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.
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.
You
CAN Influence Your Teens Attitudes About Sex
Most parents
would agree that they don’t want their middle- or high-schoolers
to become sexually active. Teen sex can pose irreversible consequences
including significant health risks, social and emotional effects
and pregnancy. Sexually active girls are predisposed to genital
tract infections, cervical cancer and pre-cancerous lesions. For
boys, unprotected intercourse increases the chances of prostate
and urethral infections.
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.
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?
10
Reasons to Tell Your Kids Stories
In today’s busy world, many parents have
lost the art of telling their stories to their kids. Don't pass
up the opportunity to connect with your kids at the same time
you tell them what's important to you. It will be a huge gift
to your kids, and a huge gift to you.
Help
Your Hubby Support Breastfeeding
Odd as it sounds,
you and your child aren’t the only ones affected by your
decision to breastfeed — your husband is, too. And getting
him involved is critical. A number of studies have shown that
when dads support and encourage breastfeeding, their wives are
more interested in doing it, are a lot more successful and do
it for longer.
Help
For Overwhelmed Fathers
It was well
past their bed time and I was simultaneously upset with myself
for getting behind schedule; preoccupied with a project I was
late on; angry with my kids for not cooperating; and worried that
they'd have another crabby day from back-to-school stress and
a lack of sleep. I could feel the tension envelope my shoulders
and jaw. My mind was moving at a dangerous rate.
Natural
Fathering - Save Memories of Your Children
A moment later he said, “Dad, when you
die you’re going to feel something on your face and it will
be me touching your face.” Then he added, “I will
kiss you on your cheek.” He moved over, kissed me lightly
on the cheek and cuddled in next to me. I was aware of tears suddenly
welling up in my eyes and rolling down my cheeks.
Raising Strong Daughters-
Raising Girls
Raising a daughter creates different issues for
many fathers; it's even more challenging considering the cultural
landscape that exists today.
Fathers,
Tell Your Stories
So what are fathers to do? We live
in an increasingly complex society and the answers to our children's
questions are neither easy nor simple.
Top
10 Common Sense Rules for Fathers
You can concentrate on common sense
rules that have always worked.
Top
10 Ways to Keep Your Kids From Fighting
Fighting
among siblings is as natural as the changing of the seasons. All
parents will have to deal with it. There are some simple things
we can do to limit fighting and make it tolerable.
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...
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..
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 ...
Attachment Parenting Articles
Create a Peaceful
Home Sanctuary
Long Term Attachment Parenting
Can There Be Too Much? - Attachment Parenting
Parenting Style Differences
Caring vs. Caring Too Much
Learning All Day Long
Falling off the AP Wagon
more...
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?
