by Shannon Popkin | Mar 11, 2011 | Parenting
For about three years, Cade was obsessed with Thomas the Tank Engine. And I’m not using the word loosely.obsess: to dominate or preoccupy the thoughts, feelings, or desires of a personCade thought about Thomas all the time. He played with his trains whenever...
by Shannon Popkin | Mar 7, 2011 | Father, Kids' Perspective, Parenting
Do you think of God as a lecturing, scolding Father? I wouldn’t have said so, but a recent conversation with my kids has me wondering—both about how I see God, and the picture I’ve painted of Him for them. We were driving in the car one morning, when I...
by Shannon Popkin | Jan 29, 2011 | Parenting, Teens
Some responses to my last post (which detailed my daughter’s failed attempt at talking us into a texting plan) made me want to hear more from an actual twelve year old. What’s it like out there, walking the halls of your middle school with no text message...
by Shannon Popkin | Jan 22, 2011 | Faith, Kids' Perspective
Cole told me that his new friend from third grade was ‘cathletic’. I said, “Oh. Can you remind me what ‘cathletic’ means?” He said, “You know, they do that thing where they draw a cross on themselves.” Ahhhh. Yes,...
by Shannon Popkin | Jan 13, 2011 | Christian Growth, Funny, Kids' Perspective
When I was a second grade teacher, I found out I was expecting my first baby just before school started. My principal, not wanting to needlessly alarm parents over the way this would affect my classroom, asked me not to say anything to the children. As the school year...
by Shannon Popkin | Jan 4, 2011 | Parenting
I used to say of my son Cole, when he was a toddler: “Whatever Cole wants—whether it be the blue cup or the green cup, the grape or the strawberry, the matchbox car or the motorcycle—whatever it is that he wants, he wants it with all of his heart!” In the blink of an...