Have you ever heard someone say, “Get a life”? Most often it means “stay out of my business,” but in a more condescending way. But, maybe it is good advice for those parents who have invested a great deal emotionally into their children. The teen years are where this fact is most apparent..
Parenting is not for the faint of heart. That child you’re holding is cute and cuddly right now, but they can become a savage beasty as they grow. Didn’t you know that one of your duties as a parent is wild animal tamer? Study and learn from four of the laws of the parenting jungle so you don’t become dinner..
Parenting doesn’t come with a rulebook. Most of what we know comes from the trial and errors of other brave souls as well as our own with each new child. One aspect of the parent-child relationship that is shown not to be effective is the “friend-confidante” role.
Parenting can be trying at the best of times. Imagine what it must be like if you are coming at the situation as a divorced or divorcing parent. Some of you are facing that very predicament right now. A good rule of thumb for dealing with your children is to avoid the “friendship” trap..
How many times have we thought that we could do something better than our parents did? It is a rare teen who doesn’t believe that they know more than their parents. When it is your turn to start a family, revisiting these childhood beliefs can do more harm than good..
Marriages endure ups and downs, peaks and valleys, throughout the course of a life together. When children come along, it adds a new component to that relationship. If a child dies, there is inevitable strain on the marriage. Will it recover or will the stress be too much to sustain it? Statistics say that up … Read more
Siblings also grieve when a child is lost. Depending on their age, that grief can manifest itself in different ways. One extreme aspect of childhood grief is childhood traumatic grief. Grief and Children Young children do not understand death as adults do. Their experience and emotional states are not mature enough to express in an … Read more
When you are in mourning for the loss of your child, a support system provides strength and stability as you move along through the grieving process. One avenue of support is a grief counselor. Here is some advice for helping you to find the right person to meet the needs of you and your family. … Read more
As a parent, it is our job to do all that we can for our children. As soon as these little people enter the world, they captivate our minds and our hearts. We teach our children all that we can about people and the world – how to co-exist in this life. That is where relationships come into the picture…
Most churches require a series of pre-wedding sessions called premarital counseling for the happy couple. This ensures that the minister thinks that they are ready to embark on the journey of marriage together. This counseling can take several weeks so be sure that there will be enough time to complete it before the wedding date…
Building and learning about relationships is an important part of a teen’s life. It is not always an easy thing to navigate, but it is a worthwhile thing to do because relationships can bring so many positive things into our lives. Here are a few ways to help guide your teen to a place where she or he can evaluate their own relationships…
Respect is one of the most important qualities a child can have. It will make all his relationships work better, from teachers to family to peers. The way a child shows respect to his peers will vary, but the theme will be the same for each way it is shown. Respect brings out the best in all of us…
Good character is one of the most important things we can give our children. It is best when both talked about and modeled in our daily lives. If you are already doing your best to be a role model of good character, and are looking for ways to speak to your child or children about it, here are some helpful ideas that can get you started…
Pocket change can seem like more of a nuisance than something of value, but you may be amazed at how quickly it can add up and become of great use. By saving your change throughout all your daily transactions, you can begin building a pile of cash that can go a long way…
One of the many choices new parents have to make is whether to use a pacifier or not. Some people swear by them and some just maintain that they are evil and designed to do nothing but cause trouble. However, a newborn baby does have a need to suck on something…
Making sure the kids are properly prepared for school doesn’t end with providing them with school supplies. All of the school supplies in the world will do nothing if a child doesn’t have the right nutrients for his (or her) brain. And a hungry belly never does anyone any good either. So when it comes to what to send your child to school with for lunch, you want to make sure it’s not only filling, but also won’t make your child sluggish at school…
Discipline is something that affects every area of a child’s life. If a parent disciplines in a way that demeans a child, the child could grow up to be a resentful, angry adult. If the parent disciplines in a way that is respectful, the child will have the opportunity to grow as someone who gives respect to the world around them…
We live in a society where generally, individuals have all that they need to survive. It is something we can be thankful for, as not everyone is so fortunate. Although it is a wonderful thing not to be in need, there are downsides to having everything. How does a person know when they have too much, and what they can do about it?
Some people seem to be born with an ability to manage their financial matters effortlessly. For others, it takes a little longer to learn. Although managing money will not be everyone’s strong point, there are certain things every person needs to know. This can make the difference between a life of stress and a life of satisfaction. Here are some of the basic steps to managing your money that can make that difference for you.
Do you have a child who sucks his (or her) thumb? Are you stuck trying to break the habit? It’s not like you can take the thumb away, but thumb sucking isn’t something you want to continue for too long. It can begin to cause problems with your child’s teeth. Not to mention the negative social stigma your child will experience if his peers find out he’s a thumb sucker. So you want to break this habit sooner rather than later. Here are some helpful tips for getting your child to stop sucking his thumb.