Parenting Articles

A generation or two ago, obese kids were the exception rather than the norm. These days, kids are getting heavier and unhealthier than ever. Modern diet consisting of fat-laden, sugar loaded junk food and drinks are a major cause of the problem. The lack of exercise makes the matter even worse. Check the calorie count of a can of coke or your kids favourite drink. It is full of sugar and artificial additives. Frightening isn't it? I suggest you satisfy their love for a sweet

"This is my Moon Flow," I said to Ellah, who was about 4 at the time, when she saw me changing a pad. I never saw my Mom changing pads, and hence committed to not hiding my natural flow from my daughter. Without my flow, my girl would not have been born... How could this be anything but a source of joy in my ability to give birth? An ability she will one day share!

Ordered Home, Ordered Mind - 3 Simple Rules to Successful Home Balance Before I had children, if someone had talked to me about ‘systems’ and ‘right ways’ to do things in my house, I’d have laughed my little cotton socks off. In my home, I’d lived on my own for over a decade and things got done how I liked, when I liked; I never questioned my ‘living environment’ and I was happy that way. Now though, I find that to single parent sucessfully, manage 2 companies

Are you the parent of a child with a disability receiving special education services? Did you know that the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) required the Office of Special Education Programs to develop 3 model forms? Would you like to know what they are, and how they can help ...

Having fun with the kids during the summer doesn’t have to be a chore, and it doesn’t have to be expensive, either. There are plenty of things you can do at home or close to home that will be fun for everyone. Can’t think of anything? Then go through these 10 great activities to have a fun-filled summer with everyone. Exciting MealtimernSkip the restaurants and the same boring dinner tonight. Instead, make something exciting and fun. What food does everyone really like?

For the past twenty years when I present to mental health providers on how to develop, manage, and market a private practice I always ask members of the audience to raise their hand if they practice without an assistant. Depending on the group and location, typically half or even more of the providers acknowledge practicing solo. When I question why this is the case, the most common reason expressed is cost. My response is always the same: “You cannot afford to practice <u>without</u> an assistant.”

Each week, select one of these tips to focus on. You might jot the affirmation down onto an index card, so you can review the affirmation often throughout the day, to help you stay on track. “This week I will remember to maintain my peace and poise, understanding that I place my child in charge when he or she can make me react, and that in true peace and poise I have the clearest judgment and enjoy the blessed opportunity of parenting my child.” “This week I will remember th

One of the most challenging issues parents face is coping with their child's pain. Too often, when seeing their child in pain parents go into "Save the Day" mode rather than seeing the opportunity the challenge offers. The process of coping with their child's pain and supporting their children can help their child develop strengths and abilities they will carry into the future. Lynn watched her daughter Heather struggle with escalating teasing at school. Lynn had to face her

Nothing can give more happiness and pleasure to a parent than being a father or mother of their first baby. Every first thing about this little creature is special be it first baby, first smile, first cry, first word from baby’s mouth, first stand on his feet, first walk and other first lovely acts of a baby. It gives a parent immense satisfaction and happiness to experience these emotional moments and preserves them for the life time. It is rightly said that “babies are

Our children are our most important legacy to the world. However, our love is our most important legacy to our children. Here are seven ways to show love that will help children build sturdy foundations for the future. 1. Spend Time with Your Children. Time is the most loving gift we can give to our children. It allows for the mutual exchange of ideas, emotions, actions, and words that help our children develop and learn to communicate. Enjoy a toddler's tea parties as well a

Meal times are one of the cornerstones of your daily routine. They can be the most joyous part of your day or the most dreaded part of your day. When you have small children it is very important that you be consistent and that they sit down to eat at roughly the same times every day. It's also important that those times are spaced far enough apart so that your kids have an appetite for what's put in front of them, but not so far apart that the run-up to every meal is marked by the kind of bad behaviour and irritability that's triggered by hunger and low blood sugar levels.

Surrogacy is the agreement between a surrogate mother and intended parents to carry and nurture a child from conception until birth. The process of surrogacy can be classified into two main types: 1. Traditional surrogacy – in traditional surrogacy the surrogate mother will be an egg donor for the conception of the child. It is very important that at least one of the intended parents would use their own sperm cells for the conception of the child to avoid any legal conflict

When Kathryn told her five year old son Jeremy that she was going to marry Frederick, little Jeremy became very happy. Jeremy finds Frederick a helping friend who is always there to help him out. Kathryn is a divorcee. She separated from her husband when Jeremy was just 1.5 year old. That time Jeremy was very young to realize anything and thus doesn’t remember much about his father. Though there separation had some impact on Jeremy’s mental condition, but it didn’t last

If envy had a color, it would be black and blue, like a bruise. Those were the colors reflected in my two daughters eyes all too frequently during the past two years.nnFor eight and a half years, my older daughter, now eleven, was an only child. She was adopted from China when she was four months old. She was definitely the princess, the center of our world and the apple of our eye. However, she was lonely and wanted a sister and my husband and I wanted another child, so we a

Are you your child’s credit card? Does your child beg for money before paying off what he owes you? Inside you’ll find how to stop being a credit card and start teaching your child discipline about money. How many times have you asked, “Do you think I’m made of money?” only to reach deep in ...

One of the most encouraging things a parent can do for their child is to spend regular, scheduled time with them. Many parents may think they already spend a lot of time with their children, however there is a difference betwee "family time", "have-to time" and "scheduled special time".

So what’s up when a kid reaches age two? Many parents are ready to pull their hair out when their kids reach this age… and it continues for about a year to a year and a half. Parents of younger infants are lulled into a sense of ease when their son or daughter reaches about 6 months. By this time infants are usually sleeping well through the night, able to sit in a high chair, can amuse themselves with play and are enthralled with mom and dad’s gaze and smile. To many, parenting at this stage appears easy and there is no way of appreciating just what lies ahead.

Children with ADHD and ADD are intelligent and capable. However, they need extra support to help them manage their ADHD symptoms. Implementing the following suggestions will increase children with Attention Deficit Disorder’s ability to manage their ADHD symptoms while minimizing factors that exasperate the issues. 1. Exercise

You’re probably busy planning every detail so your kids can have a memorable summer packed with vacations, summer camps, sports activities and more. As you finish your planning, be sure to allow time for three surprising activities that are research-proven to help your child’s emotional, neurological and physical well-being. Secret #1: Allow time each day for unstructured, child-directed play (or free time for adolescents). Research is emerging that the hectic lifestyle that many parents have chosen for their children may be harmful to a child’s development.

Normal Childhood Behaviour Misconstrued There is a quote attributed to Sigmund Freud, “Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar”. So too of childhood behaviour and incidents; they may be simply within the range of normal childhood life. However, in the context of high conflict separated parents, the ...

We rarely hesitate to send our children to public school for 7 1/2 hours every day. After all it is required by law that we educate our children! As a homeschooling family, I admit, we didn't always spend a full 7 1/2 hours in formal educational exercises; but we probably spent more than 7 1/2 hours every day in formal and informal educational activities combined. Our children were with us all day, every day, and every moment became a teachable moment. Because we were homesch

The culture we live in is having a huge impact on our children. Our daughters are influenced to judge their bodies and begin dieting in 4th grade – already striving for the air-brushed perfection offered in glossy magazines and TV programs. Our sons are getting lost behind masks that tell us they are okay. As they grow older, our sons enter into the “boy code” where they need to be, as one boy puts it, “tall, cool, and tough.” In my work with children, too often boys have re

One of the most challenging tasks for parents is to avoid simply forcing patterns of behavior on their children by actually developing the character of their children. There is no easy formula for character development, but here are six steps a parent might consider taking: Step 1: What Kind of Character do You Want to Build? Before you can build your child's character, you must have a clear understanding of what kind of character you want your child to have. What values do y

November is Adoption Awareness Month, so it seems appropriate that I share with you about one of my success stories, Trey.

While it is true that your role as a parent begins before childbirth, you begin parenting the moment your child comes into the world. Should you breast-feed your baby or allow him to drink from the bottle? Should you bathe him twice a day or more? What kind of food should you give your baby? For the parents of young babies, all these are major parenting decisions.nnAs long as your child is very young, your worries are limited to the points mentioned above. However, young chil

Tom Cruise joins Madonna in abstaining from TVnnTom Cruise has come out of the closet. The world-famous actor does not allow his adopted children, Isabella, 13, and Connor, 11, to watch TV, except for movies on weekends. He joins superstar Madonna in parenting decision that will benefit his children in many ways. Although some of Cruise's recent stances have been controversial, taking firm control of the TV his kids watch is a sensible parenting decision.nnReportedly, he also

What is the single most important goal to set to guarantee successful helping? Mutual Respect. If you want to help your troubled teen, it has got to start with you. You must be respectful first. Make respect your bottom line. Make respect your foundation. Decide that, starting now, you are never going to do anything that is less than respectful. Get help to do this from the Power of Respect. It simplifies your task of helping. It provides clear, built-in guidelines. Stay within them and you will achieve your goal.

The internet is such a part of our everyday lives now. In fact, we probably don’t even give it second thought. If you want the answer to something, just google it. How convenient! Your children’s generation is the first to grow up with this advanced access. It’s no surprise if they know more about digital trends than we do, but parents have the duty to stay aware. Children as young as 7 years old today have their own smartphones and about 90% say they’ve had access to

Separating? Once the decision to separate is made, there are a number of other issues to settle. If the decision has been made in isolation, there is the matter of informing one’s spouse. Thereafter comes telling the kids. From there, attention is directed towards determining the ongoing care ...

What makes mobile walkers dangerous? Experts say their very design helps kids move easily - often much too easily for them to sustain serious injuries.nn“About three million baby walkers are sold in the United States each year. They are generally used in the 2- to 4-month period after a child can sit up and before he can walk without assistance. But by giving a child added height, a walker suddenly brings him within reach of hazards such as boiling pots, electric irons

A narrative is a story or an account of an event. Jesus taught by telling parables to illustrate his moral attitudes and religious principles. I use narratives in family regulatory therapy and find them very effective.

Alright parents, you probably know what bullying is, but do you know what cyberbullying is? Despite popular belief, cyberbullying is much more complex and harmful than “just a couple mean comments online.” Cyberbullying is an intimidating, harassing, and/or hurtful online action to another person that takes place through electronic technology such as cell phones, computers, tablets, etc. as well as communication tools such as text/instant messaging, social media, email, e

A New Look At “Mis-Behavior”nby Dr. Jane Nelsen nnnOne of my favorite scenes from the movie Kramer Vs Kramer shows Billy shouting in anger at his Dad, “I hate you.” Dad picks him up and carries him to his room, throws him on his bed, and shouts back, “I hate you too, you little shit.”nDid this father and son really hate each other? Of course not. They loved each other very much. So what was going on? n Billy was feeling hurt because his father was busy working and

Have you ever said or done something to your child only to question whether you could or should have said or done it better? Being reflective is an attribute of a highly successful parent, but that is very different than second guessing oneself. Second guessing can be so detrimental to a parent's confidence and self esteem. So, how does a parent stop this negative pattern and become more self-assured and confident? There is a HUGE tip that can change the way a parent feels and views them self as a parent.

If your child has frequent health and/or emotional problems, consider that a lack of sleep may be all or at least part of the problem.nnEvery function in the body is affected by sleep. And for a child, the risks of sleep deprivation are much more serious than simply waking up in a grumpy mood. Research shows that children with sleep disturbances have more medical problems—such as allergies, ear infections, and hearing problems. They are also more likely to have social and e

Child discipline is very important for you to create a happy and healthy family at home. However, a lot of parents did not know what child discipline is all about and often times misunderstood it for punishment.nnSo, what are the difference between child discipline and punishment?nnHere is a brief overview of what child discipline is.nnDiscipline requires patience, love, thought and passion.nIt takes time for parents to learn about discipline. All these are part of the parent

Failure. Stress. Chaos. Confusion. Doubt. These are words that describe life for most of us today. The changes that lie ahead for all of us demand tremendous courage. We are amidst a struggle that never seems to end. Chaos has become a regular part of our existence. We want to know how it will all end. We want to run away to a desert island, away from it all. We want to hear the waves lap upon the shore, feel the breeze on our skin, and spend a few days or weeks with nothing to do or nothing to think about. We simply want it all to go away.

In addition to my counseling practice for most matters of family life, I frequently provide workshops. This week, three: one for parents of high school students, one for parents of elementary students and the third for students in grades 5, 6 and 7. As in all my parent workshops, I ask what issues they are facing and what they would like me to speak about. Both groups advised of unmanageable behavior and a disconnect between themselves and their kids.

Newborn Senses Conclusion A newborn can respond to and readily differentiate between substances with a number of different taste sensations, such as sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. However, it should come as no surprise that, of all of these, there is a marked preference towards sweet-tasting foods. Further, studies have shown that neonates display a distinct preference for foods that exhibited a smell that reminded them of those that their mother used to eat regularly. At bi

Money is usually on the top of the list of conce s in this current economic climate. People everywhere are feeling the crunch and feeling a little worried about how to make ends meet. For some people, particularly single moms and low income people this economic state is the status quo. With ...

Listening is one of those skills that really doesn't seem like it's all that difficult. Why then do so many children report that their parents don't listen to them? Maybe it's because there are a lot of ways for parents to unintentionally stop conversations with their kids. For example, if ...

Ahhhh Love….it can be quite an abstract concept to explain. Is it a feeling…an action…an experience...a thing? The age old question arises, what is love anyway? Its intangible nature feels its way to capture the attention of our hearts as we read novels of passionate love, listen to the lyrics ...

Let’s say you ask your child to do a simple task like feed the dog. The next thing you know, you hear “Why do I always have to feed the dog?” Or maybe you hear sarcasm and a smart-alecky tone of voice while your child says, “You don’t really expect me to do that?” Makes you long for the days ...

My son and I are in the Goleta gas station an hour and a half into our drive to San Francisco to look at colleges, and the car decides not to start. I try it again, and it apparently still believes it's a good idea to pretend it has a dead battery or some such thing. We wait a few minutes and it ...

Like any good relationship, the relationship with your child can benefit from thoughtful gestures that help your child feel special and deeply loved. It's so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day responsibilities of parenting that we sometimes forget to add touches of love that can deepen the bond with our children. I'm going to suggest 28 small, loving gestures that will add sparkle to your child's day without much effort on your part as you juggle the many demands of parenthood. Perhaps you want to try just one? Or perhaps you can try one each day this month?

There is a Jewish word that doesn’t translate directly into English, but it informs my attitude to people who have undergone hardship and need help. Translated, the word is a hybrid of several concepts, not standing alone on any one, but really the combination of all. The concepts or words in English best to translate this Jewish word are; empathy, compassion, mercy and charity.

Parents choose enroll their children in home school programs for a variety of reasons. Some feel their child needs the small structured environment of home, some do not want their child exposed to the standardized requirements of public school, some are needing to avoid social problems or situations or it could be that the child is involved in an activity or job that requires them to have an extremely flexible schedule.

I was saddened to read that Gloucester High School in Massachusetts had a record number of 17 pregnant teens this year. Apparently this happened after a number of them, all 16 and younger, made a pact to get pregnant. According to the article some girls expressed that they felt their parents ...

Parenting any child, biological or otherwise, takes patience, love, and commitment. However, foster parenting can be a bit more challenging and require an extra effort to exhibit each of these qualities at times. Foster children have frequently undergone conditions of abuse and neglect, and often show signs of the negative effects it has had on them. Beyond providing food and shelter, there are many ways to change this around and effectively influence the life of a foster chi