Parenting Articles

Thinking about the New Year and what your resolutions should be? Well, don't! Most of the time resolutions never turn into realizations. The cause is most people focus on what they don't want to happen in the New Year vs. focusing on what they do want in the New Year. Visualize your ...

As parents, we all make mistakes. On the Parental Support Line, I often encourage parents to give themselves a break—after all, it’s impossible for any of us to be perfect. Our kids test us at every age and stage; it’s part of their job as children to push boundaries with us and see where the line is drawn. As they get older, it can often feel like we are running through a parenting obstacle course: just when we’ve figured out one stage—and its many challenges—our kids move on to the next one.

Celebrate! Any excuse will do - Ronit Baras It is a unique point in time when a person contemplates his or her purpose in life. When I was a kid, I had different reasons for being. I could not see the stream and I could not imagine the destination it could take me to. Staying in one place was a ...

There are many things we do to stimulate or calm our senses. We rock babies to soothe them and we sing or hum to ourselves in the shower, we fan ourselves to cool off when we are hot, and we hug and kiss others to give and receive comfort. When we want to increase or arouse our senses we often run or engage in some form of physical activity or exercise, or we may turn the music on loud to get in a party mood and dance. Most of these behaviors are seen as appropriate if carried out at the proper time and in the proper place.

All children want to be good and please their caretakers. Young children don't PLAN to misbehave or fall apart. When a child has an emotional meltdown it signals they are having trouble controlling their emotions, especially when the demands of the environment exceed their current ability to cope. Handling emotional outbursts may seem daunting yet there are many proactive things parents can do to manage and reduce temper tantrums.

Modern-day parenting isn’t easy, no doubt about that. But I sometimes feel that we make the job harder for ourselves by making some common parenting mistakes . Unfortunately, some mistakes can create life-long problems for your children. How To Accidentally Create A Wild Child Take the “let them get it out of their system early” concept for instance. It sounds logical, doesn’t it? Allow your child to do whatever they want or indulge in behavior you’d otherwise have

My son is getting ready to move up to middle school next year. This is a big deal for any child, but for someone who is already struggling with school, it is an especially stressful time. He referred to school recently as “Six hours of complete misery.” Add to that, the fact that he is starting to be aware of how he is different from other kids and what it means to have “Asperger’s Syndrome” and well. . .it’s been a tough couple of months for him and us. One of the things that we did to help him cope with the transition is to go take a tour of the new school.

“What are you thinking? Haven’t we talked about this before?” My seven-year-old son looked down at the food that had just spilled on the kitchen floor. He stood statue-still, as children often do after an accident. The words and tone I’d used were having their impact. He braced himself to ...

Verbal abuse refers to the use of language as a means to control or subordinate another person for either self-gratification or to impose one’s view or will on another or to gain an unfair advantage in resolving a dispute. While both parties subject to a dispute may use inappropriate language with the other, verbal abuse has the distinction of one party typically causing more distress to the other party, and causing insecurities in that party typically for the purpose of exploitation.

It was Dr. Anthony P. Witham who once said "children spell love…T-I-M-E." He was definitely onto something. Unfortunately, if you are like most parents, time is a precious commodity that often eludes us. Whether we have a new job, a new baby, or we just need to make the coffee or strip the beds, we always seem to be wishing for more time. We need more. We want more. But we feel we just don't have it. Does that mean we don't love them? Of course not.

Would you like a fun way to build self esteem, mind power, and character? Inside you’ll discover how bedtime stories create mind power, self esteem and character. Why not give this self esteem gift to your child every night? I remember my mother telling me, “Jeanie, you can do anything you put ...

“Brenda, my kids never listen unless I yell at them.” I frequently hear this comment in my work as a childrearing expert, speaker, and media guest. Parents want help and encouragement in their enormous task, and effective discipline is always at the top of their list. Many parents say they ...

The myth that families of children with Autism have an 80% divorce rate was proven false by researcher Brian Freedman, PhD, clinical director of the Center for Autism and Related Disorders at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, as this article, Autism Families: High Divorce Rate Is a Myth, states. Despite the fact that parents of a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder experience more stress, the rates of divorce remain similar to those of parents with neuro-typical children. Unfortunately, that does not mean that parents of special needs children do NOT get divorced.

Some of the best baby jogging strollers in the world and the most affordable baby jogging strollers are made by a company called Dreamer Design. Many people in Canada have been interested in purchasing one of their strollers, but it is not easy to do. People in Canada can find the strollers at on line retailers, but the problem is that many of the on line retailers do not ship to Canada. If they do the extra costs of getting the stroller to Canada is prohibitively expensive.

I originally was going to write one of those top ten lists, but I became tired of those when my twelve year old son was still five. What we need to know is that our children do not care about how much money we make, or that we have to get to work on time, or what type of car we drive, or what ...

So often I hear people say what good children they have, or someone tell someone else what a good child they have, and this always gives me pause for thought. What is it that makes a child "good"? Is it doing what he or she is told? Being quiet? Not questioning or talking back? And if it is one or all of these things, how do those behaviors bode for the future? You see, good kids are a wonderful thing in the moment, but as we raise our children, aren't we looking to the futur

In a sad way, I find it somewhat amusing when mass media and some parents routinely propose or actually go ahead in giving their teens leniency in regards to breaking universal rules and values around dating and sex. I find this amusing because I routinely have young girls come in to see me or ...

“My kid always throws tantrums” a mom tells me. “How does he act?” I ask. “He stomps his foot and whines about minding.” “Oh that’s normal kid behavior; not a tantrum.” Then I explain that a true tantrum is a child loosing control with screaming, thrashing on the floor or running out of the ...

When did it become okay for celebrities to talk about politics? I believe in the first amendment right to free speech and everyone has a right to voice their opinions, but the increase in the number of celebrities who are speaking about politicians in a hateful manner is just about enough for ...

He was just eleven years old when he first tried alcohol at a friend's house, and by age 14 Jack was drinking regularly. He joined the millions of teenage boys and girls who had what he called a "positive experience" with alcohol, yet the long-term effects were devastating. During his later teen years, Jack was hospitalized with severe mental health symptoms, and by early adulthood he had been in jail four times.

The first session can be up to an hour. You have to get to know one another. What is the client looking for? You have to set ground rules. I ask for a three-month commitment, and require a 24 hours cancellation notice. I have certain other requirements, such as I do not allow drug or alcohol influence when we talk. Your first session with your client is very important because it sets the tone for all the sessions to come. First impressions are important. If the client feels uncomfortable about confiding in you, the client will either find a new coach or quit the coaching process.

Some experts suggest that a little stress is good, but high levels of stress are harmful to most people. However, it is possible to perform well when relaxed (think masters of kung fu). In my opinion, that should be the goal: a classroom (and life) that is productive and virtually stress-free.

All parents, regardless of the label their child has been given - anxiety disorder, PDD-NOS, overweight, learning disorder, lactose intolerant, Autism, OCD, near sighted, gifted, etc - struggle when it comes to dealing with negative behaviors. I have never met a parent who wasn't open to learning new skills that are guaranteed to help them manage annoying behavior better. We all know the behaviors that irritate parents. "He won't do his chores." "She has a tantrum when I ask her to... " "My kids never listen!" Wouldn't life be more pleasant if kids just listened?

Over the past 46 years of my life, I have learned a thing or two about myself. There has been nothing extraordinary about me or my life circumstances. I am an ordinary woman who has lived an ordinary life. Well, except for the part of me that talks to dead people. But hey, other than that one little thing, I’m just a normal gal. That is another story for another time. In spite of my otherwise conventional life, I have come to a place where I can fully accept myself…all of me…the good, the bad, the ugly, the normal and the not-so-normal.

“Wherever your heart is, that is where you’ll find your treasure” (Paulo Coelho, “The Alchemist”) We’ve all heard the phrase ‘there’s no manual for raising children.’ I know I heard this so many times that I believed it and was left feeling doubtful that I could ever be an effective parent. Then I had my daughter and realized they were wrong and I was wrong for believing them. I wish we would stop telling the ‘no manual’ story and instead, empower folks to know they most cert

“He did it.” “She looked at me!” “He stole my iPod.” For parents, it can be really tough to know how to handle tattling. Do you ignore it? Do you let them duke it out? Do you plug in your own iPod and drown it out? Here are a few options for you to try and see what works for you. Option #1: ...

Tired of nagging your kids all the time? Do you feel like no matter how many times you tell them to clean their rooms, the rooms are never cleaned? Worn out from refereeing sibling fights? The answer is easier than you might think—Positive Parenting. Instead of spending your days disciplining the negative behaviors your children may be doing, create a positive parenting environment. For instance, let’s say your child has a messy room. Don’t nag your child until he cleans it up. Ignore the mess, and praise your child EVERY TIME you see him put something away.

Does your child have a bully problem? If not, consider yourself lucky that you don't have a bully to deal with right now but would you and your child be prepared if one should arrive on his or her doorstep tomorrow?

Having a Facebook page for your business is now as important as having a sign on your building. Facebook allows you to connect with people who like what you have to offer, peek in on the needs and values of your target market, and is great for the all might SEO (search engine optimization.) It offers you access to the 1.5 billion users world wide and a chance to build a relationship with them.

Parents are your kids stressful? Do they leave messes, fight with each other, or sass you? Try these 3 parenting solutions when your kids tempt you to explode. First Stressful Problem: When Joey leaves another mess from his daily snacks, don't pull your hair out. Don't blow up. Lengthen your fuse. Keep your yelling to yourself. Be as rational as you can be. The Magic Question to Ask Yourself:rn‘What can I do to teach Joey a lesson and give myself some time to unwind?' Your Action Step:r

Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen - Ralph Waldo Emerson Finding the courage to dream is like deciding to go to an exotic destination. Now that you know where you are going, it's time to choose the path. It is overwhelming to stand at the junction of life, when ...

Dear Mr. Dad: I'm a stay-at-home dad, and I'm worried that my daughter will get bored at home with me and with the same toys. What do I do? A: Wow, what a great question! You've really hit on an incredibly common fear—not only for dads but for stay-at-home moms too.

It’s inevitable - all parents eventually have to deal with the job of weaning their child from diapers and instructing them to use the toilet independently. As this time approaches parents begin to collect resources and information from various sources to help guide and support them in this important yet often dreaded parenting task. Potty training any child is definitely a challenge and one never knows how it will pan out.

Organic products are good for the environment and good for the people who use them. This is especially important when thinking about the clothes we put on our children. By their very physiognomy, infants are more susceptible to the dangers of clothes that have residual pesticides and other fabric finishing chemicals on them. Going green is not only good for the environment, but it will have a positive impact on your children's long term health. Going organic keeps dangerous p

It is another snowy day and as I sit looking out my picture window, I watch the fluffy flakes settle onto the ground and nestle in the branches of the trees…the bright red colour of the cardinals is a spectacular sight against the white backdrop…there is a peace and stillness evidenced by the ...

Motivation is difficult when your kids won't try. Some parents get so frustrated that they try unpleasant methods which crush motivation and discourage character. Inside you'll lea 10 parenting mistakes you must avoid. 1. Praise Kids Only for Their Successes. Parents who praise kids only for their successes: - Create anxious perfectionistic kids - Discourage kids from trying unless they have a guarantee of success - Lessen kids' ability to handle setbacks 2. Give Vague Encouragement

D’you know the original blog that I posted about Elizabeth Fritzl’s situation has been my most popular blog ever with over a 1000 (thousand) viewers clicking on it within one week of posting the blog on a particular social network site. And yet, even though it has been my most popular blog, I ...

PART 1: This article is a series of articles on invalidation, including the experiences of a child or parent that has been invalidated and how parents, professionals and practitioners can validate children to make a difference to their outcomes. The invalidated child can seem like an enigma and is easily misunderstood. They come from all backgrounds, walks of life, race, culture and class in society. An invalidated child can look like a child that is: -Misbehaving -Difficult -Seeking attention -Sabotaging their own success -Withdrawn -Attempting suicide -Self harmingr

It just happened. You discover an infidelity; a partner signals an intention to separate; someone has passed away; there’s been some kind of personal tragedy. In the midst of anguish life feels totally out of control; is turned upside down; is overwhelming. Anguish, in the midst of a horrible unplanned life event is normal.

If you have done any parenting style or parenting solution research at all, you will have found Supe anny Jo Frost all over the internet, including YouTube. When I was raising my children Supe anny Jo Frost was my hero and still is today! What if her child rearing philosophy could be enhanced with new, state of the art, positive parenting solutions that would bring even better results with your child or teenager?

Raising children to cope with peer pressure begins very early in life. More than anything, children who are able to stand up to negative peer pressure are resilient individuals with well defined beliefs and values. Children such as this are not simply the result of good parenting strategies, they are the product of strong families with good communication and clearly visible values. Children become what they see more than what they hear.

I applaud Andrew Johnston, 13 year old contestant on ‘Britain’s Got Talent 2008 Show’, for having the courage to admit to 12 million people across the nation that he was being bullied because of the love of his passion……..singing opera. I want to let Andrew Johnston know that it is absolutely ...

A major dilemma young people face is a desire to be perfect. This obsession hinders them and can have disastrous results. For example, consider this letter I received from a parent:

This is an ever-changing world and there are many things in it that we would like to protect our children from. The last thing any parent wants to see is their child violated, hurt or in pain. As parents, we do our best to provide our children with safety equipment, expose them to lessons that will give them the tools to protect themselves and be there for them when they need us. Unfortunately, we cannot be with our children 24-7, especially as they grow and venture into the world towards independence.

Dear Mr. Dad: My three-year-old daughter has an imaginary friend named Maggie. She talks to her all the time, draws with her, and "reads" her favorite books to her. I even have to set an extra place at the dinner table for Maggie or my daughter won't eat. Is this okay or should I be conce ed about my daughter's sanity? A: Having imaginary playmates is a pretty normal part of growing up--especially inrnthe toddler years—and they serve several important functions:r

Every month should be Child Abuse Prevention Month. As a parent educator, mother of three children and former preschool teacher, I am appalled by the growing rate of child abuse, neglect, maltreatment and murders in our country. Why is it that, in a country such as ours, where we are always ...