Once your child begins walking, he will become more and more independent. Toddlers and preschoolers want to try to do a number of things on their own and parents have a tremendous opportunity to instill good, healthy habits as they teach self-care skills during this stage of development. Your child…
Several studies show that girls’ self-esteem and self-confidence tends to decline after about age nine as girls enter puberty. How do you encourage self confidence and increase self esteem during these early years? There are things that can be done. This article will review some of those things. Start with…
Do you know the difference between discipline and punishment with their Latin roots? Punishment implies inflicting pain, while discipline means to teach. Parents who use punishment are missing important opportunities to teach their children better behaviors and help them self-discipline. Children can actually be taught responsible behaviors to help them…
When new moms-to-be are filling out their baby registry or shopping for everyday infant must-haves, they often overlook a very important item: the portable playpen. It’s hard to look at a helpless, wrinkled newborn and understand that within a matter of a few months, she’ll start to roll over, which…
Separation is a challenging time for many parents because it is an adjustment to a new way of life. There are both positive and negative factors to separation and the corresponding changes, but one of the issues that can arise is the differences that parents may have in the ways…
I learned the truth about Santa Claus from our big brother. I was skeptical at first, so we sneaked out to my grandparents’ trailer and he showed me all the gifts we had asked Santa to bring. He was telling the truth! My brother had somehow stumbled upon an amazing…
Sex, drugs and alcohol — these are subjects you’ll want to talk about with your children before there is a problem. As a family, you can establish boundaries and consequences and come to a common understanding of what is acceptable. Sex: According to Advocates for Youth, statistics indicate that children…
When the Internet first came on the scene way back when, most of us were amazed at the way the new technology would bring so many people and ideas together. We may not have considered that having the Internet in your home was a bit like having an open house…
As parents, we only want the best for our children. But sometimes our judgment is clouded, and our actions can actually impede our kids’ progress. By nature, we want to see our children succeed, even if it means giving them a gentle nudge. Unfortunately for some parents, that nudge often…
Childhood years are the best times to learn. Somehow, a person’s comprehension is at its peak during childhood. Parents should take advantage of these learning years to ingrain the values of life in their children. If you’re a parent, teach them positive habits so that they will know and see…