Father, Today we repent. Not just for what we’ve done but for what we failed to do. You called us to lead our children. To train them. To guide them in the way they should go. And Lord, forgive us for the times we withheld the correction they needed because we were tired, overwhelmed, passive, distracted, or afraid of upsetting them. Forgive us for calling it “gentle parenting” when sometimes it was avoidance.Forgive us for allowing attitudes, disrespect, lying, manipulation, laziness, entitlement, and disobedience to grow unchecked. Because every time we ignored what should have been corrected…we robbed our children of the training You assigned us to give them. Forgive us for shrinking back from leadership. Forgive us for wanting peace more than order.Forgive us for choosing convenience over consistency.Forgive us for disciplining emotionally one day and ignoring behavior the next. You never called us to just keep our children comfortable. You called us to prepare them. So today, strengthen us as parents. Give us wisdom to correct with love and firmness.Teach us how to discipline without anger but also without passivity. Remove guilt that keeps us from enforcing boundaries.Remove fear that keeps us from saying no.Remove laziness in us where we have stopped training our children intentionally. Father, help us understand that correction is not rejection. Discipline is discipleship. And we do not want to fail our assignment by refusing to lead. Teach us how to coach our children toward maturity, responsibility, honor, and self-control. Let our homes not be led by emotion, chaos, or entitlement. Restore order.Restore structure.Restore intentional parenting. And where we’ve gotten it wrong give us grace to reset. We will not parent perfectly.But we will parent intentionally. Because our children deserve guidance, not neglect disguised as freedom. And we declare that from this day forward, we will lead our children with wisdom, consistency, truth, and love. In Jesus’ name,Amen.

Okay but can we just be people for a second? 😂 Like outside of routines and consequences and generational cycles.... who ARE you? Because I am Ashley. And outside of this ministry I am a whole person with a whole personality and I think it's time y'all knew that. 😂🧡 I love bird watching. Yes for real. Don't judge me. I also love Netflix, I am extremely loud, and I am actively working on my inside voice. It is a process. 😂 Oh and I just lost 65 pounds so team big back has officially been disbanded. Now your turn. Lets be friends. I genuinely want to know who is on the other side of this screen. 🧡

Not to plan. Not to stress about everything on the list. Just to ask God one question: What do you want me to focus on this week as a parent? Not perfection. Not catching up. Not fixing everything. Just one thing. Because a parent who is focused and Spirit-led is more powerful than a parent who is busy and burned out. Go into this week with intention. What's your one word or prayer for this week as a parent?

A lot of us keep correcting the meltdown, the attitude, the whining, the begging, and the disrespect that comes after we say no. But have we trained our children how to receive “no”? Because “no” is not abuse.“No” is not rejection.“No” is not you being mean.“No” is not the end of love. “No” is a boundary. And children need to be trained on what to do when they don’t get the answer they wanted. So instead of only saying: “Stop crying.”“Stop begging.”“Don’t talk back.”“Why are you acting like that?” Train the response. You can say: “I know you don’t like my answer. You can be disappointed, but you cannot be disrespectful.” Then teach them what to do next. 1. Name the feeling “I’m mad.”“I’m sad.”“I’m disappointed.”“I wanted a yes.” 2. Respect the answer “The answer is no.”“I don’t have to like it, but I do have to respect it.” 3. Calm the body Take a breath.Walk away.Sit down.Get quiet for a moment. 4. Try again with respect “Okay, Mom.”“Can I ask again another time?”“I’m disappointed, but I understand.” This is training. Not giving in because they cried. Not arguing because they begged. Not changing the answer because they got loud. Training. Because if our children cannot handle “no” at home, the world will not be gentle teaching it to them later. They need to learn: I can be disappointed and still be respectful.I can feel upset and still obey.I can want something and still accept a boundary.I can hear “no” and not fall apart. And parents, we have to model this too. When God tells us no, do we tantrum in our own way? Do we complain?Do we rush ahead?Do we get bitter?Do we stop praying? Sometimes we are asking children to handle “no” better than we handle it with God. So today, train it. When your child asks for something and the answer is no, don’t just drop the no and walk away. Say: “I’m going to help you practice receiving no.” Then use this script: “I’m disappointed, but I can handle no.” Have them repeat it. They’re learning emotional strength. Question for today:

A lot of us keep saying: “Clean your room.” “Clean this mess up.” “Why is this still dirty?” “You know better.” But the real question is Did we train them what clean actually means? Because “clean your room” can feel clear to us, but to a child, that may sound like a whole mountain. They may not know where to start.They may get distracted.They may shove things under the bed.They may pick up two toys and think they’re done.They may feel overwhelmed and just shut down. So today, we’re not just correcting messy behavior. We’re training the skill of cleaning. Start here: 1. Show them what clean looks like Don’t just say, “Clean up.” Say: “Clean means clothes in the basket, toys in the bin, trash in the trash can, and bed cleared off.” Be specific. 2. Break it into small steps Instead of: “Clean your whole room.” Say: “First, put all clothes in the basket.” Then: “Now put all toys in the bin.” Then: “Now throw away trash.” One step at a time. 3. Do it with them first Training means we model before we expect mastery. The first few times, walk them through it. Not because they’re helpless. Because they’re learning. 4. Use a timer Say: “We’re going to clean for 10 minutes.” This makes it feel doable and gives them a clear finish line. 5. Inspect before you release Don’t ask, “Are you done?” and take their word for it. Go check. Say: “Let’s look together and see if it matches the standard.” That teaches accountability. 6. Connect responsibility to privilege If they do not complete the cleaning, the next thing does not happen yet. Not yelling. Not threatening. Just: “Playtime starts after the room is cleaned.” “Tablet starts after your area is cleaned.” “Going outside happens after your responsibility is done.” 7. Praise the effort and the standard Say: “I like how you put the toys where they belong.” Or: “This is what responsibility looks like.” Before we punish the mess, let’s train the skill. Today’s question: Where does cleaning break down the most in your home? A. They don’t know where to start