Choose Your Battles – Don’t Sweat the ...

Psychologist James Dobson wrote a book entitled Parenting Isn’t for Cowards. In that book, he explains how it’ important, as a parent, to choose your battles wisely when dealing with your child’s behavior or misbehavior. When a child is born into a family, the parents will want to discuss ideas about discipline and training their child. They’ll want to decide upon which behaviors are absolutely...

Too Sick for School?...

No matter how much your child enjoys school, at some point they’re probably going to try to convince you they’re too sick for school. You may not be concerned if this happens once in a while, but when it occurs often in a week or two, you may want to know if something else is going on. As a parent you want to know if they’re trying to avoid something or someone. It’s not unusual for children at...

Ideas on How to Enjoy a Fun Family Night In...

It’s a common complaint of many families these days. Everyone is involved in so many activities that it’s hard to come together and enjoy time as a family. Consider some of these ideas on how to enjoy a fun family night in instead of everyone going their separate ways. Scientifically it has been proven that families who eat meals together are more emotionally connected and more stable. And since everyone has to...

Privacy and Personal Time – Why Are They Imp...

As a parent you want to keep lines of communication between yourself and your teen open. However, they may not be very forthcoming with details about their friends, what’s going on at school, or in their life in general. They want their privacy and personal time. Why are they important to your teen and how can you honor their privacy and still keep them talking to you? More than anything, your teen needs to know that...

Why Do Kids Swear?...

“Kids say the darnedest things” is a saying that we’ve all heard. And if you’re a parent, you know just how true it is. But when they utter expletives, it can be rather shocking. When very young children swear, it’s usually a matter of repeating things they’ve heard. They are just learning to use language to communicate, so they mimic any word they can. They are not trying to hurt or offend...

Why Do Toddlers Hold Their Breath?...

When children hold their breath, it is a scary thing for parents to deal with. Sometimes they stop breathing until they pass out, which can send parents into a panic. Why do kids do such a troubling thing? In the case of babies and toddlers, it’s rarely a voluntary thing. Kids this young don’t just come up with the idea of intentionally holding their breath to get attention, or to get what they want. While breath...

Ten Tips for Talking to Your Children about Divorc...

The decision to get a divorce is usually an agonizing one. But the thought of telling our children about it can be absolutely terrifying. It’s disheartening to have to be the bearer of such devastating news, and it’s impossible to predict how they will react. Talking to children about divorce is never easy. But there are some things you can do to make it less stressful for everyone involved. Here are some tips. 1....

Why It Is Important to Have the Same Rules at Both...

Divorce can be traumatic, not only for the separating partners, but also for their children. Kids who are caught in the middle experience a deluge of emotions, including sadness, anger and confusion. How the parents handle the divorce, however, can make it more or less difficult for them. A frequent point of contention between divorcing parents is the set of rules that their children are expected to follow. Usually, while...