Parenting Tips

Children ask questions not just as an indication of their natural curiosity, but as a manifestation of trust. And it’s not just what a parent says, but how they respond that validates that trust and invites children to continue to return to the parent.

Let us teach our children that being fully present and looking outside of selfish inclinations causes gratitude and more happiness in the moment. If time is spent on social media, help children to spread positivity. Interactions should create a happier connection in real life.

There is an old saying, “Seeing is believing.” But can we really say that anymore? Where media is concerned, you may be surprised. And what about our kids? The only way they will know how to distinguish between illusion and reality is if we teach them!
Just like we reassure our kids that the monsters in the movies aren’t real, we need to teach them that other things we see in media aren’t real either

As we teach kids this skill and they commit to do it over and over again, it will become easy. I know from personal experience that it will work, and it will change their life.

There is no denying that we live in a digitally saturated world. It’s tempting, as parents, to dwell on the sinister side of technology, and to fear the harm it will cause to our children. But let’s remember there is a powerfully good side too! As we teach our kids to use tech wisely, we can inspire them to be awesome digital citizens and contributing members of a digitally-based society.

So you want your kid to be a bully. Maybe even an online bully? But you are worried because he/she isn’t overly aggressive and you have a pretty great parent-child connection. Also, you have more than shallow engagements with your child on a daily basis and really don’t ignore him or her enough. Well, not to worry because with these simple steps ANYONE can train a bully!

As I learned for myself, parents no longer have the luxury to put off any significant discussions—especially as they relate to online dangers or sexuality. As soon as you hand your toddlers and young children internet-enabled devices, they are at risk for exposure. It is time to start talking!

By Amanda Grossman-Scott A quick search for Halloween costumes for girls reveals, well, too much. I have two daughters and I want them to have fun dressing up for Halloween. So why do I feel like nearly every costume I see is too tight, too short, too low or too grown up? And how do […]

By Tina Mattsson It’s summer time! The kids are home from school, and the snow is finally melted. Most parents start the summer off with grand plans. Plans to get up at a decent hour each day. Plans to keep the learning going. Plans to spend many quality hours connecting with your kids. But then […]

By Elle C. Mayberry Despite all the scary statistics about children of divorced parents, psychologist E. Mavis Hetherington estimates 75 percent of them “do well after living through divorce.” That’s an inspiring statistic. And though it’s not meant to undermine the distressing process divorce has on children, in her studies, Hetherington found children “are able […]

By Amanda Grossman-Scott Update: May 26, 2015– With the accusations against and acknowledgment of wrong doing by a member of the reality-TV-famed Duggar Family I can’t help but think that this is another result of many parents’ fear of or refusal to discuss sexual intimacy with their children. What are parents afraid of? Information empowers children. Knowledge about […]

By Caron C. Andrews Seeing addictive tendencies in our children can be scary and overwhelming. But showing early tendencies doesn’t have to lead our children into full-blown addictions as they get older. If you’ve spotted concerning tendencies in your children, NOW is the time to take action to help steer them away from possible addiction […]

By Mary Ann Benson, M.S.W., L.S.W. Respect is defined as a feeling or understanding that someone or something is important, serious, etc., and should be treated in an appropriate way. (Merriam Webster, 2014) There are two critical components of respect that children need to learn at an early age. The first is respect for themselves, and […]

Our children are growing up in a virtual world that simply didn’t exist when most of us were kids. Do you know how to work all the devices and gaming systems in your home? We all need to.