When it comes to our children’s happiness, less is more. That’s the surprising perspective of one Chicago psychologist concerned about the rising rates of youth depression and anxiety. “Millions of well-intentioned parents have made life harder for their children by shielding the kids from every kind of unhappiness,” according to…
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…
One of the hardest decisions that a new mother must make is which baby care center to use for her child when it is time for her to return to work. The good news is that you can do much to alleviate the stress of this decision for you and…
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…
Parenting can have its highs and lows throughout childhood development. Keep in mind that as the parent, you are the single most important factor in determining how your children grow up. This article will help show you a couple ways to grow healthier children. 1) Be a positive role model….
Shortly after having my first baby, I decided I was going to be the perfect parent. I immediately began to keep an intelligent library of child-rearing books on my nightstand and would replenish the stock as each book was absorbed into my sub-consciousness and checked off the “read” list. My…
When that first child comes along, it may feel like you couldn’t possibly give out the same amount of love to another child. Yet it doesn’t take long before you realize that having any other number of children afterwards seems to draw from this reservoir of love that you never…
In order for us to get restful sleep, we need to be relaxed. In order to relax, a number of things have to happen. First of all, we need to feel safe and secure. Obviously, if there is tension in the house – abuse, parents rowing, problems with finances or…
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…
Young, wild, and free … isn’t that what it’s supposed to feel like to be a teenager? While it’s normal for teens to push and discover their limits, it’s also dangerous. Due in large part to the fact that parenting decisions are only as sound as the information on which…