Parenting | Page 2 of 25

God's Faithfulness, Parenting, Relationships

We All Need Words to Pray

February 14th, 2026
Mollie T. Cox

Sometimes I just don’t know how to pray for someone. Sometimes my prayers have gaps. (See here.)

Along the way, I learned that turning to hymns can help.

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;

Naught be all else to me save that Thou art;

Thou my best thought by day or by night;

Waking or sleeping Thy presence my light.
Translated by Eleanor Hull 1912

During one prayer time, my friend Katie and I prayed Be Thou My Vision for each of our children. She recently reminded me that I had prayed it for her.

Be Thou (Name’s) vision O Lord of (her/his) heart;

Naught be all else to (her/him) save that thou art.

Thou (her/his) best thought by day or by night.

Waking or sleeping Thy presence (Name’s) light.

A few times we prayed a Psalm for our children, inserting their names.

No matter how lacking my prayers, the good news is that I’m not on my own. Jesus intercedes for me (Hebrews 7:25 and Romans 8:34) as well as the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26)

Do you have a favorite Psalm or hymn to pray?

Book Recommendations, Parenting

Books For Our New Year

January 10th, 2026
Mollie T. Cox

What’s your calculus teacher like?
Mollie

He’s obviously a last born.
College-aged Son

I’ve read many parenting books over the years, but two non-parenting books have been among the most helpful—The Birth Order Book by Dr. Kevin Leman and In My Father’s House by Corrie ten Boom.

My boys were in high school when we read The Birth Order Book as a family. It was engaging enough to keep their interest and the information stayed with them as seen from the quotes above. What did I learn? Helpful information I still use but most importantly, middle children stuff their thoughts and feelings. I should have known because I’m a middle child.

What did I remember from Corrie ten Boom’s autobiography? A simple life lived for others affects children profoundly—in the best way. I also learned wise answers to the hard questions children ask. (See here and here for more.)

The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman is another good New Year’s read.

Memories, Parenting, Photos

Savoring Our Photos

December 27th, 2025
Mollie T. Cox

Was it worth the time and expense of making detailed photo albums for my sons? Another friend wondered the same about her grandchildren’s albums.

I decided the answer was yes. Choosing and arranging photos meant I not only reviewed my sons’ lives from birth through high school, but I also savored the memories and gained insight into our family.

Years later, one son told me he explained his life to new friends by showing them his photo albums.

The whole point of taking pictures is so that you don’t have to explain things with words.
Elliot Erwitt Documentary Photographer

I wished we had reviewed our photos on a regular basis. We might have gained more insight into our family history. Memories might be sharper. I don’t remember that were sad words to hear when a family event had been important to me.

There is nothing more touching to me than a family picture where everyone is trying to look his or her best, but you can see what a mess they all are.
Anne Lamott, Traveling Mercies

Perhaps I’ll review our 2025 photos on New Year’s Day. Perhaps you will, too.

Christmas, Parenting

What Is A Normal Christmas?

November 29th, 2025
Mollie T. Cox

One Advent evening, while my family sat in our living room singing Christmas Carols, we were interrupted by a knock on the door. A teenager in the neighborhood, whom we only knew by sight, was collecting donations for a club. We invited him to join our singing. He chose a song from the book we handed him and stayed a bit.

I was surprised. I still debate whether I was more surprised by the quickness of his response or by the lack of self-consciousness on the part of my sons and him. After he left, I decided that our sons saw our activity as normal while I suspected that a family singing Christmas carols in early December was rare.

What about our visitor? Did he think a singing family was normal? It doesn’t matter. What matters is that I remember the seamlessness of that evening because our Christmas tradition was well established. We were the makers of “normal” for our Christmas season.

What else is normal for us? A long breakfast followed by Scriptures and singing before opening presents. No travel. No Santa. Fun gifts. Jelly Bellies anyone?

What is your “normal?”

Decisions, Homeschooling, Parenting

Advice Versus Experience

November 8th, 2025
Mollie T. Cox

I don’t believe in advice. I offer experience and hope.
Tracee Ellis Ross

I don’t believe much in advice either, Tracee. Along the way, I’ve received too much from people who have no knowledge or have never walked in my footsteps. (I remember both the humor and the hurt from those situations.)

I’m also guilty. Long ago and far away, I chose a new homeschool curricula. It was computer based and made my life easier while my family cared for my mother. Within weeks, I was recommending my discovery to other families. By the end of the year, I was pointing out the curricula’s faults and giving different advice. My friends needed my seasoned experience—not my untested advice.

Even seasoned experience has not stopped others or me from giving and receiving bad advice.

What do I wish we all knew before sharing experiences and offering hope? To ask questions first to see our experiences are helpful.

Never miss a good chance to shut up. Will Rogers