More often than not, I feel like a fish out of water navigating my step-mumming gig over here.  Some things are easier than I expected and other things are just a bit harder. With that being said, I’m honored to be in a position to love on my sweet eight year old daughter. 

I’m not much of a planner, but one thing I’ve found is that if I can have something readily available to pull out of my “toolbox” at any given moment, it’s often a life saver.  Below are a few items I’ve purposefully picked out in the hopes of enriching our time together and sowing seeds into this precious little life.  I’ve added links for convenience but none of them are affiliate links.

I’m MOST excited for this little children’s devotional The Daily Grace Co.’s Daily Truth for kids Scripture for Every Circumstance.  This little gem of a book discusses everything from anger to feelings of being left out and pairs scriptures with each short lesson.  I can’t wait to have this resource available and use the lessons to quip Emma with truth for the circumstances she’s faced with as she grows up.

I’m breaking out our deck of Kindness Cards by The Giving Manger again this summer. It’s a deck of 55 cards with ideas to help spread joy with options for all age groups. There’s nothing better than getting our mind off of ourselves and having fun serving others.

Emma loves arts and crafts and this little easel board is perfect for a rainy day or road trip. It’s reasonably priced (under $30 on Amazon) and doesn’t take up much storage space which is always a bonus for us. 

Last week I heard Jenny Allen, my favorite podcaster, rave about this book.
What’s better than instilling truths about how precious your child is than through picture books? Max Lucado’s book You Are Special shares a vital message to children about how much God cherishes them. 

It just felt wrong not sharing these materials with others as I think they’ll really be useful to us this summer! I need constant reminders that we’re anointed to steward our child’s soul and our encounters are divine appointments arranged by God.