Category: Newsletter
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Newsletter 1/1/2026, Setting Your Family Direction This 2026: Creating Character Through Family Vision Casting
With the ringing in of a new year, Stan and I have a tradition that has become one of my favorites: a Williams Family Vision Casting Night. Tonight or tomorrow, we’ll order pizza (because years ago, one of our littlest proudly declared us “a pizza family”), Stan will pull out the flip-chart posters and color-coded markers, and…
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Newsletter 12/25/2025, Living Your Values in a World of Peer Pressure
In our neighborhood, something new is happening. Entire streets are coordinating to put out the exact same holiday blow-up.
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Newsletter 12/17/2025, “Your Kids Physically Fight?” Yes. Let’s Talk.
I remember so vividly when a friend was sharing a parenting strategy with me for when kids fight—something she called the three B’s. I looked at her skeptically and said, “That won’t work when they’re pummeling each other.” Wide-eyed, she responded incredulously, “Your kids physically fight?” I started laughing. “That’s pretty much the only fighting they do.” If your kids mostly fight…
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Newsletter 12/11/2025, Parenting Introverts in an Extroverted World
One of my children is wired on the shy side—more introverted, happy to play by himself. Recently, I asked if he wanted to have some friends spend the night, and he said, “Nah. I like doing that only on special nights like Halloween or my birthday.” As someone who had to learn to be extroverted, I…
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Newsletter 12/4/25, How to Help Your Family Thrive This December: Maslow’s Hierarchy, Gratitude, and Meaningful Gifting
I start planning for December in… August. In our family, we have a birthday on December 15th, 18th, 19th, and we also celebrate Jesus on the 25th, so December is a month full of cake. And presents. And parties. And events. And well…it’s a lot to plan for. So I often feel very justified participating in…
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Newsletter 11/27/25, Overcoming Entitlement: Raising Grateful Children
After picking up carpool one day, I spontaneously drove through the line at our favorite fast-food spot and ordered five simple ice cream cones. Then, from the back seat I heard a whine: “Man! Can’t we get a milkshake?” My head nearly exploded. Entitlement! Ungratefulness! I briefly imagined rolling down the window and sending all five…
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Newsletter 11/20/25, Table Manners: A Parent’s Guide To Prepare for Thanksgiving
The truth is: ALL parents struggle with teaching table manners. But Thanksgiving gives us the perfect reason—and deadline—to practice some skills that will serve our kids for a lifetime.
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Newsletter 11/13/25, You Get The Behavior You Allow: How to Set Clear Boundaries
I drive two sixth-grade boys to and from school each day. This year, they have laptops for the first time—and a lot of homework—so every afternoon they hop in the backseat, flip open their computers, and get right to “work” during our 30-minute drive. Except… lately something felt off. I used to teach middle-school boys. I…
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Newsletter 11/6/25, Empower Your Child: From Enabling to Resilience
Empowerment Over Enabling: Building Resilience Friend,When my child was in Kindergarten, we once arrived at school only to discover he wasn’t wearing shoes. We were already late, and going home wasn’t an option. So my child spent the day in socks. Was I tempted to rescue? Of course. But that moment taught responsibility far more…
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Newsletter 10/30/25, Essential Trick-or-Treating Etiquette for Kids
Friend Here’s Your Guide to Spooktacular Trick-or-Treating Etiquette Happy Haunting, friends! Halloween has crept up on us once again, and while costumes, candy, and cobwebs are thrilling, it’s also the perfect time to teach our little ghouls and goblins some “fang-tastic” manners. Because nothing is scarier than a kid dumping an entire candy bowl into their cauldron. Let’s talk trick-or-treating etiquette that keeps…