When your teenager starts to get out of hand you have to ask yourself some hard questions. The first step is to honestly evaluate how you think you’re doing when communicating with your teen. Do you feel you are sharing valuable information and time? Or do you feel there is…
It’s every parent’s worst nightmare. We’re talking about that heart-stopping moment when a child chokes on food. In an instant, you have a life-or-death situation on your hands. Perhaps the most frightening aspect is that choking is unpredictable and can stem from what seems like the most innocuous foods, everyday…
Have you ever felt a deep pang of irritation at something involving your spouse? Has that irritation progressed to a gnawing anger that you harbor for days, months, even years? Welcome to the world of spousal resentment. Luckily, you don’t have to stay angry forever. Dictionary.com defines resentment as “the…
Scraped knees, nosebleeds or beestings can occur at any given moment and send you running for a first-aid kit. Moms know that when it comes to accidents, they can happen anywhere and at anytime. But you don’t have to fear being unprepared if you have a high-quality first-aid kit on…
Child discipline and logical consequences demand you learn to think before you act. You take the time you need. You get your feelings under control. You come up with a simple plan. You execute that plan. When kids are careless, rage can explode and it can feel great. Later shame…
It seems like just yesterday that you brought home your new bundle of joy in your carefully chosen, backward facing car seat. After miles of spills, tantrums, and on-the road snoozing, you’ve cycled through the forward facing car seat and are ready to shop for a booster seat. The booster…
Every parent has been there. Your usually angelic (or at least moderately well behaved) child is suddenly intractable, full of rage, or even engaged in a full-blown temper tantrum. Worse, your usual discipline measures don’t even make a dent in the attitude or anger. What to do? First of all…
You’ve had the familiar pang of longing while looking at the babies of friends and family. Heck, diaper commercials may even bring a tear to your eye. But it’s not all emotions; you’ve done the math, weighed your options and decided: it’s time to have a baby. Women of childbearing…
When you were growing up, did you ever wish that your parents were happy? Did you feel safe when they were happy and peaceful? My mother was rarely a happy person. Most of the time she was anxious, angry and felt overburdened, even though I was her only child. She…
Parents, family, and child care professionals devote themselves to the welfare of children. Yet, even with love and devotion, 80 percent of deaths of children under five-years of age are avoidable. More then half of those deaths are caused by mistakes in the administration of medications given to benefit the…