Parenting
Growing up with “parenting experts” and having five children of my own, I’ve learned a thing or two about raising kids.
The biggest thing I’ve learned?
There’s no one “right way” to do it. We all have unique talents and personalities to bring to the table.
Hoping what I share here on 71toes.com will help stimulate your own ideas. Ideas for building stronger family relationships, creating a family economy, establishing family systems. It’s always good to see how others are doing it so we can add to our own “toolbox.”
Sending lots of love your way as you maneuver your own unique parenting adventure.
XOXO
-
Easter With Grown Kids and Grandbabies
Easter looks a little different these days—with our kids grown and celebrating in different places—but somehow, this holiday still holds us together. This year…
-
Building Independence as a Young Adult with Special Needs: Lucy’s First College Spring Break
Watching your child with special needs step into adulthood can be quite an emotional ride. It brings a unique mix of pride, worry, and…
-
Easter Traditions That Hold Us Together (Even as Kids Grow Up)
Every year as Easter approaches I find myself asking the same question:How do we make this holiday feel as meaningful as it really is?…
-
Tips for Raising Teenage Boys – A Different Perspective
When my son Max turned fifteen, I was caught in that familiar swirl of maternal worry: Will he be motivated? Is he prepared for…
-
Adjusting to Empty Nest Life: Finding Balance After Kids Leave Home
There’s a strange balance to be found in adjusting to empty nest life. After nearly three decades of raising children, Dave and I are…
-
Visiting Adult Children: A Quick Trip to Palo Alto and San Francisco
There is something so magnificent to me about visiting your adult children and getting a glimpse into the life they are building. Dave and…
-
Valentine’s Day Weekend with my Valentines
I got to spend Valentine’s Day weekend with not only my very own husband-valentine, but also with my kid-valentines, plus a couple of their…
-
tips on raising teenagers from “in the arena”
Teenagers are confusing. And frustrating. And tricky. But they are also pretty dang awesome. Raising teenagers can evoke a wide range of emotions —…
-
The Blessing of Miss Ada June
On Sunday, Max gave our second granddaughter, Miss Ada June, a special blessing in a quiet little gathering at Max and Abby’s house. This…
-
What Parents Need to Know About A.I. – Artificial Intelligence
While I was at the Faith Matters Restore conference a couple weeks ago, there were breakout sessions during lunch. My siblings and I wanted…
-
Are you Overwhelmed in the Parenting Department? Try this!
I was just talking to one of my daughters this morning about overwhelm. She’s in the thick of trying to find balance amidst so…
-
The Beginning of College for Lucy – “By Small and Simple Things”
Yesterday Lucy became an official college student. Well, in all actuality, she started last week in a special “connections” class to kick things off.…
-
Praying for Angels as Lucy Heads to College
Oh gosh, there is SO much going on in my heart right now. I’m a little paralyzed with how to record this whole getting-Lucy-ready-for-college…
-
Back to School: The Best First Day of School Traditions We Love
For the first time in twenty-three years, school started here in the desert without a single one of my children in attendance. There were…
-
The Power of Nature: Making Family Memories in the Wilderness
Each year when our family reunion at Bear Lake comes to an end, my brothers pack up endless gear as well as what seems…
-
A Simple Way to Connect With Adult Children Through Prayer
We all want ways to connect with our young adults, right? I mean, as parents we are in this funky land of “moving to…
-
Planting Summer Flowers in the Desert – An Analogy to Parenting
Flower gardening in the desert isn’t really my normal mojo here on the blog. I’m here for family life, travel and sharing the motherhood…
-
Motherhood Transitions – My Own Goodbye to High School
I’m pretty sure that the only “constant” on parenting is that is keeps changing. Motherhood sure doesn’t stay stagnant. There will always be motherhood…
-
Want to Celebrate Good Dads? Here are some Ideas
Oh my goodness I’m slow posting this week. I’m really celebrating this good Dad I’m married to since we’re coming up on our thirtieth…
-
Thank you to the Village: Why Community Matters in Parenting
Leading up to Lucy’s graduation, I was carrying a heavy load of emotions. I knew that having a daughter with special needs graduate from…
-
Letting Go of High School, One Ceremony at a Time
Welp, Lucy graduated yesterday. Which means so did I as a mother of high-school-goers. The business of letting go of high school has been…
-
“Moving to the Bleachers” For Easter – Easter 2025
We got lucky enough to celebrate with most of our kids this Easter. The weekend was filled up with kids, grand babies, long walks…
-
How Love Can Help Our Kids Become Extraordinary
As my kids have grown older I often look back and wonder: Did we push for the extraordinary too much? Did we not push…
-
How to Reinvent Good Parenting…Over and Over!
I have learned through the years that we have to reinvent good parenting. Over and over again. Parenting is certainly NOT something we learn…
-
Squabbling Sisters Can Grow Up to be Best Friends
Here’s another post in my series of “sister posts.” Today I am here to give mothers of young squabbling sisters some hope. Because guess…
-
Cousins Make High School Dances Even Better
Lucy went to another high school dance. And this time around I realized that cousins make high school dances even better. But before we…
-
How to Foster Deeper Discussions with Your Family
I am often asked how Dave and I foster deeper discussions with our family. Conversations that are more meaningful and make us closer. The…
-
predictability promotes the best development
I keep thinking about the developmental psychology class I took a while back that explored the “Attachment Theory.” I learned about the preciousness of…
-
A Brand New Entrepreneur
Finding meaningful work can be challenging for anyone—but finding jobs for people with visual impairment can feel especially overwhelming. This is the story of…
-
Do We Strive for “Superior” Motherhood?
I read the most interesting article a few years ago that made me think. In our world where “gentle parenting” is becoming king, are…
-
New Years Resolutions that Actually KEEP – One Way to Look at the “Big Picture”
Oh I am sending out so much holiday love. Hope everyone had the best Christmas. So much I want to writ and ponder on…
-
How to Organize your Fridge when you have Low Vision
Want to know how to organize your fridge when you have low vision? Just grab some green masking tape and ask Lucy to help…
-
The Importance of Good Men
I’ve been thinking lately about the importance of good men. I think our world needs them desperately. OF COURSE we need good, strong women…
-
How to Build Relationships by Setting Boundaries
Sometimes as parents we think we need to give up boundaries in order to build relationships with our kids. But actually the opposite is…
-
Happy Father’s Day — I love David.
As Dave and I drove Lucy to the airport to head off on her grand summer adventure I mentioned that so much love filled…
-
An Excellent Book For Dads written by My Brother…in time for Father’s Day!
Welp, I mentioned this in my Utah post, but let’s get to the details. Because my brother Tal wrote a book! A book for…
-
Florida with our married kids after Carson’s Graduation — Goodbye Miami!
It’s so strange to be in a season of life with adult children moving away. Again and again. It makes any time we get…
-
We have an official Doctor in the Family!
Yep, Carson is official. And I got a little teary as he stood with his classmates and recited the “Oath of Hippocrates,” pledging to…
-
A New Key to create Better Communication
Our communication matters! It is what relationships are all about. I recently learned a new key to create better communication
-
Our family screen-time challenge results
Ok let’s talk about our family screen time challenge results. (I asked if anyone wanted to join me in this leading up to Easter…
-
What to do for FHE when you only have one kid at home
I have an update coming soon about what the big kids are up to, because they are up to a lot. And oh how…
-
A New Season of our “In the Arena” Podcast!
Yep, the first THREE episodes of the new season are live for “In the Arena.” WooHOO! I love learning from my sisters as we…
-
Lucy’s First Dance! – MORP
Well, the long awaited and much hand-wrung-over high school dance has come and gone for Lucy. I talked about some of our emotions swirling…
-
Three Ways to Help Teenagers Build a Positive Self-Image
Let’s talk about three ways to help teenagers build a positive self-image. Because when you’re a teenager, especially in this world filled to the…
-
Lucy’s First Date: Navigating Teen Dating with Special Needs
Watching your teen go on a first date is emotional for any parent—but when special needs are part of the story, it can feel…
-
How to Nurture one son
I came across two old blog questions the other day about raising a boy. How to nurture one son. And also how to build…
-
the most important nine minutes of the day
I want to talk about a comment made on this blog a while back that talked about the most important nine minutes of the…
-
When Parenting gets tricky: some ideas to help
I forgot to mention that we recorded a few of podcasts while we were together in Utah: a sister’s overnight podcast fest:) My brother…
-
Six Things Single Parents Want you to Know
My sister-in-law Annie is one of my great examples in life. I love her, and how her mind and heart work. I shared one…
-
how to trust kids to figure out their own paths
With emergent teenagers, one of my always-biggest questions was how to trust kids to figure out their own paths. Just like my fellow mothers,…
-
Sending Claire off…How the “big” kids took their sister under their wings and eased their mother’s heart in the process
I thought I would be ok just sending Claire off to the MTC by herself. You see, she has eight more weeks of study…
-
An official missionary and how the “Home MTC” works
By the time this posts, Claire will be en route to her next adventure: the “official Missionary Training Center.” She will be in rigorous…
-
Lots of “little things” leading up to Claire becoming a missionary
Oh I have SO much to say about this “Home MTC” thing Claire is smack-dab in the middle of right now. But let’s take…
-
Two big steps in mission preparation: temple and farewell for Claire
Oh my goodness. TODAY Claire starts the “home MTC.” And I have a million and one things to say about that. There are a…
-
a little fingertip-talent boost
Already just at the beginning of junior year, Lucy and I have come to the realization this year might be a rough one. Her…
-
Grateful for parenting partners – girls camp love
The older I get the more I appreciate my village. I’m so grateful for parenting partners. Because try as I might, I cannot be…
-
How to inspire children Spiritually
Let’s talk about how to inspire children spiritually. Something I’ve been thinking about lately. So I thought it was interesting that I came across…
-
back at it, setting up for a “positive” school year
Lucy started school yesterday. Yep, still in July, and on I think the 24th day in a row where the desert has hit 110…
-
how to hold a five-facet review
A five-facet review is a great way to think more deeply about how your kids are doing. And also how you can help!
-
Claire’s prep for two new adventures – mission and study abroad
Let’s talk about Claire’s prep for two new adventures: study abroad and a mission. As I type, she is already checked into her new…
-
the powerful effects of a good dad
Oh there is so much to say about the powerful effects of a good dad. Sometimes, when I slow down enough to notice, I…
-
Ode to my Dad on Father’s Day
He taught me the depths of cherishing others. To hold onto the goodness of people. And to honor memories. Especially his dad. Grandpa Dean.…
-
The Magic of Connecting even when you’re far apart
En route down the canyon after Ana’s wedding our car filled up with the magic of connecting even when you’re far apart. You see,…
-
How to Help kids be Productive in the summertime
Summer is such an incredible time to learn and grow! So let’s talk about how to help kids be productive in the summertime.
-
The best place to reach for Parenting Help
As everyone is easing into summer vacation, I have a few things to say. Because I know from experience that summers can be tricky.…
-
Our First Three-generation family Reunion
We were able to meet up with our whole family over Memorial Day. It was our first three-generation family reunion.
-
How to get through your Sophomore year with Low vision
School is out here in the desert. The last day was the day before Memorial Day weekend. So let’s talk for a minute about…
-
One of the Greatest Gifts we can Give our Children
One of the greatest gifts we can give our children is to provide multiple opportunities for them glean the benefits of reading.
-
How to make a simple chore chart
One of my favorite parenting hacks to date involves how to make a simple chore chart. The thing I love most is that IT…
-
Lucy’s exciting acceptance into the FBC summer program
We have some big news to share. Something we have really, really been praying for: Lucy’s exciting acceptance into the FBC summer program.
-
in the wake of having my “big” girls home
This whole last week has been filled right up. My girls were in town for my niece (their cousin)’s wedding. So, I have to…
-
How to Solidify and Nurture the Parent Child Relationship
We all want our kids to like us, right? But the truth is the parent child relationship is about so much more than our…
-
A great way to help kids make “Decisions in Advance”
My parents had lots of good ideas as they raised us nine kids. One of their “masterpieces” in my book was that they figured…
-
how to “move to the bleachers” parenting adult kids
Let’s talk about how to “move to the bleachers” parenting adult kids. The act of leaving the field of duty, and even leaving “the…
-
Should Your Kids and Teens have Social Media?
One of the biggest questions parents are asking about technology and phones — is it okay for my teens to have access to their…
-
Surviving and Thriving in the “Little Kid” years
I’ve been thinking a lot about surviving and thriving in the “little kid” years lately, and about how incredibly important those early years are.…
-
the best course for capitalizing on grandparenthood
Ok, so speaking of my parents, I need to post about them and how they’re focusing so beautifully on grandparenthood before the day is…
-
all my kids under my wings again
As I mentioned in the last post, there is something kind of indescribably incredible about letting your kids fly away, and then getting them…
-
the magic of parental listening
Let’s talk about the magic of Parental Listening. Because Lucy gave me a really good parenting tip a few weeks ago without even meaning…
-
a big miracle for Lucy
The other day I was thinking about miracles. And their evolution. Remember how Lucy’s vision teachers took special care to enlarge her homework worksheets…
-
some thoughts about how to talk to your child about sex
I feel SO grateful my parents talked to me early and often, and openly about sex. I mean, they did write a book about…
-
four ways for young adults to learn to love themselves
Leading up to Valentine’s Day tomorrow, let’s talk about learning to love ourselves. Specifically, four ways for young adults to learn to love themselves.…
-
some tips to better parent with your valentine
With Valentine’s Day approaching, the latest “In the Arena” podcast is all about: 1) How to keep your spouse as your #1. and 2)…
-
one way to teach kids to look outside of themselves
We had our annual Children for Children Concert this week. It might have been my favorite. “Children for Children” concerts are something my family…
-
what’s better than having a bunch of sisters?
I am thankful every day for my sisters. And really, what’s better than having sisters? Doing a podcast with them! Sure, there have been…
-
the “right” parenting style, and is yours working?
We jokingly call this new episode “How to Control Your Kids,” but tune in to hear some thoughts on control, parenting styles, how our…
-
The best way to parent young adults
My parents have always pointed out that there’s no instruction manual when you pack up that tiny newborn in that seemingly gigantic carseat and…
-
the powerful imprint of a good dad
Each year at the Turkey Trot I think about how my sister-in-law Kara has made an imprint on all that swirling activity. As a…
-
the gang (was) all here…the “little things” of the gathering
We thought only Grace was going to be able to come home for Thanksgiving. But in the end, EVERYONE was able to make it.…
-
job jar – add some fun to household chores
Having a “job jar” not only helps keep your house clean, it has the power to add some fun to household chores.
-
how to create a money-earning system that works for YOUR family
I was talking with Abby on the phone the other day and she was laughing about how into budgeting Max is lately. And I…
-
How to Improve the Sibling Dynamic in Your Home
Depending on what stage you’re in with your family, it may sound impossible to improve the sibling dynamic because there are all kinds of…
-
some thoughts about how to raise contributing adults
We are deep into some serious fall foliage glory for Fall Break right now (too many pictures coming soon), but I’ve been thinking, as…
-
How to Get Involved in BBS Global Awareness Day
Bardet-Biedl Syndrome (BBS) is a rare genetic condition that affects many parts of the body—and for families like ours, it shapes daily life in…
-
a mighty miracle found in a team of helpers
In a discussion with some neighbors the other day we somehow got talking about miracles. We talked about how sometimes we have to recognize…
-
Podcast follow-up and a party invite!
We are so grateful for the incredible response we had yesterday with the grand LAUNCH of our sisters podcast. Whoa, first hurdle over. Thank…
-
podcast launch day for “In the Arena” (WOOHOO!!!)
HOORAY!!! The day is finally here!! The day we’ve been working toward to launch our first three podcast episodes. A Sisters Podcast on Growing…
-
“In the Arena” podcast launch is in TWO WEEKS!
Welp, we’re really doing it: TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY these sisters and I are officially launching our sisters podcast called “In the Arena.” WOOHOO!…
-
the steep climbs and beautiful vistas of parenting young adults
There is so much advice about raising kids, and gradually more and more about raising teens, but when it comes to young adults, poof!…
-
regrets and why social media is *still* ruining our kids
** post-edit note: I don’t know who will come back to this post but I’m kicking myself I didn’t ask for what other readers…