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Successful Parenting 101When it comes to being a great parent to our child, we want to do more than succeed – we want to give the absolute best of ourselves to our son or daughter. We look into the eyes of our child and feel the joy and the responsibility – and the last thing we want to do is, as they say, “screw up.” So what’s the key to successful parenting? Is there a sign post to follow, a “right path” to take?… More…
Parenting Style QuizAre you a parent who embraces a lifestyle of personal growth? Are you open to life-change that will better your parenting skills and abilities? Take our quiz and find out… More…
Parenting Fitness: How to Be the Best Parent You Can BeWhat does it take to be fit in our parenting? What does it take to be really “up on” relating to our children and helping them to grow into great people – and for us to become better guiders and builders of our children?.… More…
A Fit Family Lifestyle: More than Just a New Year’s ResolutionOur nation is more health conscious today than we’ve ever been. How does that translate into our families? Moms and dads today want our children to live physically, mentally, and spiritually healthy lifestyles. For many of us, we’ll make the resolution of health again: “This year, I’ll be fit; this year, we’ll be fit as a family.” It’s a noble, worthy resolution. But with our busy lives of work and play…will it happen?…. More…
Parenting CAN be Easier and More Enjoyable –
Through Realistic ExpectationsUnrealistic expectations are a sure-fire way to stir up stress, frustration, and anger and dump it smack-dab into the middle of our everyday lives. Unrealistic expectations create difficulty and unhappiness all around. In fact, unrealistic expectations will just drive you crazy. The good news is that our kid isn’t really driving us crazy. Most of the time, our kid’s behavior is “normal”—for a kid, that is. It’s our thoughts and expectations that are driving us crazy. Really. It’s true. Here’s an example…. More…
Anger and ParentingLike an ambush of Robin Hood’s merry men, anger is one of those emotions that tend to jump out and grab us before we even hear a snapped twig or catch a glimpse of movement out of the corner of our eye. Anger is particularly damaging to our ability to parent our children well. Can we control anger? The answer is a wholehearted yes. We can learn to bring our thoughts that lead to anger into submission…. More…
Honey, I Blew Up at the Kids” – Admitting Failure
“I blew it. I’m sorry.” These are some of the hardest words in the English language to say. Mistakes. Failure. Unhealthy responses. Poor behavior. Most of the time, our hearts know what is “right,” and our inmost desire is to respond to our child in loving, kind ways. Unfortunately, as parents – and as human beings – we’ll never be perfect. So what happens when we do “blow it”? When we’ve said something unkind, yelled in anger, turned our back and ignored a situation where we should have intervened, or just plain said the hurtful thing, what do we do?…. More…
Dealing with Discipline in a Public Place
Every parent’s seen it. Every parent fears it. Every parent’s experienced it – or will sooner or later. It’s the dreaded moment when a child misbehaves in public. What do we do when we’re in the grocery store and our child’s meltdown is the center of attention for aisles upon aisles of wide-eyed customers? How do we handle a thrashing toddler swinging arms, stomping feet, and turning bright red in the face in the middle of the mall? Here are some tips for dealing with discipline in a public place…. More…
Dealing with Whining
Whining has to be one of the most difficult behaviors to deal with as a parent. Especially if our child’s whining has become a bad habit that follows us like burrs stuck on our socks, a whiney tone and words can drive us to frustration. What do we do with whining? Here are some ways to help change the behavior of whining…. More…
Putting Fun into ParentingParenting can be stressful and even seem impossible at times – especially when children are oppositional. From mild resistance to downright defiance, children often challenge us, stretching our parenting skills and patience. And the odds of our child’s resistance often seem to increase directly in proportion to how much of a hurry we’re in! It’s at these times that few moms and dads describe parenting as “fun.” Yet fun may be the key to breaking the parent-child stand off…. More…
How to Foster a Giving Spirit in a Me-First Culture“ME!” Those two little letters placed side by side form a powerful word that carries a whole lot of attitude! It’s no secret that children begin life as “the center of the universe.” Unfortunately, many of those childish perspectives cling tightly to us as we grow older. A “giving spirit” doesn’t come naturally; it has to be purposefully cultivated in order to find its way into our children’s lives. Here are tips to help foster a giving spirit in a “me first” culture…. More…
Six Tips for Teaching PatienceRegardless of the number of times we get the practice the virtue of patience while waiting in lines, sitting in restaurants, and driving behind slow drivers, our ability to grasp and extend the staying power of patience is often – shall we say – brief. All of us struggle with patience – adults and children alike. How can I teach my child patience in this non-patient world of ours? Here’s how…. More…
How to Teach our Child an Attitude of Thanks
Gratefulness. Gratitude. Appreciation. Thanksgiving. We want these attitudes to flow from our child’s heart and lives. But how do we instill these vital qualities? Here are a few ideas to help us to grow our child’s sensitivity and ability to show thanks…. More…
The Top 20 Tips for Parenting Transitioning “Tweens”“I don’t know what’s happening! It seems like I woke up one day and my daughter was an emotionally-charged being. She argues, she’s sassy, then she’s silly . . . and then she’s hugging me and telling me ‘I love you so much, mom!’ Where did my sweet little child go?” No, an alien didn’t abduct your child when you weren’t looking. Your son or daughter’s brain and body is now invaded by chemical changes that mark the start of puberty. With the hormonal “wash,” lo and behold, your child is temporarily rendered into a “me-centered” state of consciousness. Congratulations! Your child’s officially transitioning from a child into an adult. Here are the Top 20 Tips for making the journey through the tween (and teen) years as smooth as they can be…. More…
Solve the Problem of Youth Violence through Living the Virtue-Driven Life
A wave of youth violence continues to crash across our nation. Listen to a few minutes of radio news or view a few minutes of the nightly news, and at least one story of youth aggression blares back. We’re horrified and saddened by behavior once unthinkable, now commonplace. How do we calm relentless threats of aggression churning around our families, schools, sports, and society as a whole? The answer to the problem of child violence lies in personal virtue…. More…
What to Do when your Child Unexpectedly Views a Moral Indiscretion Even the most vigilant parent can’t shield their child from “surprise moments”; whether a word on a radio show, a scene on a sitcom, a clip on the news, observing an indiscretion in public, or the uncloaking of Janet Jackson before millions on television – negative influences will slip by. Here are some tips on what to do when the unexpected makes our jaws drop and our hands fly to cover our child’s eyes and ears…. More…
Why we Need to Parent with a Marathon Mentality
To be a good parent, we must be like marathon runners: crazy – crazy in love with our child, that is; and committed – committed to continuing to do the right things, even when it’s hard. Parenting is a marathon…. More…
The New Baby – Practical Tips to Ease the TransitionOh the joys of a new baby! The excitement, the wonder – the change! Life as we’ve known it ceases to exist. Whether it’s your first child or fifth, a shift in your family’s make-up has occurred, and life from this point forward will truly never be the same. Here are 17 tips for parents and siblings to ease the transition and bring life back to “normal”…. More…
Parenting Time Out for Stay-at-Home MomsParenting’s strenuous day-in-and-day-out, 24/7, always-on-call dynamics aren’t for the faint-hearted. As moms, there isn’t an “off” switch; we’re always “on.” We can’t just up and go somewhere else on a whim. Our responsibilities, though taken up and held with honor, are wonderful – and, if we’re honest, often wearing. Everyone – and I mean every one of us – need a break at some time or another…. More…
20 Survival Tips for the Mom (or Dad) Whose Spouse Travels
For some families, travel is a friend that comes knocking at the door – often. For the mom or dad at home, the spouse’s tour of duty can be a time of dread. Here are some tips to ease the time away and keep our kids – and ourselves – close in heart and sane in mind…. More…
Balanced ParentingWhy does the balancing act seem so hard sometimes? I’m hearing more and more from parents around me that the elusive state of balance they long for is the carrot on the stick, something to strive for but always just out of their reach. Or is it?…. More…
How to Deal with Stress PositivelyOK, so which one of us parents have not dealt with stress of some kind in the last 24 hours? If you answered “Me!” then either your child is vacationing with grandma or you’re taking a cold medication that’s fuzzing out your memory. So what can we do to avoid – or at least deal positively with – inevitable stress?.... More…
Free Time with Our Child:
The Importance of Unstructured Time TogetherWithin our hurry-up, over-stressed schedules, our children’s lives are often unknowingly affected in negative ways, crippling his or her future attitudes and perspectives. In order to grow children who are happy and healthy, we need to create and protect our free time with our children.... More…
Summertime Learning: How to Keep Your Child’s Mind Growing – Without them Knowing!School’s out! Or is it? Although our children revel in “time off” from school, summertime doesn’t have to be “time off” from learning. Parents, we’re our child’s number one teacher, and we’re in an ideal position during the summer to create learning opportunities for our child – keeping his or her mind sharp, creativity challenged, and relationship as guide and teacher expanding. Here are some practical ideas…. More…
How to Create Lasting Summertime MemoriesHamburgers from the grill and corn on the cob stuck between your teeth….Sipping lemonade at a homemade stand….Running through the sprinkler….Building sand castles at the beach….Sunburned noses and fireworks in the night sky….Aaahhh, summertime memories! Each year, as we look forward to time off work and special times with our families, we plan great things for the summer months. So why is it that summer’s hot days of leisure fly by and August’s preparing for the upcoming school year sneaks up on us every time, and we ask, “Where did the summer go?” Before time’s cadence catches us off guard once again, now is the time to make sure that this summer’s a memorable one…. More…
Fun-Filled Holiday Parenting IdeasWhether blessed with the raising of a baby, toddler, preschooler, young child, or teen, we’re all looking for ways to make our holidays memorable ones, filled with fun and laughter. During November and December, enjoy these fun-filled holiday ideas guaranteed to build connection with your kids and bring smiles and enjoyment to your home…. More…
Scrapbooking: A Great Way to Build Relationship with Your ChildAll of us desire a close relationship with our child. We love spending time together making great memories. We like to laugh, cry, and sigh in close connection with our child. And when it comes to “the serious side of life,” we want to communicate to our child our most precious thoughts and advice. Scrapbooking is one of the best ways to have all of these things…. More…
Realistic Expectations Bring Joy!When it comes to parenting, holding onto realistic expectations helps us to smile, laugh, and be joyful each and every day. Here’s a little something from “My Kid is Driving Me Crazy!” 14 Realistic Expectations that Make Parenting Easier that will bring a smile to your face – and a realistic expectation to your heart…. More…
The Beautiful Noise of Children
Noise is a part of Moms and Dads’ lives. Sometimes our kids’ noise levels get a bit up there, pushing decibels we didn’t know existed. Holding onto realistic expectations for “kid noise” helps us to smile, laugh, and be joyful each and every day. Here’s a little something from “My Kid is Driving Me Crazy!” 14 Realistic Expectations that Make Parenting Easier that will bring a smile to your face – and a realistic expectation to your heart.… More…
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