Parenting

• Fighting Siblings – “What Do I Do?”

  Bill Cosby once said, “You aren’t really a parent until you’ve had your second child.” Parents of one child won’t really understand this. Parents of two or more children will relate to this statement immediately. He was referring to the seemingly constant bickering and fighting between brothers and sisters.

• Family Meeting Guidelines

  Family Meetings can be a very successful method of enhancing family cooperation and closeness. Here are some ideas for the format of a family meeting.

• Children’s Feelings

  The child focuses on how unfair we are, or how bad they are, rather than learning from their mistake. If we want our child to learn , it is critical that we address the feelings first and then work with them on dealing with the situation.

• Dealing With Power Struggles

  Most parents first experience their child’s attempts at autonomy at about age two. They feel challenged and often a battle of wills begins that lasts throughout childhood and the teen years. Parents can turn these trying times into a rewarding growth period for them and their children by shifting their perspective concerning the child’s behavior and by becoming clever and creative in responding to the child’s perceived “headstrong, rebellious, stubborn, frustrating, negative” behavior.

• 9 Things to do Instead of Spanking

  Research confirms what many parents instinctively feel when they dont like to spank their child, but they dont know what else to do. The latest research from Dr. Murray Strauss at the Family Research Laboratory affirms that spanking teaches children to use acts of aggression and violence to solve their problems. It only teaches and perpetuates more violence, the very thing our society is so concerned about. This research further shows that children who have been spanked are more prone to low self-esteem, depression and accept lower paying jobs as adults. So, what do you do instead?

• Ten Keys to Successful Parenting

  It is important that we discipline in a way that teaches responsibility by motivating our children internally, to build their self-esteem and make them feel loved. If our children are disciplined in this respect, they will not have a need to turn to gangs, drugs, or sex to feel powerful or belong.

• Parents’ Understanding More About Early Childhood

  Findings from a recent statewide survey show that money spent educating parents in California about the importance of early childhood development has been extremely effective.

• Family Night Equals Family Unity

  Holding a regular Family Night is the perfect way to build unity in your family. If you have a young family, and you don’t currently hold regular Family Nights, then starting them might be a little easier for you, as young children usually don’t have a problem with playing a game and having a snack with mom and day. If your children are mostly in their teen years, you may find a little more resistance, but if you are determined to make this work for your family, you can accomplish this.