Parenting Articles

The Buddhist concept of mindfulness can be very helpful to parents. It can help us see our children as whole and beautiful in each moment. Mindfulness means moment-to-moment, non-judgmental awareness of our children. If we practice mindful parenting we will refine our capacity to pay attention, ...

Parents often wonder if and when their children should learn the value of money whether it is though an allowance or otherwise. My children, like many children in today’s material society, started asking for every toy under the sun as soon as they could talk. Of course, I admit that initially I enjoyed giving my kids the toys they asked for, but I soon learned that this is a bottomless money pit with no easy way out. So as soon as my kids were able to count, I started teaching them how to count pennies, nickels and dimes.

This is the underlying and constant question that children and young people have running through their minds whether on a conscious or unconscious basis. We all have a need to be loved and children and young people are no exception to the rule. Most often than not, however, children and ...

Having a baby is a beautiful thing. The feeling a woman has after having grown a little miracle and seeing that miracle come to fruition is indescribable. Motherhood is a gift from God that is cherished more than any other job today. Most women only think that a hospital is where one has a ...

A mother of a boy, 12, I was counseling recently spoke about a “play date” her son had. As had been arranged, the mother of the other boy brought her son over to the house around 1 pm. The two boys greeted each other at the door and immediately proceeded to the bedroom, where they began playing video games.

Parenting is not for the faint of heart—especially if we’re talking about parenting toddlers! At this stage, your child starts to show her unique personality and to develop interests and preferences. It may be a newfound obsession with “princess" like dresses and hair accessories, or it may be an endearing habit, like singing to her mommy each morning. You may also begin to notice that these wonderful qualities come with ones that are pretty challenging! Toddlers are fa

The following tips are designed to help parents promote their child’s school success. Remember, being consistent with your message is key to it becoming a family value. If you had a negative experience in school, try not to project this on to your child by making excuses and remarks that de-value school. 1. KNOW YOUR SCHOOLr

I brought my beautiful blue-eyed 3 week old daughter to her baby shower 15 years ago and the guests were invited to give me their best parenting advice. I heard many things from "nap when your baby naps" to "wash all the clothes you're receiving as gifts right away so you'll know what size they really are after they shrink". Two very special ladies, however, gave the best advice. One piece of advice was from a silver haired lady - the kind of lady you stop and listen to when

So your four year old won’t eat anything but cheese and crackers? Your six year old hates anything with a sauce on it. Your eight year old won’t let his lips touch a vegetable if his life depended on it. What do you do? You’re trying to be a good parent and provide nutritious meals to your ...

First I’d like to bring our awareness to the dangers of looking at children with a different quality of respect than we would an adult. The ideal states that all people are equal, it does not matter if you are 1 or 100, but is that what we really believe? Let’s say your neighbor comes over to ...

Do you have a child with a disability who receives special educationnservices? Does your child with a learning disability still strugglenacademically, even with the services? This article will give parentingntips on what FAPE is, and how you can help your child receive it. FAPE stands for a ...

Family vacations do not have to be dreaded, with a little bit of planning, they can actually be fun! Tip 1: Ask their Opinion- Teens love to feel included. So instead of making the decision with only adults, ask everyone at home for suggestions. If you do not choose someone’s idea be sure ...

Surrogacy can be a very risky procedure especially in states that have no clear laws and statutes about this process. The process of surrogacy often leads to many legal complications especially traditional surrogacy. Traditional surrogacy is a mutual agreement between the surrogate mother and the intended parents to carry and deliver the child. In this process, the surrogate mother’s own egg cells are fertilized by the intended parent through artificial insemination. This p

The door slammed hard, shaking the wall with its force, as the ten-year-old boy rushed into the house. Dropping backpack, lunch box, and jacket on the entry floor in one swift motion, the boy hurried into the living room where his mother sat watching an afte oon news program. "Mom, you'll never ...

My seven-year old daughter is adopted from Kazakhstan. She came to this country when she was five and a half not knowing any English. She lived in an orphanage her entire life and knew none of the comforts most children experience when they are babies and toddlers. She was a scared, abused little girl who suddenly found herself in America with a strange family, attending a real school for the first time in her life. She was the target of some of the cruelest and meanest comme

Imagine it’s 2035 and you get a call from your son who proceeds to inform you that, at the young age of 32, he’s going blind as a result of macular degeneration. Your immediate thought is how is this possible? Macular degeneration is a disease of the old. It is not a disease for young, vibrant people in the midst of their careers, just starting a family, and buying and furnishing their first home. This cannot be possible…

When a Child With Special Needs and Complex Disabilities Surfaces with Behaviour Problems Some children present with an abundance of challenges involving academic functioning, communication and physical difficulties. Combined these children face a remarkable struggle keeping up with their ...

With the demands of everyday life, raising children can be a circus. What is the antidote to the stress that parents feel these days? There are three areas that need to be looked at in order for parents to feel less stressed and for families to be close, connected and totally content. They are: Discipline, Family Time and time alone for each parent, which I call "You" Time.

Has your child ever vehemently resisted your request to perform a task? I worked with a young mom recently who came to me exasperated by her daughter’s refusal to wash her hands and dry them or sometimes have a meltdown when the mom would do this task for her. The mom was at her wit’s end and having tried many ways to make her daughter comply she resorted to punishment and loss of privileges as a last resort.

Even though a spouse may have contemplated separation for years prior to informing their partner, to the partner, the news comes as a shock, even in view of a tumultuous relationship. For the children, the shock is often even greater. To intensify matters befalling the children, the spouse who ...

Planning to relocate involves many factors like packing, hiring end of lease cleaners, notifying the utility companies of the termination dates, getting your deposit back, finding a new dwelling, and etc. While you might look forward to moving to a new home as it means a new beginning, a new (in the best scenario better job), more space for everyone, better neighbourhood and many other things, to your little angel it might be the scariest thing he/ she has ever had to face, s

When you try to help your child with homework, does he pout? Do you get mad? Do you regret what you say? Inside you’ll find 5 mistakes and 10 parenting affirmations to motivate your child and build character too. Character Building Quote: “It is easier and wiser to raise a happy, healthy child ...

When parents discuss how much media they allow their children, the answers vary wildly. Some parents have very strict time restrictions on their children's media viewing while others give their children more control over the time they spend on media. n How do you know when your child is ...

Today’s parenting culture is one of ambition and high expectation. In an age of increasing competition in all areas of the socioeconomic spectrum, we all want our kids not just to do well but to excel. In light of this, many parents forget to leave their children time for the simple things—playing outdoors, engaging in imaginative activities and such. We tend to think time that is not spent engaged in a productive activity is time wasted. Having high expectations for oneâ

If you are in an abusive relationship and are seeking to separate or divorce from your partner, your safety may be at risk and your ability to achieve a reasonable separation agreement may be compromised. Abusive relationships are characterized by one party seeking power and control over the ...

Gone are the days you could just snuggle with your child to show them you love them. Once they become teenagers, a simple “I love you” can be greeted with responses from positive, to eye-rolling embarrassment. So how can you best show your teen that you love them? Well actually, by being a strict parent. Stay with me here, I promise I’m not crazy. I know many parents worry that they will alienate their teen by being strict with them. The thing is, you aren’t there to

In a recent publication by Robert Young, (Royal College of Psychiatrists) Young states: 'Self-harm among young people in the UK is possibly increasing but little is known about the reasons young people give for cessation and their link with gender or employment status'.

Valentine’s Day. The red hearts make us feel like love and happiness is all around. We see images of couples hugging and gazing into each other’s eyes and we want that. We go shopping at beautifully decorated stores and envision making our loved one feel special and cherished. And, secretly, we hope our partners are thinking and doing the same for us. The spirit behind Valentine’s Day is beautiful. Don’t we all want more of it though?

Prom is a milestone event in every teenager’s life. It’s the last big party where everyone will be all together before parting ways for college, the military or wherever else life takes them. Both parents and teens want the night to be special, fun and above all, safe. However, teens don’t have the experience and perspective to really understand the dangers the way parents do. That’s why it’s important that parents help to protect their children by being aware and a

Being 'present,' what does that mean? On the surface, it obviously means that you are here, physically here. Students are either present or absent when roll is taken at school. After roll is taken and lunch orders turned in, the teacher then has the task of getting the students really present.

One of the hardest tasks stay at home parents have is to be the disciplinarian to their children. This is because children usually see the stay home parent as the nurturer, while the parent who works outside of the home is often tasked with the role of disciplinarian. With the increase in the number of stay at home dads, the role of nurturer and disciplinarian is also reversing, but there is a lack of information on how SAHDs can make the transition from disciplinarian, when

October may be the month many children look forward to for costumes, candy, and parties with creepy ghouls and goblins but all of this may not be your Autistic child's cup of tea. Every child is different and unique yet it is typical for almost all of them to develop anxieties and fears at some point in their childhood. Children with special needs, especially those with sensory issues and those on the autism spectrum, tend to be more sensitive or prone to acquire fears that may linger past the typical developmental stage that appear in other children.

We hear a lot about the Supermom Syndrome but rarely about our Superdads. nnWe place higher expectations on fathers in today's society than ever before. nUnlike previous generations, dads today are expected to take a proactive role in ncaring for the children physically as well as financially.nnGone are the days when a man arrives home from work, loosens his tie, slips off nhis shoes, and reclines in the Lazyboy with his newspaper, which he thumbs nthrough as he waits for his

We have until our children are about 18 years old to teach them all the basic skills they'll need to live on their own. Although it sounds like a lot of time, it goes by amazingly fast. Summertime can provide a little more free time for teaching our kids something new. Children often enjoy ...

This week my son started a conversation with me out of the blue; something was on his mind and bothering him. He began by saying, “There’s a naughty boy at school. He’s bigger than me and older than me.” “Why is he naughty?” I asked. “Well, he doesn’t let me do things.” “Like what?” “He stops me from running or going places.” Being a former school teacher for 16 years, my stomach clenched as I knew that what he was describing was in fact a Bully.

Image Courtesy of Chris&Rhiannon via Flickr, Creative Commons  Babies are born with a natural curiosity to figure out how the world works. Because being inquisitive drives the eagerness to explore and discover, the more curious a child is, the more he learns. But parents don’t really have to push their children to learn. In fact, research shows that it is a child’s internal desire for knowledge, not external pressure, that motivates him to seek out new experiences that l

There is a serious threat that is looming over our sons, and they have no idea how dangerous it really is. Sexting has become an epidemic, and a shocking number of teenagers are engaging in it. This could be through text, programs like Snapchat, or on other sites across the web. Wherever it is being done, you are probably worried about it and looking for more info on making sure your son doesn’t fall into the trap . As a father, it is your job to protect your child. While t

Are you a manager or business owner in denial? • Are you one of those managers or business owner who denies that your personal life is creating havoc for you? • Do you deny the impact that your personal life’s challenges is having on your work and business environment? ...

As a mother, do you ever wonder why the parent child communication process seems so difficult? "The Secrets to Having the Teenage Daughter you Actuallyr Like" with Dr. Cheryl Guy It is a fact that parent communication and teenage communication can be vastly different. When it seems as ifrnneither party understands the other during the parent child communication process, especially between a mother and teenage daughter, I term this communication as momglish and teenglish. The truth is, no one can better understand the plight ofr

The technology of ultrasound scanning is a wonderful thing. This is especially true for a mother awaiting the arrival of her baby. There is nothing like seeing your child before they are even born. Pregnancy can be a difficult time of waiting, and health challenges can make this wait even harder. It is a time of preparation for the new member of a family. A mother wants to have everything ready for their new addition so they can give them the best and enjoy getting to know th

Bless the Coach Be it t-ball, baseball, soccer or hockey, most little league coaches are there for the love of children. For some it’s even more personal. Their kid is on the team. The value of participation by children in little league sports is manifold. Children get to learn the game, ...

The start to a new school year can be riddled with anxiety for any child. When you think of your first days at school, I am sure your memories are mixed with some years having a better start to the school year then others. Going to a new school or having a new teacher in the same building can be cause for worry even among the most confident of kids. But when you have a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder their conce s are usually bigger than this.

On the last day of school for 2015, with my daughter in grade 11, she decided for the first time to participate in the school dodge ball tou ament. So her and five of her good friends got together and created a team. My son had actually made mention of it and told her not to bother, that her team would 'get creamed' by none other than the massive grade 12s. Anyway off to school she went, ready to participate in the tou ament. A few hours later she returned home. She couldn't get in the door fast enough with a priceless smirk on her face, to share her excitement with me.

Another Father's Day has passed. This was a time of family gatherings to celebrate fathers. Family traditions of cookouts, picnics, sports, and dining out are fairly common. I believe that the role of fathers has been diminished over time. There’s been an evolution of his earlier role of going out and killing the beast for supper to being more involved emotionally. Numerous articles and books have been written about this. There is a tremendous amount of research about being a father. It has been dissected from every angle and from numerous counseling theories.

Mom/Dad, can I go meet my Internet friend in person? To be absolutely-100%-embarrassingly-so-honest, my gut reaction to this question would be “No!! What if it’s some creep! Or a scammer!! What if they kidnap you!! Or worse! Don’t you know how dangerous that is?!?!?!” But, of course, I know this question warrants a lot more consideration. So hold on, let’s start over. Should you let your child meet their Internet friend in person? According to a UNH study, 16 percen

Wouldn’t the world be an incredibly effective place if we viewed each other as competent and knowing? Perhaps this ideal behind the parent coaching movement is the appropriate mindset and intention to help parents fulfill their roles consciously and parent effectively. In coaching, the underlying assumption is that the client is well and resourceful and can handle his or her life. In psychotherapy, the assumption is to treat the symptoms and underlying causes. Both coaching and also psychotherapy or counseling can play a role in our lives

Many studies (such as listed in USA Today, MSNBC, and University of Oregon) conclude children are suffering from a lowered attention span due to activities such as television and computer games. Peter Jensen at the National Institute of Mental Health concluded, "Extensive exposure to television and video games may promote development of brain systems that scan and shift attention at the expense of those that focus attention."nnIf you have children, you would often feel like y

According to the Pew Research Center: "Only 12 percent of children ages 13 to 17 don’t have access to a cell phone". Whoa! That means more kids either have their own mobile phone or have access to mom and dad’s. If your child is begging for a phone, they’re not exactly alone. When you decide to bring on the cell you also need to start setting some serious rules. Ah, rule-making – easier said than done. You know your kiddo needs them. But, you may not feel completely c

"I took care of Callie," my three-year-old announced.nnCallie had been starting with that little whine that babies adopt to alert mothers and sisters that their new crawling tricks have them wedged behind the furniture. But the whining had stopped--rather suddenly it seems in retrospect.nn"Thanks, Cassie. You are such a big help," I said. "How did you manage that?"nn"I got her a beer."nnSure enough, Callie was still wedged behind the table, but now she was happily gumming the

Back to School Basics The Absolute, Easiest Way Ever to Help Our Children Have a Successful Start to The School Day We know the drill, we begin about a week before school starts sending our children to bed earlier and rousing them earlier in the morning, trying to re-set that summer-time body clock. What if I gave you 7 simple steps to make mornings easy regardless of the time of year, type of child, or age of child? Plus, (added bonus), your morning becomes easier too. Think