Parenting Articles

Children outgrow clothing just about as promptly as parents can purchase them. Youngsters pjs generally become favorite articles of clothing for parents and children, on account of the sentimentality attached to them. Sleepwear with animals, flowers, cowboys, cartoon characters, along with other styles are often stored away as articles for future safekeeping. Recycling children’s pjs is 1 alternative that permits parents to continue applying their children’s favorite slee

Challenges force us to correct, to improve, and to grow. More importantly, they are our Higher Power’s way of directing our attention to the areas that require immediate attention. It is like a self-monitoring system that tells when and where we need to change. No matter what that challenge or even devastation is, the outcome can and will always be better provided we are in the best frame of mind to tackle it. My daughter is turning 12 and she is starting to challenge me. S

“Get Yourself out of the way so the REAL YOU can get going.” Jennifer McLeod © 2005 “You have within you an inner guidance that always knows what you need to do. Trusting this inner guidance will set you free and help you to move the obstacles that you once considered to be mountains.” Jennifer ...

Young people have choices, both conscious and nonconscious. These choices are a significant factor in determining their lives. The sooner young people become aware of this, the earlier they will start to make responsible choices. Young people also become more responsible when they learn that regardless of a situation that cannot be changed, regardless of a stimulation that causes emotions to erupt, and regardless of an urge or impulse, they always have the power and freedom to chose how they respond. The ability is referred to as choice-response thinking.

Self injury or self harm, generally speaking, is a wider range of different things individuals do to themselves which is either in a deliberate or hidden way. It includes burning, cutting, banging the body against hard objects, pulling the hairs, scalding, biting, poisoning, and inserting or swallowing objects. However the harm is done, it still is damaging not only physically but also emotionally for both the person self harming and their loved ones. SELF HARM AWARENESS

February is heart month…and the focus is on love. From the romantic love surrounding Valentine’s Day; the compassionate love evoked as we are encouraged to support Heart and Stroke Foundations; to the acts of love from our hearts as we participate in the 14th anniversary of Random Acts of ...

The success of surrogacy would greatly depend on the surrogate mother that would assist intended parents. There are certain good qualities that intended parents would have to look for in a surrogate mother to ensure the best possible process on surrogacy. Here are some ideal qualities to look for in a surrogate mother: - Surrogate mothers should be more motivated to help other people rather than the compensation they will receive from surrogacy. The best surrogate mothers are

As a parent of a child with a disability or with special needs you will be only too aware of all the challenges you encounter when you try to get the best help you can for your child.nnSadly the list of problems faced by so many children, and their families, never seems to end. Each disability brings with it its own special concerns, but there are many issues which parents share in common.nnThere is understandably the shock and disbelief on learning that your child is in anyw

If approached with flexibility, commitment and a moderate degree of structure, homeschooling is often the perfect solution for a child or teen with ADHD. Not only does it remove some of the elements that make school challenging for a right-brained child (like the perennial distractions created ...

The splash of color comes to life as senior Natalie Smith, quietly bends over her artwork adding the final details to her abstract painting. She studies it and continues to dab her paint brush into the canvas, slowly breathing life into her masterpiece.rnWhen asked why she enjoys painting, she simply says,rn“Drawing and painting have always been relaxing activities that let me inspire and reflect my feelings to others.” “It is through art that I can really be me and fee

Relationships are a topic I thoroughly enjoy researching and discussing, specifically one between a husband and wife. It is, in fact, one of the most significant connections we will ever have, one that can impact our lives for better or worse.

Christmas time is a time for doing special things with family, but holiday events can fill up the calendar very quickly. We often find ourselves running from one event to the next without so much as a breath in between. The holidays then become about pleasing others and not ourselves or our families. However, this can all change. To enjoy a merry time and reduce holiday stress, the trick is to prioritize and organize what is truly important.

Dear Mr. Dad: I used to be the center of my wife's universe. Now that we've had a baby, I'm jealous, of all the time they spend together and I feel left out. Is this normal and how can I overcome my feelings?

Living far from home creates a void that can sometimes be difficult to ignore. Here are some ways to meet your emotional needs without the benefit of being close to home. Volunteer: Holidays can be a trying time when you are far from your family. It also gives your children a great example to live by. If you haven't found a place where you can relax and be yourself among friends, try giving back instead by finding a charitable organization that can use your help.

With a divorce rate in this country that approaches 50%, and a fairly sizable percentage of marriages that naren’t particularly blissful, it’s difficult to avoid searching nfor the answer to the battle of the sexes. Would you like to stop searching? We’ve moved through the ...

Dear Mr. Dad: My son was born four months ago, and things are starting to settle down. But every time I sit down to do some extra work on the computer, I feel guilty about leaving my wife to take care of him since she's with him all day long. I try to help, but I also need to get ahead with work. What should I do?

How did the world become a place where we fear others, sue them, keep our children away from them, while we know little, if anything, about who they are and what they think? Let’s have a look at the impact of statistics on our beliefs and find out how we can choose to brighten up our world ...

There are numerous definitions for playgroups. The dictionary defines a playgroup as a place for children not currently eligible for a formal education in elementary. In Singapore, it is a place where children can socialize and have fun. It is where kids can play and exercise with other children, under the guidance and supervision of teachers. Playgroups are also good for invited parents as it allows them to socialize with one another, get parenting tips and a break from hous

Gratitude has completely transformed my life. There was a traditional blessing often recited as I was growing up that said, “For what we have and what we are about to receive, may the Lord make us truly grateful.” Yet I never understood what it meant to be truly grateful. I confused gratitude with a sense of obligation—something I owed to someone who had done me a favor. Like Jonathon Edwards, I was a sinner in the hands of an angry God. There was always an underlying sense that things could be much worse, and I should thank God that they are not.

Children boost their self esteem through play. While they play, children are developing an understanding of themselves and others, increasing their mastery and knowledge of their physical world, and learning to communicate with others. Play is essential to children's development by ...

Is your child telling fibs? Would you like 5 parenting tips to help her tell the truth? Inside you'll find five suggestions you can use. Quote on Truthfulness: "What people say, what people do, and what they say they do are entirely different things." - Margaret Meade Parents, if you have a ...

Whether a butcher, baker, or candlestick maker, you must promote your business; it’s your survival. We’ve heard, "It takes money to make money," but how do you market a product or service with no cash? If you’re starting a small or home-based business, try these tips: Use your Voice. Announce ...

Children are not born with empathy. They are born with the capacity to have empathy but it only develops under certain conditions. Parents play a critical role in developing their children's empathy.

Temper tantrums happen as your toddler develops more autonomy, and reaches out towards greater independence. Because he still lacks the emotional, verbal and mental skills at this stage in his development, he needs you to support him with clear, firm, consistent boundaries to help him learn to ...

"Fall seven times, stand up eight." -Japanese Proverb One of the keys to functioning socially and emotionally is the ability to deal with disappointment and rejection. Most children experience some type of rejection from their peers throughout childhood. One study found that even popular ...

I was in New York last week and met with two wonderful women, Carol Cain and Issa Mas, two like minded parenting bloggers. I was telling them a story about me and my son that illustrates a main concept in Chaos to Connection. The concept is the idea of a message in a bottle, what our children are trying to reveal through their behavior. After I left the meeting, I started thinking about the story and learned more tha I expected. The story has changed the way I’ve been with m

Parents are indeed their children's best teachers, which is why many parents choose to instruct their teenagers on the finer points of driving. Before you slide into the passenger seat and let your teen take the wheel, you may wonder what lessons you can teach your child about how to drive safely. You can help your child become a safe driver and look forward to getting behind the wheel of a car even more by using these strategies to teach your teenager cautious driving skills

Divorce may be considered one of the most stressful time for any family going through it. It can be stressful emotionally and financially. Objectively, any divorce can be settled with less problems and stress. However, due to the height of emotions, both spouses can be unreasonable and ...

As a mental health therapist, I often witness parents making three mistakes when their children are diagnosed with ADHD or ADD. If you are a parent of a child or adolescent diagnosed with ADHD, read on to find out if you are currently making these mistakes, and what alte ative approaches to ...

Why is it important for every good parent to send their children to school? I know, I know, it’s a generic answer, which, is to offer our children a better life. So, is it important for them to go to school or important for you to have them go to school? Interesting question, isn’t it?

There is no job quite like that of being a mother. I remember when I brought my first son home from the hospital, being in somewhat of a state of shock that they actually let me go home without a nurse! I wondered what made me automatically able to care for a brand new baby 7/24. How could they ...

For those of you who have teenagers you’re most likely experiencing a change in the way they relate to you. They often act as though they have no regard for anyone or anything but themselves and things that belong to them. Manners they might have had when they were younger seem to have gone ...

If you have more than one child, do they compete for your attention? Do you detect jealousy that you would rather not see? Does the amount of bickering among your children and lobbying for No. 1 position conce you as a parent? Welcome to the world of parenting!

Notice in the following quote from a New York Times article below that parenting coaching was called the “newest self-help approach for overstretched parents.” That was in 2005!

There are many things that can cause stress in any child. This can include a change in family dynamics, fighting with siblings or typical tension in the home. While these may be manageable stressors for adults, they can be big deals to children so it is important not to dismiss them.

Come on, admit it. You intended to keep a schedule this summer, but when the kids slept in you liked the extra quiet time. Then the daylight lasted so long it was often later than you realized when the kids finally hit the sack. Not living by the clock was a refreshing change of pace, but school will be starting in a few weeks and you know the kids and you need to get back into the groove. First, let me assure you, it's healthier to have a flexible schedule than a rigid one. So have no guilt about your summer schedule.

The desire for enrichment classes geared towards babies and toddlers have become very popular in the United States. Teaching sign language to children as young as 6 months, and in some cases younger, is a growing industry, and the demand for baby-signing videos and classes have gone up a over ...

Did you know that anxiety symptoms and disorders are the number one health problem among children and adults in America? Anxiety disorders are more common in children today, than in their parent’s generation. The Anxiety Disorders Association of America states that one in eight children are affected by an anxiety that persists beyond its normal expectation.

To stop the disrespect you must build a strong backbone. Here are 5 strategies that will strengthen you, build character in your child, and get the respect you deserve. 1. Stay Calm When Your Johnny Is Insolent. Let's say your thirteen-year-old Johnny is changing from an easy-going child to becoming a rude teen when you ask him to clean up his mess in the kitchen. “Why don't you do it?” he sneers. “It's your kitchen.”

Oppositional Defiant Disorder is a real condition that children can be cultivated, but the good thing is, there's help. The main thing to effective raising a child of the difficult child, is knowing. Knowing the methods that work well, those who don't, the actions and attitudes to stop, and the way you motherhood might help affect your little one's ODD in a optimistic way might help. Oppositional defiant disorder, or ODD is real, with real signs and symptoms, and real solutio

We have all heard by now of the rise in self harm amongst young people. For some parents this news will have come as a complete shock on hearing that one of those young people is their son or daughter. Then starts the challenge of knowing which is the best approach to adopt in supporting your child, in supporting yourself and the rest of the family, and of course, dealing with the self harming activity itself. This is also coupled with the challenge of knowing where to turn for help and which professional to approach!

Most of us have grown up with some version of the Golden Rule that includes doing unto others as you would have them do to you and loving your neighbor as yourself. Most of us think of the rule as encouraging us to be kinder to others. Such thinking is completely backward. We already do love our neighbors as ourselves. The problem is that most of us have never learned to love ourselves and to see ourselves as a source of love.

We all have such a capacity for compassion, empathy and kindness and this is never more evident that when we are faced with personal tragedies or bear witness to global catastrophes. Although we wouldn’t wish any kind of hardship on anyone, it is beautiful to watch the generous outpouring of ...

Parents and their children have a complex relationship. As children progress through the stages of development they are bound to experiment with countless forms of challenging behavior. What their parents do in response to their behavior operates on the child’s development on many levels. When we respond properly to the child’s improper behavior, the child quickly recognizes the appropriate boundary. He then outgrows the problem behavior most swiftly, moving into more mature

The dictionary defines vitality as: 1) Capacity for survival or for the continuation of a meaningful or purposeful existence: the vitality of an institution. 2) Power to live or grow: the vitality of a language. As a parent, what do you feel brings vitality to your families? How do you preserve what is meaningful and important and pass that onto your children?

Havening Technique™ was created by Dr Ronald Ruden and further developed in conjunction with his brother Dr Steven Ruden. It is a psycho-sensory model and uses sensory input of touch (Havening Touch®) to alter thought, mood and behaviour. Traumatic or very stressful events or experiences create a pathway in the brain which remains there indefinitely (becomes immutably encoded), until or unless people embark on a process to change, obstruct or disrupt that pathway to bring about new enriching experiences.

When you mention the term self harm today the public normally associates it with young people, particularly school children or teenagers. Whilst self harm is prevalent amongst young people, it also might appear that it is prolific in the education system! It is important therefore, to paint an accurate picture of self harm in schools. We have the general perception, now let’s explore the issue.

“But dad, all my friends have phones and I don’t. Kimberly’s mum got her one for her 12th birthday just last week and I don’t want to be the odd one out,” pleaded my daughter. I reluctantly looked up from the gift I was struggling to wrap - a Bosch mixer I bought for my wife this Christmas. She sees the Bosch. So I can't tell her that money is the issue..What was a suitable response for this desperate child of mine? It wasn’t the first time we’d had this convers

These days people seek knowledge, not wisdom. Knowledge is of the past, wisdom is of the future - Vernon Cooper Two hundred years ago, collecting information was the name of the game. The world was ruled by those who mastered the skills of information gathering. Knowledge was power. In today's ...

Selfishness, like a small mirror, only sees the self. How can you help your child go beyond the mirror and see others? Parents of kids with great character know how. They ask 2 important questions. The questions boost moral reasoning. Before I tell you what they are, think back to a time when your child was selfish. Did you tell him why he ate all the candy, took his little brother's toy, or whined when he wasn't first?