If, “go ask your mother/father,” and “we’ll tell you when you’re older,” sounds familiar to you, you aren’t alone. If they still didn’t tell you when you were older, they were vague, or you had one awkward conversation about the “birds and the bees,” you still aren’t alone. It’s estimated over 40 percent of parents don’t […]
I came home from school one day with a slip of paper for my mom or dad to sign. I handed it to her and asked what it was for. Mom told me it wasn’t a bad thing, but I may want to talk about it after school that day. The slip extended an […]
My son and a friend of his were playing in our backyard one day. Suddenly, the two of them threw open the back door and came racing up to me, yelling at each other, “Did not!” “Did too!” My son’s friend, Michael, stated very adamantly, “Joey said the ‘s’ word!” Joey looked at me with […]
As a teenager, I was always self-conscious about my unusually hairy arms. To make matters worse, one day when I was babysitting, a little girl asked me, “Why are your arms so hairy?” The question took me off guard at first. Most people my age knew better than to point out such differences. But this […]
The establishment of marriage is no longer an unquestioned, fundamental part of society. Many regard marriage only as a temporary agreement for the satisfaction of adults; others question the value of marriage altogether. Still, in a study from Rutledge University called “The National Marriage Study,” polls of high school seniors from across the U.S. showed […]
Discipline is never the fun part of parenting. In fact, many parents dread the moment when they’ll need to discipline their child in hopes of teaching him or her to behave in a better manner. Oftentimes, parents are influenced on discipline by their culture, society, friends and family. Parents look to who they know and […]
Whether it’s the recent shootings in Las Vegas, Texas, or Florida, or natural disasters like the California wildfires and Hurricane Irma, there are some troubling things going on in the world today. These and other tragedies in the world can be really hard for a child to digest. In fact, they can even “cause short- […]
We often spend a lot of effort teaching our children about a myriad of life and behavior skills: how to dress properly, how to use appropriate manners, how to read, to be healthy, to be active, develop their talents, to get their homework done on time, etc. According to John Gottman, Ph.D., one of the […]
I don’t know when it became a part of everyday life, but somehow it did. It happened one day, maybe on accident, but then it happened again. Soon it became a pattern. At the end of each day when we both were home from work and school, my spouse and I walked to the mailbox […]
It’s a familiar scene. A young child at the mall, tired and overwhelmed, begins to scream and throw a tantrum, much to their parents’ humiliation and frustration. When this occurs, there might seem to be no logical reason for the continued lashing-out of the emotionally-charged little one. A parent’s diligent efforts to calm their […]
