“Raising kids is part joy and part guerrilla warfare.” (Ed Asner)

There are times when your home is going to feel like a war zone. One minute you’re basking in the warm glow of your daughter’s smile, and then KABOOM! You step on a landmine and everything explodes. For some reason, our children often surround themselves with shrapnel-laced bombs and then dare you to approach them.

What’s a parent to do? You strap on that flak jacket, keep your head down, and move forward, soldier!

It may feel like kids want us to surrender as they pop out of the jungle with teeth bared. The truth is, however, they desperately want us to be strong and keep going. They want us to be peacemakers who won’t be drawn into a firefight, who don’t feel threatened by their sabre-rattling, and who don’t allow the entire family to be held hostage by their bad moods and temper tantrums.

By concentrating more on the joy portion of the parenting equation, you’ll end up diffusing landmines before they even have a chance to be planted.