We all plan to be good parents, even perfect parents, who always keep our cool and always know what to do. But in reality, we are often discouraged, frustrated, and at a loss. And the problem is that we are comparing our difficult reality with the perfect-looking unreality of other families on Social Media or sitting calmly in Church while we are trying to keep our incorrigible kids quiet. On today's show, the Eyres talk about the virtue of not-comparing and showcase a book Linda wrote called I Didn't Plan to be a Witch--a book that offers no advice or solution but just tells the horror stories of real family situations. Interestingly, it is the book that Linda gets the most comments on--from moms who say that hearing how hard it was for her makes them feel better about themselves.

On this week's show, the Eyres suggest that the 2020 New Year can be symbolic of the clear vision we want to have of our families and of the relationships that mean most to us. Goals and resolutions for the coming year can include the specific things we want to teach our children during the 12 months ahead. Linda and Richard believe that the goal with preschoolers should be to teach them how to be happy, and to help them understand and feel different kinds of joy, from the joy of the earth to the joy of sharing. And focusing on teaching one specific kind of joy each month is what makes this effective. The same philosophy applies for teaching elementary age kids responsibility and for teaching kids of all ages the exact values that you want them to embrace. In each case, the key is a focus on ONE value, or ONE kind of joy or ONE kind of responsibility each month. To illustrate, the Eyres read a couple of stories from their 21st book--the second volume of a book of children's stories that each teach a particular kind of joy to three and four year olds, and they end with a challenge to include teaching and relationship goals in our new year's resolutions.

This Christmas week, parents will want to do all they can to help children feel the gift of giving along with the gift of getting. By making this a conscious goal, parents can set aside a time when all the focus is on children giving their gifts and being praised for their sensitivity and generosity. Their book Teaching Children Charity, which the Eyres talked about two weeks ago, is a highly religious and spiritual book. After it was written, Balantine Books, a division of Random House, wanted a more secularized version of the book, which was titled Teaching Children Sensitivity. If a parent wants to be deliberate and focused on helping a child to be more empathetic and aware of the needs and feelings of others, there are four steps: First to help the child see and notice more, particularly in the faces of others, second to listen better and ask better questions, third to express his own feelings more openly, and fourth to do more or give more service to others.

On this week's show, the Eyres suggest that the 2020 New Year can be symbolic of the clear vision we want to have of our families and of the relationships that mean most to us. Goals and resolutions for the coming year can include the specific things we want to teach our children during the 12 months ahead. Linda and Richard believe that the goal with preschoolers should be to teach them how to be happy, and to help them understand and feel different kinds of joy, from the joy of the earth to the joy of sharing. And focusing on teaching one specific kind of joy each month is what makes this effective. The same philosophy applies for teaching elementary age kids responsibility and for teaching kids of all ages the exact values that you want them to embrace. In each case, the key is a focus on ONE value, or ONE kind of joy or ONE kind of responsibility each month. To illustrate, the Eyres read a couple of stories from their 21st book--the second volume of a book of children's stories that each teach a particular kind of joy to three and four year olds, and they end with a challenge to include teaching and relationship goals in our new year's resolutions.

This Christmas week, parents will want to do all they can to help children feel the gift of giving along with the gift of getting. By making this a conscious goal, parents can set aside a time when all the focus is on children giving their gifts and being praised for their sensitivity and generosity. Their book Teaching Children Charity, which the Eyres talked about two weeks ago, is a highly religious and spiritual book. After it was written, Balantine Books, a division of Random House, wanted a more secularized version of the book, which was titled Teaching Children Sensitivity. If a parent wants to be deliberate and focused on helping a child to be more empathetic and aware of the needs and feelings of others, there are four steps: First to help the child see and notice more, particularly in the faces of others, second to listen better and ask better questions, third to express his own feelings more openly, and fourth to do more or give more service to others.

Most parents know the value as well as the joy of reading stories to their children, but we often can't seem to find the time. Christmas is the season to find the time! And there are a wealth of fabulous Christmas stories for all ages. The beauty of Christmas story books is that most of them teach a principle and can expand a child's understanding of giving, of receiving with gratitude, of helping, of caring for those in need. Today on the show the Eyres read three Joy School Stories, one of which teaches the joy of giving, one the joy of loving who you are rather than wanting to be someone else, and one the joy of making good choices. The benefits of reading children run from close physical contact to the power of listening to learning to be expressive with ones' voice to discussing together the principles and lessons learned.

Most parents know the value as well as the joy of reading stories to their children, but we often can't seem to find the time. Christmas is the season to find the time! And there are a wealth of fabulous Christmas stories for all ages. The beauty of Christmas story books is that most of them teach a principle and can expand a child's understanding of giving, of receiving with gratitude, of helping, of caring for those in need. Today on the show the Eyres read three Joy School Stories, one of which teaches the joy of giving, one the joy of loving who you are rather than wanting to be someone else, and one the joy of making good choices. The benefits of reading children run from close physical contact to the power of listening to learning to be expressive with ones' voice to discussing together the principles and lessons learned.

Since we as adults have such a hard time with charity, we sometimes assume that it is too big a principle for children to learn. But as it turns out, kids can sometimes be better at empathy, sensitivity and charity than we are! The Eyres broadcast today's show from Gilbert, AZ. where they are joined by their daughter Shawni Pothier of the popular blog 71toes.com and they discuss how the Christmas season can be a time to help children think about the concept of charity. The big question is how to mix the "getting" of Santa and stockings with the "giving" of Christ and of charity. The Eyres have some ideas, such as separating the two and totally devoting Christmas Eve to the giving of gifts to each other, with all the focus on the giver, and resigning the getting part to Christmas morning. Tying in with their book Teaching Children Charity, today's show will give you lots of insights and ideas about raising more sensitive, other-centered kids.

Since we as adults have such a hard time with charity, we sometimes assume that it is too big a principle for children to learn. But as it turns out, kids can sometimes be better at empathy, sensitivity and charity than we are! The Eyres broadcast today's show from Gilbert, AZ. where they are joined by their daughter Shawni Pothier of the popular blog 71toes.com and they discuss how the Christmas season can be a time to help children think about the concept of charity. The big question is how to mix the "getting" of Santa and stockings with the "giving" of Christ and of charity. The Eyres have some ideas, such as separating the two and totally devoting Christmas Eve to the giving of gifts to each other, with all the focus on the giver, and resigning the getting part to Christmas morning. Tying in with their book Teaching Children Charity, today's show will give you lots of insights and ideas about raising more sensitive, other-centered kids.

So much of succeeding in life is about balance. Balancing work with family, balancing structure with spontaneity, balancing relationships with achievements. And no one needs to face the challenges of balance more than busy parents who have to think about the needs of their children, of their spouse, of their work, of their bodies, of their church, of their community, often of their ageing parents, and on and on. Today on the show, the Eyres talk about their own struggles with balance and give some simple things they have learned that have helped them to bring more balance into their complicated lives. They also give listeners a gift of their classic book Lifebalance for free by going to EyresFreeBooks.com. Join the Eyres this week in thinking about getting more balance in YOUR life, and remember to subscribe to Eyres on the Road on your favorite podcast app.