Timely
Tips for Time-Outs
Tired
of holding the bedroom door handle closed when your child is trying
to leave during a time-out? Fed up with your child’s trashing
his room during time-out? Frustrated because you can’t get
your child to calm down and think about restitution during his
time-out?
Toddler
With a Mop
The
next time Maia came into the kitchen, I tried something new.
Standing her up on the seat of a chair, I set her in front
of the rinse water. Suddenly my whining toddler was happily
helping with “dwisses.” I washed them, then she
rinsed and put the dishes on the rack. The task sped by with
happy chatter.
Living
With a Moody Kid
It's
extremely rare for a preschooler to be clinically depressed, unless
something seriously traumatic has happened. Some children are simply
vulnerable to getting bumped into a bad mood, and it's harder than
one would like for them to climb back out of their slumps. This
is very normal; lots of other kids have similar tendencies.
New
Year’s Parenting Pledge
If you experience even a twinge of self-recognition
in this incident, it's time to make a solid resolution
as a parent. Ask yourself, "What resolution would
make the biggest difference in my parenting?"
Your
Child’s First Dentist Visit
First
visits to the dentist can set up life-long fears and anxieties — or
they can be a normal part of life. When I was a kid, we didn’t
start going to the dentist until we had our adult teeth. Nowadays,
dentist recommend having the first visit around age three for kids
whose teeth seem healthy.
Using
Guided Imagery With Your Child
Guided
imagery is a dynamic way to increase a child’s chances for
successful development of inner talents and personal resources.
Parents, teachers and other service providers can use imagery with
confidence to increase a child’s mental focus, help clarify
values, increase study efficiency or instill other successful traits.
Living
with Differences
In
the first week at my daughter's inclusive preschool (half kids
with special needs, half "typical" kids), the parents
tried to figure out who had the disabled kids and who didn't. No
one knew how to begin a conversation — we were afraid of
offending each other. We
found our common ground: we were all parents raising preschoolers.
Some of us had children who loved music, couldn't use the bathroom
yet or screamed when someone got too close. And some of us had
kids with disabilities.
Eight
Ways to Bond With Your Baby
Research
indicates that babies who develop fulfilling relationships
with their parents tend to grow into secure, well-adjusted
adults and even perform better at school. Bonding
is a natural process but there are many ways to help out, especially
if you provide focused, responsive care in a nurturing environment.
How
(and Why) to Teach Kids to Care
Raising
caring kids is a goal most parents strive for — and one that's
becoming increasingly challenging given the violence, in media
and real life that children are inevitably exposed to these days.
There is some good news, though. While researchers once believed
that kids had to learn to care, it seems they may possess this
ability even as toddlers.
Build
Life Skills With Music
Love, respect and appreciation
for music are easy to share with our children and build life skills
at the same time. During the first years of our child’s life,
musical skills build self-esteem and enhance expression. Musical
rhythms spur motor development. Learning melodies and words stimulates
listening capacity and help children develop receptive language.
Parent
Better Than Your Own Parents Did
Your parents undoubtedly failed you as parents.
All parents fail. No parent is ever adequate enough to provide
one child — let alone two or more — with enough
love, caring, support, wisdom or whatever to completely meet
his or her needs. Therefore, parents naturally fall short when
it comes to parenting. It is impossible to be a perfect parent.
We teach our children almost all the skills they need to become
doctors, engineers, plumbers, architects, truck drivers or
any one of the millions of jobs in the world. We usually don’t
teach parenting.
Old-fashioned
Ways To Inspire Your Kids
Walk
through any toy store and you will see walls and walls of toys
that are loud — toys that require batteries, have flashing
lights or look like your child's favorite movie character. But
what about those of us who want to raise children with imagination
and curiosity? I'll tell you what we do. We choose to fill our
houses with some of the following old-fashioned items.
Yikes!
My Kid is Stealing!
One of the more common problems that we as parents
encounter (but that nobody likes to talk about) is what to do
when your child steals. There are a number of different reasons
children steal and a number of different ways to handle the problem.
Whatever the reason a child is stealing, parents need to approach
the problem with wisdom. If parents just react according to their
natural inclination, their response will almost certainly be wrong
and destructive.
Parent
Better Than Your Own Parents Did
Your parents undoubtedly failed you as parents.
All parents fail. No parent is ever adequate enough to provide
one child — let alone two or more — with enough love,
caring, support, wisdom or whatever to completely meet his or
her needs. Therefore, parents naturally fall short when it comes
to parenting. It is impossible to be a perfect parent. We teach
our children almost all the skills they need to become doctors,
engineers, plumbers, architects, truck drivers or any one of the
millions of jobs in the world. We usually don’t teach parenting.
Top
10 Ways to Be a Better Father
The
expectations for fathers are increasing both at work and at home.
Here are 10 ways for fathers to be more effective in the most
important job they'll ever have. See your kids as capable. The
Achilles’ heel of many fathers is to see their kids as "not
good enough." Your kids will feel this, and they'll live
up to these expectations. The more you approve of them, the greater
they'll be!
Look
At It From A Kid’s-Eye View
It's
quite easy for most fathers to look at their kids with a critical
eye. And why not? There's a lot riding on the outcome of your
kids' development. There's the nagging worry that you're not doing
your job well enough and that your child will develop "problems."
There's also the fear of being judged as an incompetent or uninvolved
father by others. And there's the relentless presence of your
children, making mistakes by the truckload while you watch.
Fathers,
Sons and Masculinity
My
5-year-old son had a quirky smile that showed a mixture of pride
and anticipation. He'd shown me his art project from school, and
he was waiting for his mom. "Come on over and look at what
Michael made," I shouted to my wife. Michael
ran out of the room crying. I was filled with visions of a son
who was incapable of dealing with the challenges and frustrations
of daily living. And I felt the responsibility of showing him
how to be "tough enough" to live in a world that delivers
plenty of tough times. At the moment, I felt like I was failing
badly.
Stressed,
Every Day
As
I came through the door after a challenging day of work, the tornado
began. "Daddy's home!" My kids wanted to share their
day and their artwork, and my wife wanted to share how difficult
her day had been. I wanted to lie down on the couch and be left
alone. And this same scenario is happening all over the country
with fathers (or mothers) and their families. Families are converging
on each other at the end of the day with wildly different needs
and moods. The result can be hurt feelings and distance between
family members.
Let
Kids Be Kids
I once heard a mom say, “My
husband loves being a dad. He’s just like a kid again. He
knows all the cartoons and action figures.” Is that what
parents think being a kid is? Power Rangers and Rug Rats? What
about imagination, creativity, curiosity? What about letting a
kid just be a kid? I think we push our kids to grow up too fast.
We bombard them with learning-based toys. We brag to our friends
that our child can count to 10 and recite the alphabet by age
2. We dress them as little adults. We reward their precociousness.
We’re embarrassed when they act like babies. We fill their
calendars with gymnastics, soccer and music classes.
The Night Visitor: Trips to the Parent’s Bed
If your house echoes with the sound
of pat-pat-pat down the hallway when your child leaves
his room to climb into your bed in the middle of the night,
rest assured that you are not alone. It’s perfectly natural
for a toddler or preschooler to search out his parents for
comfort and security — it’s a sign of his trust
and his deep love for you. And it’s perfectly normal
for parents to provide that comfort and security by bringing
their child into their bed or by lying with him in his own
bed.
Helping
Kids Cope with Trauma
Whether after a personal trauma or a national tragedy
like 9/11, our children suffer. Whether their suffering manifests
as overt misbehavior or in quiet reticence, we can help children
cope so they do not feel alone. While we cannot shield children's
innocence, we can help them feel safe. Some symptoms of trauma
are immediate, and other symptoms may not show themselves for
months or years. Because we care for our children, the task before
us is to watch for symptoms and choose an appropriate response.
Our responses may be verbal, but more often our assistance can
simply be nonverbal and supportive.
Find
Your Child’s Personal Style
Every morning, six-year-old Josh
and his mom clash at breakfast just as Mom is ready to walk
out the door. A daydreamer by nature, Josh moves through life
at a slower pace than his task-oriented mom, who values organization.
Their distinct ways of relating to the world reveal their obviously
different personal styles. When
parents can communicate and interact in ways that fit their
children’s unique styles,
there is harmony in the home. Both parents and children develop
confidence and self-esteem.
Disciplining
an Infant: Are You Kidding?
The thought of disciplining a child in the first
year of life seems wrong or even ridiculous. Yet every time an
infant reaches up to tug his mother's hair and she gently removes
his grasp, or when he pulls an unsafe object to his mouth and
she intervenes, that's setting limits, that's redirecting, that's
guidance — and yes, that's discipline. Effective discipline
is not punishment. It's teaching. Discipline really starts from
day one.
Baby
Massage From A-Z
Baby massage has
been practiced since ancient times. It can be as simple as a gentle
rub with lotion after a bath or a more practiced infant massage.
The benefits are many for both baby and parent. You can, and should,
massage a child of any age from newborn to adulthood. Children
learn much about the power of gentle touch. There's something
very special about spending a little time giving your teenager
a backrub or foot massage. It maintains a beautiful parent-child
connection throughout a lifetime.
Are
violent movies, video games, and television programs harmful to
my child’s education?
The answer is “yes”
— experts agree that violent media is harmful to children
and their education. Education is the act of acquiring knowledge;
therefore, any activity that impedes this knowledge acquisition
is undesirable and problematic. There are many factors that contribute
to a child’s education, but popular media such as movies,
video games and television are profoundly influential because
statistics show that the average child spends more time in these
activities above all other activities except for sleep.
The
Family That Eats Together Stays Together
You often hear that families
should eat together. What evidence is there that this is a good
thing? A recent study suggests that family meals might increase
adolescents’ well-being. Middle school (n=1608) and high
school (n=3074) students, ages 11 to 18, completed surveys. The
frequency of family meals, level of family connectedness, academic
performance, substance use, self-esteem, depressions, suicidal
thoughts and suicidal attempts were assessed.
Get
more Time, Energy and Money!
Time, energy and money are chronically lacking
in parents’ lives. They are too tired because their children
keep them up at night, they are strapped for time between juggling
work and family, and they spend all their resources on their kids,
the house, the car and the mortgage. Everybody
has a dream. Whether you know it or not, at one time you dreamed
all the time. As children grow, their imaginations grow with them.
Then they become adults, and the reality of the world sets in.
Have you forgotten how to dream? Do you feel as if you have no
time to breath, much less make your dreams reality?
Yoga
for Kids and Parents
“Baby yoga! Baby yoga!”
This is my daughter’s chant any time she reaches over to
place her hands in front of her toes, in essence doing the toddler
version of downward facing dog. I fantasized about doing yoga
with my children before becoming pregnant, but I never pictured
it like this.
Create
a Peaceful Home Sanctuary
We must find a
way to create a place that is comfortable and peaceful where we
can relax. We need to make a peaceful place in our lives and the
lives of our children where everyone can feel calm and connected.
Our homes can be that place -- a haven of peace for our families.
It is the attitude and the conscious choices the members of a
family bring to a home that actively make it peaceful.
Long
Term Attachment Parenting
Are AP groups and ideas a thing of the
past now that your little ones are big kids (or even – gasp!
-- teenagers) and you’re no longer breastfeeding and diapering?
Are you an attachment parenting graduate (or drop-out)? Attachment
parenting is not just for babies – and you don’t have
to stop as your kids grow older!
When
is Playing Not Playing?
Many toys on the market today encourage passive
rather than active play. In this age of high-tech toys, children
frequently push a button and are entertained by watching play
happen.
Can
There Be Too Much? - Attachment Parenting
By not respecting the feelings of our infants,
we raise children who do not respect the feelings of their peers,
adolescents who do not respect the feelings of their parents and
adults who often can’t respect even their own feelings.
Parenting
Style Differences
This other baby’s early months
were spent strapped in his stroller, hearing people but from an
uninvolved distance except for the occasional visitor who leaned
over his seat. His nights were vast hours of loneliness, his cries
ignored.
Getting
Out Sans Baby: Is It Just a Matter of Milk?
It
can be worrisome for loving parents to think that their baby may
be in a situation in which an important need such as hunger cannot
be satisfied. Many nursing mothers assume that the answer to this
dilemma is to teach the baby to take a bottle, so there will be
an alternative to nursing if it is ever needed.
Nursing:
It’s More than Breastfeeding – And Every Mother Can
Do It!
Breastfeeding
isn’t only about providing mother’s milk. While seldom
recognized in literature, doctors’ advice or common conversation,
there’s a whole lot more to breastfeeding than nutrition
and immunity.
Caring
vs. Caring Too Much
When you become overly concerned and caring, you
cross a line into what's called an overdriven striving. You focus
on it too much and can affect your own thinking and functioning,
as well as that of others. You demand too much and usually get
too little. It's exhausting to everyone concerned.
Falling
off the AP Wagon
A Discuss! at Natural Family Online transcript
from members as they discuss their feelings about falling off
the AP wagon when children reach toddlerhood.
What is Attachment Parenting?
Attachment
Parenting: Is It For You?
What
is Attachment Parenting?
The
Science of Attachment
The Chemistry of Attachment
Long Term Attachment Parenting
What exactly is “attachment parenting”
as it applies to all ages?
Siblings
Articles and Sibling Rivalry
Siblings
Fighting
Tips to Build Sibling Attachment
Siblings at the
Baby’s Birth?
How do we know if we’re ready to have another
baby?
How to Help Your Marriage Survive a New Baby
Others
Natural
Parenting
Pitching In: Simple
Ways to Get Your Family Involved
When
Your Parenting Comes Under Fire
Should
Both Parents Work? Should One Stay at Home?
Playdates for Parents
Is
it ok to spoil your kids?
Unplugging
your family
Others...
Articles
on Getting Kids To Sleep
My 6-month-old baby
wakes up almost every hour to breastfeed.
My baby won't nap! She fights sleep but gets fussier and fussier
as the day progresses.
Using White Noise While Babies Sleep
Write a Family Bestseller: “My Sleep Book”
Why Isn't She Sleeping at Night?
Others...
Co-sleeping
and the Family Bed
Tips
for Successful Family Beds
We’re
expecting our first baby soon and thinking about using a family
bed.
Using
a Family Bed - Co Sleeping
Checklist For Safe Cosleeping
Top 10 Uses For a Crib (other than sleeping!)
Co-sleeping and the Media
Others...
Babywearing
- Using Slings
Getting
Back to Basics with Babywearing
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Slings
View our February 2004 sling review series
Your
Child's Feelings and Emotional Intelligence
Build Your Child’s
Emotional Toolkit
What You Say and What Your Children Hear
Helping Kids Cope With
News of War
Top Ten Ways to Raise Emotionally Intelligent
Kids
Be Smart With Your Children’s Feelings
How You Can Teach Your Child Respect
Teaching
Responsibility - Responsible Children
The Hidden Messages
of Parenting
Others...
Natural
Fathering Articles
10 Reasons to Tell
Your Kids Stories
Help Your Hubby Support Breastfeeding
Help
For Overwhelmed Fathers
Natural Fathering
- Save Memories of Your Children
Fathers,
Tell Your Stories
Top 10 Common Sense Rules
for Fathers
Parenting Stress
How to Help Your Marriage Survive
a New Baby
When It’s More Than the “Baby
Blues”
I Yelled at My Kids
My Kids Are Driving Me Crazy!
Others ....
Positive
Parenting Articles
10 Reasons to Tell Your Kids
Stories
Getting Kids to Organize Themselves
Top 10 Ways to Keep Your
Kids From Fighting
10
Ways to Get Your Kids to Talk to You
Give Your Kids Household Chores!
Encourage Children to Play Naturally
Getting
Your Kids to Cooperate
Others..
Homeschooling
How to Homeschool
Your Child
Building the Unschooling or Homeschooling Village
I do not feel qualified to teach my children
Husband's involvement in homeschooling
Multiple Kids
How should we structure our school year?
Science in the Blink of an Eye
Unschooling
Building the Unschooling
or Homeschooling Village
Can a Single Parent Unschool?
Isn't “unschooling” just a
fancy way of saying you ignore your children? Is that even legal?
Gentle
Discipline Articles
Redefining "Grounding"
for Your Teens
Give Your Kids the “N” Word
Keep
Your Kids From Fighting - Fighting Kids - Fighting Siblings
Of Conflict and
Control - Kid Discipline
To Spank Your Child or Not to Spank?
Get Your Toddler to Cooperate - Parenting
Toddlers
Others ...
Parenting
Teens - Parenting Teenager Articles
You
CAN Influence Your Teens Attitudes About Sex
The
Family That Eats Together Stays Together
Are
violent movies, video games, and television programs harmful
to my child’s education?
Redefining "Grounding" for
Your Teens
Summer
Jobs: Your Teen’s Ticket to Success
Start
a Teen Reading Group
Job
Shadowing:Valuable Job Experience for Teens
The
Easy Way to Start a School Drama Club
Getting
Kids to Organize Themselves
Parenting
Teens - Connect With Your Teen
10
Ways to Get Your Kids to Talk to You
