Sibling Relationship Lab

Got sibling conflict? Find out how to turn that conflict into a positive opportunity. The home is the relationship lab of life. It's the place where our children have their first hands-on experience of the gospel in action. Sibling conflict doesn't have to sink your home. Let's talk about it!

SRL036: Apologizing Backwards 05/14/2022

SRL036: Apologizing Backwards Apologizing is hard. Teaching your kids to apologize is even harder! But you might be making the task more difficult than it has to be by the way you explain it to your kids. If your kids struggle to apologize and to be sincere in their apologies, I'd like to recommend that you teach them to apologize backwards! /episode/index/show/siblingrelationshiplab/id/23107466

SRL035: Siblings Babysitting Siblings 05/03/2022

SRL035: Siblings Babysitting Siblings One of the hardest parts about having young children is the challenge of finding babysitters and the cost involved in hiring them. But what if your older children could handle the babysitting? Today, we're diving into just that topic - how do you know if or when your kids are ready to babysit younger siblings, and what needs to happen to make that a workable setup? We'll talk theory and practical tips, too! /episode/index/show/siblingrelationshiplab/id/22992149

SRL034: Teaching Kids Respect 04/08/2022

SRL034: Teaching Kids Respect I often hear from parents who ask for help on teaching their kids about respect. But when I sat down to write a podcast epidose on that topic, I had a bit of a light-bulb moment, and my planning took a little bit of an unexpected turn! Listen in as I share something that I think will have a major impact on the way you teach your kids about respect, and how you can model it in your home, too! /episode/index/show/siblingrelationshiplab/id/22734818

SRL033: Common Sense Modesty 03/18/2022

SRL033: Common Sense Modesty Modesty is a "hot topic" (no pun intended) in Christian circles. You'll hear lots of talk about fabric and hemlines and necklines, temptation and stumbling blocks and female virtures. But have we gotten off track in the way we talk to our kids (especially our girls) about modesty? What have we lost in the conversation that needs to be revisited, and what are some of the potential pitfalls of the current discussion? In this episode, we're revisiting something I touched on briefly in Episode 15 to add more clarity and context. I'd love to know what you think! /episode/index/show/siblingrelationshiplab/id/22486964

SRL032: Why Common Grace Matters 03/04/2022

SRL032: Why Common Grace Matters In the last episode of the podcast we took some time to define Common Grace. In this episode, we're diving a little deeper into how a misunderstanding of common grace can lead to problems, and a proper understanding of common grace can lead to ... freedom! /episode/index/show/siblingrelationshiplab/id/22333793

SRL031: What is Common Grace? 02/22/2022

SRL031: What is Common Grace? Common Grace may sound like an intangible theological term. But understanding this idea is essential to careful and wise parenting. This week, we're taking a look at what common grace is and the examples we see of it in Scripture. /episode/index/show/siblingrelationshiplab/id/22211630

SRL Season 2 Intro 02/04/2022

SRL Season 2 Intro It's been a long time. Too long! I'm so excited to get back to podcasting. And I've got a lot of thoughts that I've been chewing on that I can't wait to share with you. I'll tell you a little bit about what I've been up to in the meantime, and some of the things I have planned for this season! /episode/index/show/siblingrelationshiplab/id/22024754

SRL030: Parenting Advice: Take It or Leave It? 11/01/2020

SRL030: Parenting Advice: Take It or Leave It? Once you become a parent, you can pretty much count on changing diapers, losing sleep ... and fielding lots and lots of parenting advice from every direction! Parenting books and blogs are just the beginning. We might also get advice from friends, relatives, or well-meaning strangers! What does it look like to be teachable and open to correction while also having the confidence to make decisions for yourself and your own unique family? Here are five things to keep in mind. /episode/index/show/siblingrelationshiplab/id/16631159

SRL029: The Best Way to Prevent a Sibling from Listening 10/10/2020

SRL029: The Best Way to Prevent a Sibling from Listening Nobody likes to be wrong or to hear correction and criticism from someone else (maybe especially not from a sibling!). But there's one thing siblings can do that almost guarantees the other person won't be able to listen well. We're talking about that today! /episode/index/show/siblingrelationshiplab/id/16349456

SRL 028: 5 Strategies for Internal Motivation 09/26/2020

SRL 028: 5 Strategies for Internal Motivation Are you tired of running around after your kids and reminding them to do every last think they are supposed to be managing? In the last episode, we talked about behavior modification - rewards and consequences. While those tools have their place, they can't bring about lasting heart change. Today, I'll share five tips for building internal motivation that will benefit your children for their whole lives! /episode/index/show/siblingrelationshiplab/id/16167437

SRL027: Are You Over-Focused on Behavior Modification? 09/12/2020

SRL027: Are You Over-Focused on Behavior Modification? How do you know if you're practicing gospel-centered, heart-focused parenting ... or if you've slipped into over-relying on behavior modification? We'll talk about some of the red flags that will help you to see where you've been off track. And then we'll discuss a basic framework for re-focusing on a heart-centered approach! /episode/index/show/siblingrelationshiplab/id/15984023

SRL 026: Handling the Overwhelm of Sibling Conflict 06/13/2020

SRL 026: Handling the Overwhelm of Sibling Conflict In Episode 25, we talked about how emotional sibling conflict can be for moms. We talked about healthy ways to process and understand those emotions. /episode/index/show/siblingrelationshiplab/id/14808155

SRL 025: Why Sibling Conflict is So Emotional for Moms 05/29/2020

SRL 025: Why Sibling Conflict is So Emotional for Moms No mom likes sibling conflict. In fact, most of us dread it. /episode/index/show/siblingrelationshiplab/id/14624690

SRL 024: The Only Child 05/16/2020

SRL 024: The Only Child Kind of an odd topic for a sibling podcast, right? Why would people listening to a sibling podcast need to hear about raising an only child? And why would a person raising an only child be listening to a sibling podcast? /episode/index/show/siblingrelationshiplab/id/14441150

SRL 023: Social Distancing and Sibling Conflict 04/04/2020

SRL 023: Social Distancing and Sibling Conflict During this strange time of quarantine and social distancing, you might be noticing and up-tick in sibling conflict in your home. /episode/index/show/siblingrelationshiplab/id/13841492

SRL 022: Siblings and Screen Time Part 2 03/14/2020

SRL 022: Siblings and Screen Time Part 2 In this follow-up conversation, we're continuing our discussion about siblings and screen time with some practical tips and approaches for handling the drama during or post-screen time. /episode/index/show/siblingrelationshiplab/id/13548356

SRL 021: Siblings and Screen Time - Part 1 02/29/2020

SRL 021: Siblings and Screen Time - Part 1 Whenever the topic of screen time comes up, I often hear moms say, "My kids fight more after they've had screen time." And I believe them. /episode/index/show/siblingrelationshiplab/id/13348217

SRL 020: Loving When It's Hard 02/15/2020

SRL 020: Loving When It's Hard You tell your kids they're supposed to love each other. But how is one child supposed to love a sibling who's being mean or even violent? What does it look like to be kind to someone who isn't being very kind to you. And is that even something reasonable to require of your children? /episode/index/show/siblingrelationshiplab/id/13162283

SRL 019: Who is to Blame? 02/01/2020

SRL 019: Who is to Blame? When there's a conflict or when one child gets mad at another kid, we're very careful to make sure our kids take responsibility for their actions. And we usually try to figure out who is to blame for the upset. /episode/index/show/siblingrelationshiplab/id/12972143

SRL 018: Rights vs. Reasons 11/15/2019

SRL 018: Rights vs. Reasons Sometimes it's clear whose turn it is. Or maybe someone has a right to something because it is his own personal property. But what about those times when it isn't so clear? Do your kids know how to negotiate effectively? We'll talk about some important elements of healthy negotiation ... plus the number one thing that will put the breaks on a successful negotiation. /episode/index/show/siblingrelationshiplab/id/12056000

SRL 017: Taking Turns 11/02/2019

SRL 017: Taking Turns One way to avoid unnecessary conflicts between siblings is to take turns. But what if you can't remember whose turn it is? Here are some ideas. /episode/index/show/siblingrelationshiplab/id/11880620

SRL 016: Bad Examples for Siblings 10/19/2019

SRL 016: Bad Examples for Siblings Parents are often concerned about television shows or books that are a bad example to their children of how to handle relationships and the effect that might have on the sibling relationships in their home. /episode/index/show/siblingrelationshiplab/id/11702696

SRL 015: Different Rules for Different Kids? 10/05/2019

SRL 015: Different Rules for Different Kids? If you've got a number of kids, you might have had trouble balancing the rules you make or the rulings you hand down. Do they have to be the same for everyone in order to be fair? Also are rules just for kids? Do grown-ups (a.k.a. parents) have to keep the same rules we make for our kids? And if we don't is that hypocrisy? Let's chat about those things! /episode/index/show/siblingrelationshiplab/id/11524931

SRL 014: The Worst Thing That Could Happen 09/21/2019

SRL 014: The Worst Thing That Could Happen Of course you want to protect your child from physical or emotional pain. That's part of why God gave children parents - for their safety and well-being. But what do we convey to our children about the things that are most dangerous to them? What would your kids say is the worst thing that could happen? /episode/index/show/siblingrelationshiplab/id/11337524

SRL 013: Gossip 09/07/2019

SRL 013: Gossip So your kids are talking to each other about their siblings. Or they're talking to you about their siblings. Or you're talking to them about their siblings. And not all of it is positive. Does that make it gossip? Let's talk about what gossip is ... and what it isn't. /episode/index/show/siblingrelationshiplab/id/11159501

SRL 012: Truth and Lies 08/24/2019

SRL 012: Truth and Lies Most if not all families deal with a lying problem at some point. In this episode, we'll talk about how to understand the possible motives behind this struggle, how to encourage truth-telling, and how to talk to your other children about whether or not they can trust a person who has a history of lying. /episode/index/show/siblingrelationshiplab/id/10979438

SRL 011: Good Siblings and Bad Siblings 08/10/2019

SRL 011: Good Siblings and Bad Siblings Do you have one child who seems to be the center of most of the conflict in your home? Do you have one child who seems more difficult to parent than all the other children put together? Is there one child that you're sure draws the stares of the neighbors or the other shoppers at the grocery store? Let's talk about good siblings and bad siblings. /episode/index/show/siblingrelationshiplab/id/10844810

SRL 010: When Pretending Isn't Fun Anymore 07/26/2019

SRL 010: When Pretending Isn't Fun Anymore You know that it's important to help your children distinguish between real and pretend. You know that the need to understand the different between make-believe and "real life". But what happens when someone gets hurt or upset during pretend play. Does it still "count" even if they were just pretending? /episode/index/show/siblingrelationshiplab/id/10674179

SRL 009: "I Was Just Kidding!" 07/13/2019

SRL 009: "I Was Just Kidding!" You're listening as they tease and joke with each other. It seems harmless enough. You want them to have a sense of humor. But inevitably, one of them gets his or he feelings hurt and you've got yet another fight on your hands. /episode/index/show/siblingrelationshiplab/id/10505849

SRL 008: Positive Rules 06/29/2019

SRL 008: Positive Rules Have you ever felt like something was missing in your sibling guidance to your children? They aren't technically breaking any rules. Nobody actually did anything wrong ... on purpose. But still, it seems like there's a loophole. You might be missing the positive rules, or the positive aspects of God's law. /episode/index/show/siblingrelationshiplab/id/10337876

Sibling Relationship Lab

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