Entrusted Blog - Entries written by Betsy Corning Inexpensive Family ActivitiesLooking for a few more activities to round out your summer? In this time of economic crisis, money for family fun may be limited. But that's okay, here are some fun yet budget-friendly activities that our family has enjoyed. Visit a shop or factory... More Will You Tie This for Me?In these days of Velcro shoe fasteners and other latest things, are we losing the fine art of tying a shoe and other simple skills? We no longer darn socks, we just buy new ones. We forget how to add we just use a calculator. Who needs to learn how... More Dinner PantsHave you ever thought of an invention that you think the world must have? My daughter and her husband think that their idea of "dinner pants" are a household necessity. Adam and Emily have four children eight and under. They have mentally invented... More Monthly TasksA good way to remember those once a month tasks (i.e. giving the dog his heart worm medicine, adding salt to the water softener, touching up paint on a finger printed wall, etc.) is to do them on the date of your birth each month. For instance, if... More Training Children to Stand StrongOne of the favorite verses my husband and I claim for our children is Jeremiah 15:17 which says, "I did not sit in the circle of merrymakers nor did I exult. Because of your hand upon me, I sat alone, for you filled me with indignation." As we raise... More Traffic Jam of Children's ArtworkDo you have a traffic jam of children's artwork trying to make its way to your refrigerator? If so, try taking your children's beautiful art pieces to a printer (Office Max or Kinko's). Here you can have the art reduced down to a 4 x 6" size that... More Thank-you notesWhen someone is kind enough to give our children a gift or do a service for us, it is important to write a note or make a phone call to thank them. In our family, we had a rule that these gifts should not be played with until the person who gave the... More Taming the Tantrum, part 2Some children are more prone to throwing tantrums, and the behavior may begin around 15 to 18 months. This needs to be addressed and corrected immediately upon onset so that it is completely done away with. They may test you for a few months, but if... More Taming the TantrumEvery spring, near the end of our ministry year, I visit our Harvest campuses for "Question & Answer" Day. I appreciate the thought-provoking questions that women submit which are a true reflection of their earnest desire to become godly wives and... MoreIn Due SeasonAs hard as it may be to believe, some of my favorite gifts have been things that I have had to leave behind when we have moved. It all began when we first moved into a historic house with giant maple trees lining the street and dotting the yard.... More  The Excellence AwardGo beyond verbal praise and make great memories too by creating an Excellence Award for your family. You can make a handmade plaque, create an award from poster board, or even give new life to an old trophy (thrift stores have lots of these). Slip... More First things FirstA common phrase in our house was, "Do the things you have to do first." You can ask any of my kids today and they will still tell you that this was a phrase they heard often. We want to be teaching our children to develop a good economy of time.... More Bullseye!Did you know that you create a target for your child's behavior? You determine how large it is by what you will accept from them. You might want them to hit the bullseye, but you accept behavior "close to the mark" or "not so close to the mark."... More Clashing with the Relatives at Easter DinnerHaving the relatives for Easter Dinner? It is one of the greatest joys in life to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus with family and friends. Whether you go all-out fancy or prefer simplicity, the details of your hospitality create a... More It Happened at our HouseAh yes, April Fools' Day. That day when every school-aged child discovers the license to stretch, bend or reinvent the truth for a full twenty-four hours with no likely penalty. Certainly the excitement of pulling off the bluff, “Your shoe’s... More Words that EdifyI find memories to be very curious stockpiles of retained experiences. You will have great memories with your children in which you can recall every detail and treasure the moment. But they will have their own memories and things that were of great... More Mom's Home!Think about the amount of stuff that is brought into your home. Other than the day you moved in, what percentage of all the weekly items collected for the home, are brought to it by Mom? If your home is like mine, I find that I, Mom, bring about 90%... More Testing the AnchorAs we parent our children and practice biblical principles of discipline, we may still find that at various ages of development, many children will “test the anchor” to see if it will hold. They are testing to see if you will respond as you did in... More Make Travel EasierWhen packing your kids' things for a trip or vacation, consider placing each day's outfit (including hair pretties, socks, undies, pants/shorts, shirt) in a large ziplock bag. Each evening, you just pull out the next day's bag for each child. They... More Hurry Up!“I’m hurrying as fast as I can!” They may be "moving fast" but only because they waited until the last possible moment to "move". Procrastination can be a form of manipulation used by children. It can become a bad habit; a character weakness that we... More Choosing Worthy Role Models“A lady always leaves a place nicer than she found it”. This was one of those things my mother was known to have said; one of those adages that made its way into the core values of my life. I recall my mother saying this to me, and my sisters as we... More Words of EncouragementWhat a wonderful boost a word of encouragement can be! So many people crave verbal affirmation for their daily efforts, and when they receive even a small token of praise, their spirits are revived. This is even more true for our children. "...but... More Mind, Will, and Emotion in DisciplineA biblical picture of the heart includes a child’s mind, will, and emotions. In our role as parents, we are charged with growing our children up in all three of these areas so that they will grow up to be committed to Christ. Anytime your children... More Mom's VoiceMany moms feel like they are always shouting at their kids in order to be heard and they wind up exhausted at the end of the day from the effort. It is so important that your children learn to respond to your voice. They must be taught that your... More Hugs and KissesDo you show affection to your children every day (even several times a day)? And do they do the same to you? It does not have to be public. It may be a little kiss on the cheek before they jump out of the car or a hug the first moment you see them... More Practicing the Presence of GodAs you interact with your children, make God real and ever present at the earliest possible age. Talk to Him in their presence and talk about Him to them even before they can understand. Make the mundane moments (like diaper changing) occasions in... More Christmas PackagesChristmas is a favorite holiday for my family. I love wrapping gifts and displaying them under the tree several weeks before Christmas. But I have curious kids so I never put a card on the gifts. Instead, I make up a “code” for each child and write... More Cultivating an Attitude of Gratitude In keeping with the observation of Thanksgiving, here are a couple of ideas to cultivate an "Attitude of Gratitude" within your family. THANKSGIVING TREE At the beginning of November, draw a tree (without leaves) on brown construction paper, cut it... More The 4 Gold ChoresWe made the decision not to pay our kids for general chores because we prefer that as members of the family, they learn to help out around the house. But there are four things that I can't stand doing, and I am happy to shell out money to get them... More Have a file or folder for everythingI thrive on being organized. A professional organizer once told me that organization is not necessarily being clean, but how fast you can retrieve something. For me, a file for everything is the easiest and fastest way to get to the information... More Pop ProbationShopping for a family of five can be a full time job, especially when three are teenagers. When my kids were growing up, "Pop Probation" became a necessity in our family. Every month, I would buy all the soda, water, gatorade, vitamin water, etc.... More Entrusted is now on FaceBook!You have spoken and we have listened! You have been encouraging us to step into the age of technology by developing a Facebook Page! We have done exactly that so now we can network with mothers all across the country. Thanks for your support and... MoreMilk in the Fridge/Gas in the TankNo matter our season of life and how we are adjusting to find a new normal for that season, there are standards that we need to determine to keep. Dramatic changes will come, yet for every season there will be things that press in on you and try to... More Behold, I bring you good news of great joy!Have you listened to the news lately? Sometimes it's almost overwhelming. To listen to the constant barrage of bad news or unkind, unbalanced coverage can be oppressive. Even news that might be good for some people is usually bad for others. Imagine... More Giant Paper BallThis was one of our favorite party games. Wrap lots of candy and prizes with about six rolls of cheap toilet paper. Don't worry if the paper breaks apart while you are wrapping it. Have the participants stand outside in a large circle and toss the... More "Purse-suit" of OrderAre you constantly digging in your purse for a little piece of paper to make a note? Or do you find a crumpled phone number at the bottom of your purse that you've been searching for, for a month? One great way to eliminate this frustruation is to... More  Mr. Sticky and Mrs. FreshandfluffyHaving trouble wiping sticky faces and fingers? This is one of our favorite family cleanup solutions that we have done for years and years. You're not going to believe this, but I have a rag that is over 30 years old. Yes, it's raggedy and frayed,... MoreArt ProjectsFor those rainy spring days... Make lots of projects!!! Always have lots of art supplies: old pans, poster board, paints, etc. so you are always prepared when creativity strikes! Let the kids make messes and then teach them how to clean up... More |
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