Parenting Articles

Knowing your past cultural background can be extremely interesting, in particular if you are interested in your family history. To some people, the thought that they might have specific backgrounds might even have shaped their identity. At the same time, other people may simply want to verify whether they are actually descendent from a specific group or a certain person for legal reasons or peace of mind. It’s in these contexts that DNA tests can provide an answer. There ar

Parenting can be troublesome specifically if you are coping with misbehaving kids. The behavior challenges in kids can be a daily matter that parents should correct. It could possibly make the everyday lives of parents hectic. If not dealt with, the bad actions of children can continue to become worse. What parents have to do is to employ child behavior modification plan that will properly solve the demanding concerns of parents. A lot of parenting programs can be found onlin

Change is never easy. Even when you're dropping a bad or unhealthy habit in order to achieve the lifestyle you've been seeking, the transition will be rocky. If change were easy, after all, then quitting smoking wouldn't be a multi-million dollar industry!nnIf you've decided to drop some of the outdated, ineffective parenting techniques that you've been relying on in order to better parent your teen or preteen, then congratulations! More effective parenting leads to teenagers

Our children love certain toys or brands and they make their lists for sure, however, I suggest that we parents do something a little extra special at Christmas. Christmas is such an exciting time. Family and friends gather together to laugh, eat great food and share gifts with each other. What could be better? There is one way parents can make Christmas even better and that is by giving their children a present that is a tradition.

It's common to hear adults talking about how stressed or overwhelmed they are, but do we hear from our children how they feel? Research finds that between 8 and 10% of North American children are seriously troubled by stress. I'll never forget a class meeting I shared with my students some 6 years ago. The students were discussing their feelings and all but 1 boy said, "I'm so stressed!" They were 8 and 9 years old. Probing them further, I asked, "Why?" Here is the short list of reasons they mentioned: 1. Too much homework (I must note that they mentioned subjects areasr

Content Marketing Strategy If you are an entrepreneur you may not even realize what an advantage you have. It is easier and less expensive today to market your business than ever before. It not longer takes thousands of dollars and weeks or even months time to get your message out into the hands of people who need it. Today, your message can be seen by prospective customers and clients almost instantly and by spending only minutes of time on your marketing each day.

In January 2008, I learned that I was pregnant with my third child. I had recently moved to Oklahoma and was trying to secure a stable life with my two children. I was in a relationship but it was not going well. He and I were fighting all the time and I knew I needed to get out of that situation fast. Then found out I was pregnant with his child. He wanted nothing to do with a baby, so he made it easy to get away from him. When the news of being pregnant sank in, I felt over

Family vacations are supposed to be fun, but many times parents dread them because they feel out of their comfort zone when their children misbehave; they know their discipline options are limited and having to apply consequences in public is for some, quite embarrassing.

Watch the child closely to recognize when you are really needed to step in to lend support verbally or physically, but give the child enough freedom to discover his safe limits for himself. Raising children well involves a careful balance of providing the child with independence and intervention. Avoid physically dominating your child in an over-protective manner. Instead, alertly SPOT your child, whatever her age, when she is, say, attempting to climb up a tree. As your chil

Answering the questions on page 94 is an easy, albeit boring request for many children. They simply take out the book, notebook and pencil. They turn to page 94, read the first question and re-read the text to locate the answer. Then, they summarize the information, write it down and continue on to the next question. However, for many students with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder this task is not so easy.

As children return to the classroom, parents often wonder how they can help their children succeed in school — without doing too much for their children. There are two key areas in which parents have tremendous influence: success attitudes and skills. A successful school attitude is ...

“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: Define the difference between tattling and telling. It helps to be clear with children about when it’s important to tell an adult about upsetting behaviors.

Jason, 14 is like most male adolescents. He is into video games, hockey, and, of course, hanging with his friends. If you ask him the classic question adults love to ask teens, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Jason will reply, "I don't know—maybe a lawyer or an engineer."

Many parents have the tough decision of whether or not to place their children in a daycare facility. I had my daughter almost 2 years ago and it was the hardest decision me and my husband had to make. My daughter was in the hospital for a month and when she got out I made the decision to be a stay at home mom. Well the financial issues began to be too much for my husband so I decided to get a job. I originally wanted a part time job but I was offered a full time job. I place

Every mom wants more me time. In fact some mom tell me they don't remember when they last had some! Luckily, there are some sneaky ways that you can find and enjoy some well deserved time by yourself. Here are just a few ideas:

As parents we have an incredible influence on the level of our children’s self-esteem. The knowledge of this can create some fear, and even guilt with how we may be parenting, but the answer to developing a depth of trust that creates a healthy self-esteem is a lot simpler then we sometimes make it. We often go to extremes in exposing our children to different experiences, and boosting their confidence with praise, and enrolling them in a myriad of activities to hone their s

You had so looked forward to this joyous time in your life-your baby's birth, all the friends and family surrounding you, your dream to begin building your own family now a reality, so why are you so unhappy? Don't be alarmed. You're probably suffering from a common form of postpartum depression, or what your grandmother called "the Baby Blues". It usually begins on or around the third day after delivery and lasts about 10 to 14 days. The noticeable symptoms are crying for n

Make your children sleep more comfortably with Cabin Beds. Because it works great for integrating storage into a workable space for any rooms, a cabin bed will prove to be a parent's way of utilizing the available space within the children's bedrooms. Designed to house a child along while holding numerous bedroom items, you will find that having a cabin bed for your children will lend to a great number of advantages. Advantages of Cabin Beds for Kids Also known as mid sleeper

Childhood sleep overs are often a part of growing up. As parents we do everything we can to make sure they are safe and make safe choices when they are away from home, but without our support some things aren't as easy for them as they are for adults. Why they can't always do what we teach them: We teach our children to stay away from guns. We quiz them and might even roleplay certain situations to make sure that they will do the right thing. Studies have shown, that in the absence of a parent, children presented with a gun from a peer will actually play with the gun.

Almost every study I know indicates that every child wants to know of his parents, “ Do you love me?” and that a child asks this emotional question mostly in his behaviour, seldom verbally. By a child’s behaviour he/she tells us what he/she needs, whether it’s more love, more discipline, more acceptance, or more understanding. The answer to this question is absolutely the most important thing in any child’s life.

With all the affectionate care and coddling of our babies, isn’t there a risk of spoiling them by “loving them considerably”, and of forming beings that will be persistently demanding of all the things under the sun? The response to this interrogation is a definite “No"! A baby wants continuous care, love and assurance and should have it. Deprived of the contentment of their variety concept, a baby will nurture to sense like something is absent and desire the unqualif

Traditional child disciplining approaches are no longer successful for far too many young people. For example, a parent related the following to me after a discussion of how society and youth have changed in recent generations:n nThe other day, my teenage daughter was eating in a rather slovenly manner, and I lightly tapped her on the wrist saying, "Don't eat that way." n nMy daughter replied, "Don't abuse me."n nThe mother had grown up in the 1960s and volunteered the point

Retail stores are beginning the Black Friday sales early this year as they open their doors on Thanksgiving evening. While many consumers will scurry through the aisles in search of sale items, it makes me wonder if our culture has lost touch with what’s truly valuable. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy shopping. However, I also realize that there’s a gift that no Black Friday or Cyber Monday sale can offer, and that is time. Lately, the gift of time seems to be rare in our “always on the go” culture.

Infants: 4 to 7 monthsr Babies this age still need lots of sleep. Typically children are down to at least two naps of an hour to three each. However, there are some that will continue to take three naps during these months and for shorter periods. So although the range of needs and lengths vary, your child will fall somewhere into these two extremes. Your best bet it to have watched your little one’s pattern from month two to four. They naturally develop a schedule. Some folks try to schedule naps for their babies.

What kind of physical contact do most parents use with their child? It seems obvious, doesn’t it? A hug. We hug our child because we love them and we hope they feel this love. However, what if I told you that there is other physical contact that can be even more powerful in terms of showing our kids we love them?

If you are sensitive to the plight of abused children who have been removed from their home or you notice that there are families in your church that are fostering a child, it might make you think how fortunate those children are to have a stable family care for them! You might also think of someone who needs to be a foster parent because they are so loving with children. And another thought of course is, what would it be like for you to become a foster parent yourself? Afte

Persons subject to domestic violence (or violence in the context of any relationship) may need protection from the perpetrator of violence. To protect oneself, one can go to a place of greater safety (no place is 100% safe, although most women’s shelters offer a number of safeguards to provide a very high degree of security.) If living together, the perpetrator of abuse may leave voluntarily or may be required to leave the residence.

The definition of a pacifier according to Webster’s Dictionary is “1) one that pacifies” and “2) a nipple-shaped device for babies to suck or bite on”. The definition of the word pacify is “1) to allay the anger or agitation of: soothe”. My friend ...

Do you have a child who groans, gripes, and grumbles, doesn't listen, or has ADD? Inside are parenting tips for creating character building charts. They help turn misbehaviors into great behaviors and build character too. n Parenting Tips - Bribing vs. Training: n First, let's get one thing ...

Have you ever wished you had the perfect words to say when your child misbehaved? How many of you have had the experience where you are at the grocery store and your child keeps begging you to buy something, and no matter how many times you explain or say an outright, “NO!” they continue? Wouldn’t you LOVE to have a single phrase that would stop their badgering immediately?

Is It Safe? Marital or couple counseling is an intimate experience that by design enables couples to disclose and address issues held secret. Those issues held secret may be from each other or from outsiders – including therapists. Once the word is out there though, the next issue is how each person will react. Even the mere anticipation of secrets unfolding can give rise to conce for inappropriate and even dangerous reactions.

As parents we all want our children to know we love them, but do they always know that we LIKE them? When our children know that we LIKE them for sure, it has a much deeper effect on their love of themselves. They also feel extra safe and secure; as if what they thought they knew can now be accepted as truth. Although it’s important to tell your children you love them often, here are 10 ways you can deepen the understanding that you really mean what you say. 1. Make a big deal out of greetings and good-byes Let him know you’re always excited to see him.

Your behavior, how you conduct yourself at the negotiating table can work for you or against you. Remember, this is a negotiating table, not a court of law or arbitrator’s office. In negotiating, there is little to prove and all to negotiate. Negotiation is about how to move forward, not prove who necessarily did what. The service provider is there to help you both reach a resolution between yourselves.

I am a Licensed Social Worker, Certified Family Life Educator who has been training parents for over 25 years. As a second-generation parent educator, however, I’ve been involved with parenting classes for almost 40 years, because my parents taught classes while I was growing up. (Read my bio. for more info.) Because I had such a head start, I spent the first 10 years of my career collecting and compiling the parenting skills that research has proven to be effective long-term. In the process, I discovered, developed and tested a system for responding effectively to any parenting challenge.

If I got your attention your probably somewhere between desperate for solutions for your horribly behaved child to mildly interested in learning some parenting tricks to have at the ready for the next time your sweet angel thinks she's in charge at the grocery store. Either way, by the time you've finished this article you'll have 3 new solutions!

Teaching your children about money is right up there with “honor thy mother and thy father,” in my opinion. Why? Because so much of their lives will revolve around the decisions they make about it when they become adults. nnHave you ever heard that “hindsight is 20/20”? Well, it certainly was in regards to money in our case. My husband and I were barely out of our teens when we first moved out of our parents’ homes and into our own abode. I still recall the exciteme

People turn to counselling, be it individual, marital, family or group, at times having done little or no homework on the service provider. There is more to choosing a counselor then simply picking up the phone and making an appointment. Anyone may call himself or herself a counselor, so ...

Parenting can be full on - if you're a single parent you know this well. Beyond work, there are many details to take care of: banking, cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, disciplining, etc. Many moms I coach tell me they feel overwhelmed and when I dig deeper I find that one of the reasons they feel this way is because they're doing a lot on their own.

Counseling remains a viable strategy to cope with or change issues affecting one’s life. However, there are often many hurdles ahead of attending. Those hurdles are related to fears, misconceptions and even horror stories about counseling.

Is there such a thing? Is it possible to make the endless mistakes we invariably make as parents and remain free of guilt? Would we want to be? Isn't guilt part of what compels us to improve--- to lower our voices, threaten less vehemently, or stop saying the hurtful things we later regret?nn ...

Summer is a great time to relax and enjoy our families, but it can also be a great time for some reflection. Use a prviate, quiet moment this summer to reflect on how your year as a parent has been. The checklist below will help you with this process. It will allow you to see where you might need to do some tweaking or it may allow you to give yourself a great big pat on the back for doing many things well. Checklist: 1) I have read to my child. 2) I have read a book, novel, magazine, newspaper or newsletter while my child is in the same room

Daughters, Dads And Listeningn © Lee Wise All rights reserved "Thanks, dad. Thanks for listening. I always knew I couldncome to you." Last month a strange and not entirely unexpected guest madenhis way into my life. "Sixty" sauntered in, quite confident of his admittance Inmight add, caring little how I felt. Being sixty can mean... Briskly heading toward the men's room quicker tha I mightnchoose, Staring in disbelief at the "fright night like" creaturensquinting back a

When our kids are little, it is possible to quickly have them reveal a single room as well as a bed, but as they grow older, they need to have their own house after which it details turn out to be lots additional difficult and uncomfortable. The sole approach to capitalize on this position should be to go for loft beds as these beds can effortlessly provide your children with their very individual personal room. That is one of your crucial reasons why most hostels use bunk be

This season is a time when families get together and reflect on fond memories. With the advent of technology there's no shortage of family photos, but with our fast-paced lives it's becoming increasingly difficult to keep up, document and admire these treasured memories when they're stashed away on our computers or smartphones. According to Sara Douglass, Interim CEO for crafting company Stampin' Up!, there's now an effective way to capture these memories with a revolutionary

Im discovering more and more just how much we …..especially women, give our power away.r

Waiting for baby at the end of your pregnancy is probably the most difficult part of the whole process. You have been waiting nine months and are now anxious to meet your little bundle and move on with your life as a mom. However, each day can be excruciatingly long. You wait in anticipation ...

These 3 parenting tips help you and your partner say, "I'm with you. I'm walking beside you. I love you." If you practice the tips below, your children will be building character by watching and learning from you. Inside you will be given suggestions for practicing the tips too. "Why would a ...

Many times we get questions from parents regarding daily situations in their children`s lives. Here is one of these questions we received on our fan page Conscious Parenting on Facebook. We have also shared a relevant incident in our own life at the end of this article. Question: Hello, I’ve been thinking a lot about how little girls (children in general) are told to react to violence and I would appreciate your thoughts on this.. As a child I remember, and do see in children around me, that when someone acted/acts in violence towards them there in a normal protocol of what occurs..

Let’s make June Awareness Month! June can be a very busy month as we celebrate and honor our fathers, step-fathers, grandfathers and other significant male/father figures in our lives. We anxiously anticipate the arrival of summer along with the brightest and longest day of the year, the air is ...