by Shannon Popkin | Mar 4, 2014 | Parenting
I paused on the staircase, overhearing my boys’ conversation. One was saying, “If you want me to go get the suitcase in the storage room, I will.” The other said, “No, I can fit all my stuff in my bag.” I walked into the bedroom, and they both sort of stood at...
by Shannon Popkin | Feb 1, 2014 | Kids' Perspective
My fourth grader called me from school the other day.When I answered, he said, “Hi, Mom. This is Cade from Ms. VanderWall’s class.”I laughed and thought, “Oh, that Cade.” There isn’t really another Cade who calls me when he’s...
by Shannon Popkin | Jan 17, 2014 | Faith, Fear, Gifts, Humility, Kids' Perspective, Pain, Parenting, seasons, Teens
As a mom, one of the most painful things in life is to see my kids struggle through something that is humiliating. I alternate between wanting to fix my child and eradicate the struggle, and wanting to pummel anyone who would dare to snicker or poke fun at...
by Shannon Popkin | Jan 14, 2014 | Kids' Perspective
When Cade was about three, he had his neighbor friend over to play for the afternoon. While I was upstairs busily vacuuming and cleaning the kitchen, they were in the basement, quietly playing.Or so I thought.It wasn’t until I sat down to check my email that I...
by Shannon Popkin | Dec 6, 2013 | Gifts, Holidays, Parenting
When I arrived at our elementary school’s Santa’s Secret Shop, my son had already been assigned to shop with another mom. So, I rushed over and said, “I’m here! Sorry I’m late…” After she handed him off to me, he confided,...
by Shannon Popkin | Dec 4, 2013 | Kids' Perspective, Parenting
A young mom recently told me about the day her three-year-old had been playing with his cousins. A report came to the moms that he had hit one of his cousins, so she called him to her side and said, “Honey, we don’t hit our cousins. We have to be...