Parenting
What is Your Child’s Love Language?
You can express "I Love You" to your child in 5 different ways as suggested in Gary Chapman’s book, "The Five Love Languages of Children".
It’s important to express all of them to your child or teen. However, when your child is about five years old, you will notice that they prefer one more than the others so try and make sure you express that particular love language often!
What’s Your Parenting Style?
Research has found that parents seem to fall into one of the following types of parenting styles; Permissive, Authoritarian, or Authoritative.
Each parenting style loves their children unconditionally but expresses their love differently. Dr. Foster Cline & Jim Fay, authors of “Parenting With Love and Logic” created special names for these parenting styles to explain them easier.
Turning Halloween into Holyween
When my children were growing up, I found myself in a dilemma when it came to Halloween.
Dress only in funny costumes? Decorate with only fall décor? ie: leaves, pumpkins (no jack-o-lanterns) Or just ignore the entire event? I vacillated each year for many years.
“Money doesn’t grow on trees.”
This saying may seem obvious; although today’s youth seem to think the opposite. Who can blame them though?
Unlike the baby boomers the new generation of youth has grown up in a time of economic prosperity and is used to being coddled by their parents. In 2011 alone, over 85 percent of college graduates will be moving back home (Huffington Post).
Teaching Kids About SEX
(Parental Discretion)
As parents we cringe at the thought of our precious ones even hearing about anything to do with sex let alone knowing about it or worse, experiencing it!
One study even suggested that most parents deny that their own children think about sex but believe that most of their child’s friends are sexual. Do we tend to ignore the reality that sex is in our kid’s life from the time they are in elementary school?
Screening a Nanny, Au Pair or Babysitter?
Nanny personality and risk assessments can help parents learn more, choose better and reduce risk
Selecting a caregiver for our children is a difficult task and the risks in making a wrong choice are daunting. Most guides on caregiver screening tell parents to interview the nannies, check their references and perform a background screening.
A Family Of Prayer
"Lord Jesus, please work it out so we can ride horses tomorrow," I softly prayed with my daughters.
All year long we looked forward to this mother-daughter weekend retreat hosted by a horseback riding camp. Although I registered for the event months in advance, it wasn't soon enough. The camp guaranteed the first eighty-five attendees a spot on Saturday's trail ride, but since I missed the cut, we were placed on a waiting list.
Family Devotional Nightmare
You definitely don't want to do what I did.
I thought I was fully prepared for our family devotional night: Bible and lesson plan—check; television off—check; kids—check. However, in hind-sight, I can see now the whole thing was doomed.
A Crossroads of Faith
"Is Jesus the Boss of your life? Are you forgiven?
Standing at the church altar, my pastor at vacation bible school spoke directly to me. My heart burned because I knew my answer was a resounding "No".
In the past 15 years, there has been a change in how we define a "good father." Dads today are expected to be involved in their kids' lives in a way fathers have never been before. It's no longer unusual to see men holding babies in a front carrier, changing a diaper, or at story hour. The National Center for Fathering found that between 1999 and 2008, there were major increases in the percentage of dads who take their children to school, attend class events, help their kids with extracurricular activities, and attend parent-teacher conferences.
Parenting Toolbox Part 3 of 3
Teenage substance abuse is gaining strength in our society today because parents are unaware of their teen's activities and are not willing to be pro-active in their parenting approach.
In countless cases, passive parenting has become the norm because it is easier for parents to live in denial and look the other way rather than face the sometimes ugly truth about their teen's behaviors. In our continuing series on how to be a more pro-active parent, let's look at five positive action steps for parents who suspect that their teen is experimenting with drugs and alcohol:
Parenting Toolbox Part 2 of 3
Drugs and alcohol are a reality in our children's world and parents cannot afford to be in denial.
Are you aware of the fact that the distance between experimental use of drugs and alcohol (using out of peer pressure, using to “fit in”) and abuse (which equates to using almost everyday to anesthetize emotional pain) is not too far of a leap?
Parenting Toolbox Part 1 of 3
Parenting children in today's society has never been more challenging. All across our country adolescents are caving to peer-pressure and abusing drugs and alcohol at a dangerously alarming rate.
Teens know more about pharmacology, computer science, and telecommunications than any generation before them. Being a pro-active parent is essential if we want to keep our children safe and healthy in this dangerous and ever-changing world. Here are some pro-active tools for your parenting toolbox that will help you achieve this goal:
