“Aaron!” she yells out to her son. No response. “Aaaaaarooooooonnnn!” Her voice gets louder and angrier. I try not to listen, but I can’t help but overhear as my neighbor’s shouts leak through our apparently too thin walls. While I’ve seen some great moments of love and parenting from this woman, […]
Play has developmental value Research has repeatedly shown that play has numerous developmental benefits for children. Children “practice” the concepts they learn through their play. It is delightful to see children focus on a block or science activity for hours as they learn about how things work. Other reasons for play include: Children learn math […]
Parents are arguably the most important person on a child’s side in helping them to avoid addiction to alcohol and harmful drugs. Teenagers who have regular, serious conversations about drug prevention with their parents are around 50% less likely to use drugs than those who don’t, according to the National Survey on Drug Use […]
Children are amazing at mimicking their parent’s and older sibling’s behaviors. This can be a great thing, if they are seeing positivity and productivity displayed around them. However, when they see negativity, inappropriate behaviors or unrealistic ideals, they will still have tendencies to mimic those behaviors. It is imperative that parents take on the role […]
This is the second blog in a series titled, “The Core Concepts of Development.” Click here for part 1. All families and cultures have different backgrounds, experiences, dreams for their children, habits, and customs that guide their thinking about raising children (Coll & Magnuson, 2000). I was raised in a military family. Punctuality was important […]
This is the first blog in a series titled, “The Core Concepts of Development.” Both nature (genetic influences) and nurture (influences of environment, experience, and education) affect children’s development. When my first child, David, was born, I was determined to be the perfect parent. David was a very calm and obedient child. As I would […]
This is part three to the posts explaining what children really need. Click here for part 1 and here for part 2. Each child has the right to a posterity. “It is natural for each person to want to create progeny and to live into the future through them. This is each child’s destiny. Propaganda […]
With the start of each new year, many people contemplate the goals they want to accomplish. A journal is a great place to write down our goals. There are several different areas in your life in which setting goals would be beneficial to you and your family. Some examples include Education Career Financial Family Attitude […]
