I will be honest—this is a hard one for me to write. Why? Because it is just a little bit too real life. It is easy to write about seasons past or experiences with my children. I also love to write about what God is teaching me as a mom...
Growing up, I had a good relationship with my parents. Honoring and obeying them came relatively easy. But when I hit adulthood, things got complicated. Their divorce during my first year of marriage brought up wounds I didn’t know existed. I felt shame and anger. Honoring them became hard. For...
His wavy, blonde hair was damp and tousled, and his cheeks were flushed. I couldn’t help but smile at both signs of a quality afternoon nap as he reached for me to pick him up. I pulled him into my lap, then leaned back on the barstool. He snuggled in...
Lately my anxiety has been at an all-time high. I have always dealt with anxiety my entire life, even as a child. I absolutely believe some people are more neurologically prone to anxiety, I am one of those people. Though that is true, I still believe God wants to walk...
Since being diagnosed with Lyme disease about four years ago, my body has been in a daily wrestling match with chronic pain. Some days are easier than others, but my pains are usually present to some degree. Though we have every reason to believe the Lyme is gone (praise God...
Most nights when it’s not too cold or rainy, our family of three walks down to the shore nearby our home. Sitting on the rocks or wading in the water and letting the cool breeze brush over our shoulders is my new favorite way to end a hot summer day....
There were 101 reasons why a March getaway with my husband didn’t make sense—the kids’ spring activities in full swing, a weighty trial with one of our kids, a pivotal time of transition in our church, financial cost, preparation for a conference I was speaking at in a couple of...
© 2021 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved As disciplinary tactics go, spanking is ineffective, and it may be harmful, too. A new study suggests that spanking alters the brain, making kids more reactive to potential threats, and more at risk for developing behavior problems. Over the years, I’ve followed...
People get hurt. People get sad and mad. People get bitter. It happens to adults. It happens to kids. It’s happened to us and it’s happened in our family. It’s tough stuff, requiring tough conversations. But they are conversations parents need to be prepared to have. We’ll never forget the...
Teenagers naturally have selective hearing and understanding. They may walk in the obedience their parents call them to, but many haven’t chosen to love that standard, yet. It’s frustrating, really. They don’t yet know how to anticipate danger, so you do the Deuteronomy 6 thing with them and teach them...
When I first got pregnant with our oldest child, I started praying that our babies would know how loved they are by my husband and me, but also by their heavenly Father. I also prayed that they would learn to love God, his word, and those in the world around...
Cannon turned four years old this week. We celebrated with a family dinner, and his therapist decorated his room with a banner and a few balloons. It was all low-key and simple. He would not have wanted, nor would he have really understood, any more fanfare than that. But from...
© 2021 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved Families are better off when teenagers communicate openly with their parents. But how do we inspire better communication? An experimental study shows the way: We need to provide kids with crucial signals of active, supportive listening. Not only does it make kids feel better. ...
Booing. Shouting. Finger-pointing. Adults getting up in one another’s faces, arguing against a call. All this I have seen—in an elementary school gym. In a Christian school, no less. “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18 NIV). “Be kind...
One of my goals as a father is to infect my children with childlike wonder. Arthur Gordon is one of my role models when it comes to wonder. I read his incredible book, Wonder, on our fifteenth anniversary trip to Italy—making it all the more meaningful. In fact, we saw...
One of the hardest things after my husband died was not only dealing with my grief but also watching my children try to grapple with theirs. My youngest two kids were four and six years old. I had three coming-of-age boys (twelve, fourteen, and sixteen years old) who needed their...
Let’s be honest, shall we? Studying the Bible as a family can seem intimidating. As the developer of an at-home Bible survey curriculum for families, Bible Road Trip™, I get emails from parents who find reading the Bible with kids to be daunting. A lot of emails. Most of the...
It’s clearly a new day when it comes to planning out our kids’ summer. My memory may fail me, but I can’t remember one time when I overheard my parents discussing which camps their three kids were going to attend, coordinating dates to ensure we had friends with us, and...
© 2018 – 2021 GWEN DEWAR, PH.D., ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Is childhood rebellion inevitable? Not really. Most kids are ready to be cooperative. But they recognize limits to our power: They resist when they perceive us as trying to control their personal lives. So what’s the solution? Be fair-minded. Listen...
© 2021 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved Egalitarian, cooperative, and fiercely-protective of their personal freedoms, hunter-gatherers are also very practical. They know that parents can’t afford to raise kids without help. So everybody pitches in — and society thrives. Family subsidies. Childcare help. Support for parents struggling to make...
