post(s) that offer authentic encouragement to moms — we’d love to have you link on up! It’s as easy as 1-2-3:
- grab the button above
- include it in your post, hyperlinked back here (http://wp.me/p4zUEg-1KA)
- click on “Click here to enter” below and follow the instructions!
(And if you can spare one more minute, stop by and say “Hi!” to the blogger who linked up just before you.)
by kathilipp | May 8, 2014 | 21 Ways to Connect With Your Kids |
There are all sorts of ways to do it, but here are three ways you can connect with each of your kids.
GO Large
Take Your Child on a one-on-one vacation. My friend Kim and her husband had long promised their children that when each of them turned sixteen, he or she would go on an extended vacation. The only rule was that it had to be in the continental U.S. and the kids had to help plan the vacation. Kim found out the best part was learning about the unique personalities each child had.
If a whole vacation does not work, try a weekend or even a one night over night. The overnight part is what is fun and makes it special because it is extended time together.
GO MEDIUM
Take Your Child on a regular date night. Justen and I began this tradition when he was about seven years old, and we still do it now that he is out of high school. About once a month, we choose a night to go out on the town, just the two of us. It may be hamburgers at the local burger joint or it may be going to a museum. The point is to do something fun that you will both enjoy and can talk about in the years to come.
GO SMALL (but SIGNIFICANT)
Connect with your child over small but memorable activities. When Kimberly was eight years old, we started sharing a mother-daughter journal. One night I would tuck it under her pillow and the next night she would tuck it under mine. It was a wonderful way to connect and have a little insight into my daughter’s heart. A friend of mine, Angie, still brushes her daughter’s hair at the end of the day and will talk about their days. Her daughter is thirteen! It is a little thing that has become a special part of the day.
Planning this one on one time takes some time, but it will be worth it knowing that you are investing in a lifetime of memories and really connecting with your child. And to help you with more planning, if you comment on this post and let me know some ways you make your child feel special when you are one one one, you may will a copy of 21 Ways to Connect with Your Kids.
