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From Susan Merrill

The Blog

Parenting

How to Communicate With Your Kids

As kids enter their school years, they become increasingly independent, spending much of their days outside the home in school and with peers. Talking with your child is essential to bonding, so share ideas, opinions, and information. Watch the video below for a few tips on pushing through common communication barriers and really get your child to open up. More from iMOM on Communication: Pillow Talk: 20 questions for your and your child Kid Conversation Starters Teen Conversation Starters

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Parenting

The Dangers of Pushing Your Child to be Popular

We never want our children to feel left out, but pushing your child to be popular has many dangerous outcomes. Here are some ideas for encouraging your child to strive for greatness, not popularity. With 5 kids, I have had children on all sides of the popularity spectrum. Need more on why it’s ok for your child to be a geek?

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Marriage

30 Day Marriage Challenge

I am declaring April a month of spring fever for my marriage. 30 days of thinking about Mark instead of being consumed by the kids, work, the book, the house renovation, the move in July, the dog’s scratching allergy, etc, etc, etc. I am hoping the 30 Day Marriage Challenge will shower him with so much love that it produces a blooming summer! Print yours here!

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Encouragement

How Quickly the Years Go By

Where does the time go? One day, my girls were playing dress up and having tea parties. The next, or so it seemed, they were grown women. In this really beautiful video, Michael W. Smith asks, “How did tomorrow turn into yesterday?” How did our little children grow up, so… very… fast?

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Encouragement

Every Life Is Beautiful In The New Film “October Baby”

I love watching movies, but sometimes the choices can be ugly. So when a movie comes out that has meaning, gives understanding and depth to life, opens up opportunities for discussion and reflection, I am all over it. October Baby is such a movie and it releases in theaters on Friday. In October Baby every life is beautiful…but living through it is not always pretty. October Baby honestly explores the reality of life. As the mother of adopted children, so much portrayed in the movie spoke to me personally. I have seen the same pain Hannah fights as she unravels her past in the movie played out in my children’s lives. Having met my adopted children’s birth mother, I cried as saw the emotion in Hannah’s birth mother’s face. Most of all, I anguished with Hannah’s adopted parents in their desire to protect and love the child they had taken to be their own. Every life is beautiful and Hannah’s life is no exception…but then neither is yours. October Baby won’t let you forget that.

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Encouragement

How To Get Organized This Spring

We are kicking spring cleaning into high gear at the Merrill house! Here are a few suggestions that help keep me organized. iMOM’s iSpecialist, Kathy Peel, helps moms get their spring cleaning done in just one weekend…YOU CAN DO IT!

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Parenting

How to Help Children Cope With Anxiety

Walt Larimore is an amazing Doctor, author and insightful parent. We love having him as a resource on iMOM.com. Walt gives some great advice in this video about children and anxiety. If you child suffers from anxiety we have a couple great resources on what to do. Does your child have anxiety? Here is a great way to discuss handling anxiety with your children. Walt’s latest creative venture is a fictional book called Hazel Creek . I can’t wait to escape a little with this book on my spring break.

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Encouragement

Out of Sorts

Do you get out of sorts? How do you sort it out when you do? I feel like this tree. Kind of scraggly. Kind of confused. Kind of hoping that the stuff sprouting is the promise of something better to come. But I’m not quite sure. But I am trying to look up. When I look up I feel better. When I look down, well… I see that the house is running behind and over budget, that my book is running behind and over whelming me, that my job is running away and over committing me, and that my children are running ahead and over extending me. I better look up. God promises to sort out all the stuff. “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds?” Luke 24:38

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