Generation NeXt Parenting

Friday Flashback!

These were some of the best homeschooling days. Back then we made a boat out of pillows, these days I just try to get them out of bed!

posted by Tricia Goyer @ 6:56 AM 0 comments

Interesting!

Death of the personal blog? by Seth Godin

A quick look at the list of the 'top' blogs in the world will show you that almost all of them are written by teams of people. There isn't one in the top 10 that's personal.

The best way to increase your ranking as a blogger is to post very often and to have teams of people doing the work. If that’s your strategy, of course you can’t have it be a solo blog. The strategy for showing up on this list is to have lots and lots of posts, so your tactic needs to be to have a team of people doing the work.

Personal blogs aren't going anywhere, though. There’s a difference between a blog about YOU (I call this a cat blog) and a blog about the reader. Guy Kawasaki’s blog, and my blog for that matter, are not about us, about what we ate yesterday or how great we are. They are about you, the reader.
I guess there's an easy analogy: Your blog could be like a newspaper (written by a staff) or it could be like a book (written by an author)
9 times out of 10, newspapers outsell books. No surprise. But they’re different. And we need both.

Who cares that you're not writing a mass market newspaper? The point is not to show up on a list, the point is to start a conversation that spreads, to share ideas and to chronicle your thinking. That's the work of an author, and I think rather than kissing author blogs goodbye, someone should just start a new list.

Agree or disagree? What is your top 5 blog list?

posted by Tricia Goyer @ 9:37 AM 0 comments

Blue Like Play Dough...And the BIGGEST Book Give-away EVER!

Coming Summer 2009!

Watch the sneak peak video here!

~Generation NeXt Parenting

~Generation NeXt Marriage

~The entire set of the Shaunti Feldhahn books

• For Women Only
  
• For Men Only
  
• For Parent's Only
  
• For Young Women Only
  
• For Young Men Only

~Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World (gift edition) and With This Ring by Joanna Weaver

~My Mother's Wish by Jerry Camery-Hoggart

~Bon Appetit by Sandra Byrd

~Me, Myself, & I Am

posted by Tricia Goyer @ 9:38 AM 0 comments

Too Funny!

Can I get a DUH!

posted by Tricia Goyer @ 11:32 AM 0 comments

Friday Flashback!

Leslie never did like ballet ... well, except for the costume!

posted by Tricia Goyer @ 6:52 AM 0 comments

Me, Myself, I Am...and a give-away.

Check out this interesting book (THIS WOULD MAKE A FAB GIFT!) Multnomah sent me...


Me Myself & I AM: A Unique Question and Answer Book: The Story of You and God Created by Matthew Peters in partnership with Elisa Stanford and Multnomah Books


A new experience of God comes one question at a time in this fun and provocative journal. Made up entirely of insightful, profound, and occasionally ridiculous questions, Me, Myself, and I AM invites you to open to any page, open yourself to God, and be the author of your own story.


Questions range from spiritually intriguing—
You overhear God talking about you. What do hear him saying?

to thought-provoking—
You are on a long car trip with a close friend who is not a Christian and the conversation turns to faith. What is your biggest fear about what your friend will ask or say?

to challenging—
Do you believe that all of Jesus’ followers have a responsibility to tell others about him?

to just plain fun—
If your life before you became a Christian were a movie, its title would be:
Animal House
As Good as It Gets
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
It’s a Wonderful Life

Me, Myself, and I AM will entertain, inspire, and get you thinking about your spiritual life from brand new angles. Whether you use Me, Myself, and I AM as a reflective tool, a way to start conversations with friends and family, or as a spiritual time capsule to look back on years later, their own words will create a powerful journey of self-discovery.

The reviews are in:

Margaret: I was slightly surprised when I recieved Me, Myself, and I AM. I was expecting a book, but when I opened it up, I found a journal of sorts. And it turned out to be an interesting experience. I'm not one for navel-gazing as a rule, but serious introspection once in a while is a good thing. The guiding questions were thought-provoking, ranging from my life right now, through spiritual life, momentous events in my life, and thinking about the future.

Ben: Me, Myself & I am is an interesting take on journaling. It’s short in page number but long in the amount of content and journaling you will work through. Me, Myself and I am is a well thought through journal as it gives you a chance to look back on your life with God and reminisce on where He’s taken you, what He’s brought you through, and where He’s leading you.

I have three copies to give-away...Answer this question from the book in the comment section below (I chose a question near and dear to our Xer hearts) and I'll randomly select three winners on Dec. 11th.

I have the opportunity to live in my current world but with no exposure to television, movies, the Internet, or magazines. I would/wouldn't agree to this arangement because...?

posted by Tricia Goyer @ 9:19 AM 8 comments

This is interesting...

Thoughts?

posted by Tricia Goyer @ 11:06 AM 0 comments

Generation NeXt books...

Want to win a copy of both books?


Head on over to Debbie's The Real World Martha's blog and enter her contest. She's giving away a bunch of other neat-o stuff!

posted by Tricia Goyer @ 10:30 AM 0 comments

Gen X and Gen Y Moms Use Internet Differently

Here is an interesting article (from a marketing perspective) on the differences between Gen X and Gen Y moms...have a read and see if you agree!

Gen X and Gen Y Moms Use Internet Differently

Though both Generation X and Generation Y moms view the internet as a must-have tool for finding child-rearing information, there is a significant generational difference in their online behaviors and preferences, according to (pdf) a study from The Parenting Group and NewMediaMetrics.

Gen Y moms are much more attached to media that connects them to other moms online - such as internet communities, blogs and video-sharing sites - suggesting they prefer to rely on peers rather than experts to help them parent, according to the study.

Moms who are members of Gen Y also are highly involved in creating their own content and show a preference for time-shifting behaviors, such as watching TV online.

The top three activities of Gen Y moms are reading blogs, participating in an online community of moms, and creating and sharing their own video.
In contrast, Gen X moms are less attached to digital media as a whole. They are more likely to engage in task-oriented activities such as shopping online and uploading photos.

The top three online activities of Gen X moms are: using a photo site, rating and reviewing products, and shopping.

This generational dichotomy indicates a shift in the way marketers should be targeting the next new generation of moms online, according to The Parenting Group.

About the study: The study was fielded in April, 2008 among 847 moms who visited the Parenting.com website. To analyze the data, it used NewMediaMetrics’ proprietary Emotional Attachment (EA) Metric, which is unique in that it quantitatively measures emotional attachment and is based on a an academic theory regarding emotional attachments between mothers and children.

posted by Tricia Goyer @ 6:18 AM 1 comments

Friday Flashback!

Cindy and I at one of our first writer's conferences. We were smart, pretty, and without kids for four days!

posted by Tricia Goyer @ 6:50 AM 0 comments

Tis the Season: In conclusion...

Search out True Riches

Is our purpose to see how much we can obtain here on earth? Not quite.
“If your objectives are anything other than ‘Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever,’ you teach your children to function in the culture on its terms,” says Tedd Tripp, author of Shepherding a Child’s Heart. “In terms of Godward orientation, we are training them in the idolatry of materialism. In fact, we even feed the
idols.”
Ouch.

I know Tripps’ words have caused me to take a step back and evaluate how I’m training my kids to function in our culture. It also makes me realize if I don’t deliberately teach my children God’s terms, the world’s terms will quickly fill in where I’m lacking.

“I've taught my son that his issue with discontentment is actually an issue with God,” says Ocieanna. “When my son’s upset that things aren’t going his way or he’s not getting what he wants, he’s really saying he doesn't like the way God's running the universe. I remind him God is the one who gets to choose what happens, and it's our job to glorify Him in all we do.”

Job 36:11 says, “If they obey and serve [God], they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment.” (NIV)

Ask your kids to help you come up with ways to glorify, obey, and serve God and find contentment in Him. Sing praise songs and pray throughout the day. Talk about His love, His miracles, and His life. Only God can fill us up and satisfy our hearts! He can do this in a way no “stuff” can.

Continuing series on Contentment this holiday season!

(photo courtesy of flickr)

posted by Tricia Goyer @ 6:36 AM 1 comments

Tis the Season: Read!

Read Stories about People Who Discovered True Riches

Finally, take time to read biographies! A great way for children to understand that true contentment comes inwardly, not outwardly, is by reading stories about Christians who found satisfaction in Christ even in challenging circumstances. Amy Carmichael, Samuel Morse, George Mueller, and John Newton are some of my family’s favorites. I guarantee that reading about what others have faced for the cause of Christ makes our lives seem easy and abundant!

Continuing series on Contentment this holiday season!

posted by Tricia Goyer @ 6:36 AM 0 comments

Tis the Season: Teach them to manage their money

Teach Delayed Gratification and Appreciation

“Help children to understand and manage money. If children save their allowance and don’t spend it on little trinkets, they can learn the power of saving and delayed gratification. Help them decide on something big to save for,” adds Mary E. DeMuth. “Also, provide children with a time to be thankful everyday. My family has a time at dinner when we talk about the highs of our days.”

Continuing series on Contentment this holiday season!

Oh, and Happy Veteran's Day, check out today's post over at It's Real Life. One more reason why I love celebrating this holiday!

posted by Tricia Goyer @ 6:36 AM 1 comments

Tis the Season: Foster Generosity

Foster a Giving Heart

Giving is a great way to teach contentment. My kids love to participate in Samaritan’s Purse and in food drives for Christmas. Ask your kids for ideas on how they’d like to give to others throughout the year. You might be surprised by what they come up with.

And remember, the first place to give is your local church. No matter how much or how little you have, teach your children the joy of giving 10% to God first. The habits they develop in their young lives and hearts will be the building blocks for contentment!

Continuing series on Contentment this holiday season!

posted by Tricia Goyer @ 6:35 AM 2 comments

Friday Flashback!

I was in 8th grade. I found someone's puppy to pose with. Someone's car for that matter, too!

posted by Tricia Goyer @ 6:47 AM 0 comments

Tis the Season: Proper Perspective

Give Your Kids a “World View” of Riches“

Adopt a child from an impoverished nation. Have kids take turns writing to the child,” suggests Mary E. DeMuth, author of Authentic Parenting in a Postmodern Culture. “Openly discuss that we are the richest 1% of the world, and help children understand social justice issues. Encourage them to save money to give away … to dig wells, to pay for AIDS medicine, and other worthwhile things”

Continuing series on Contentment this holiday season!

posted by Tricia Goyer @ 6:35 AM 1 comments

Tis the Season: Memorize Scripture

Memorize a “Contentment” Scripture

1 Timothy 6:6-8 is a great passage to memorize as a family: “Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.” (NLT)

Continuing series on Contentment this holiday season!

posted by Tricia Goyer @ 6:35 AM 0 comments

Tis the Season: Show by example

Model Contentment

It’s important for kids to learn to be happy with what they have. This often means modeling that behavior.

“I have asked God to give me a heart that holds things loosely,” says Cara, a mom from Indiana. “I have to consistently reevaluate how I am doing as a model for my kids.”

Personally, I make an effort to watch my words and my shopping cart. It does little good if I tell my kids to be happy with what they have and then fill my cart with things that catch my eye. Sometimes my own “wants” roll off my tongue without thinking. In the reverse of that, my words of thankfulness are also noted and mimicked. Which is a good thing!

Continuing series on Contentment this holiday season!

posted by Tricia Goyer @ 6:36 AM 1 comments

Tis the Season: Happy for others!

Teach Kids To Be Happy For Others

Not only do kids struggle with understanding true needs, they often whine about what someone else has … especially a sibling.

“I've been working with my seven-year-old to decrease his ‘have to's’ ” says mom Ocieanna, from Washington. “Instead of, ‘I have to have what Gabby has.’ I encourage him to think, ‘I wish I could have what Gabby has, but if I can't that's okay. With God's help, I can handle it.”

Continuing series on Contentment this holiday season!

posted by Tricia Goyer @ 6:33 AM 0 comments