When I first arrived at Sheridan House, I spent some time with my predecessor about the duties of the executive director of the ministry. Driving home from the office, I felt somewhat discouraged. It seemed the job description indicated I would have to spend all my available time “putting out fires.” Crisis everywhere The next six months proved my expectations correct. Feeling like a fireman, I was simply putting out one fire after another without having any time to do prevention work. I began to feel that either I was incompetent, or the job could not be done.   An […]

“But how do you know how to make the right decision?” was the question from a thirteen-year-old boy living at Sheridan House. He had just made yet another bad decision with some friends at school. His consequence was to cut grass that afternoon, rather than play racquetball with the other boys. That was a great question. And that is why we do not only give kids the discipline to follow through with their decisions. We also give them the template for how to make those decisions.   In the past we have discussed the need for parents to make their […]

Easter is the most pivotal moment in our Faith, remembering the sacrifice our Heavenly Father made so that we may have a relationship with Him. This is an unimaginable sacrifice for us as parents to wrap our heads around. As Christians, teaching this to our children is necessary, but how? In the past we have talked about many ways for us to talk to our children about Easter. We have talked about the “Resurrection Eggs,” which help parents of small children walk through the Easter week in a creative and age-appropriate way. We have mentioned “Resurrection Rolls,” another age appropriate […]

This article, that was written by Mom and Dad, is so timely as we wrap up the first quarter of school and head into the second. It resonated with me deeply as I was the one helping a child “catch up” on a research paper this last week. I hope it is a good reminder for you as you organize the second quarter of your family and the holidays! -Torrey Roberts Time for time teaching Mothers across America have been heard to say, “I hope you know we will never go through this again!” This phrase has been shouted right […]

Recently, while waiting for a traffic light to turn green, I glanced over at the car next to me and noticed an incredibly sad scene. A mom was driving with three kids. It had the potential to be a great family outing, but for one thing, each person in the van was engaged in his or her own electronic activity. Each except the youngest, who was glued to something on the ceiling. Only after the light turned green did I see that he too was into his own electronics. He was focused on his own iPad screen.  Dysfunctional Family Time […]