A
Call for Gentleness
The
greatest source of danger to our human lives is, unfortunately,
other humans. Our human species is unique in its ability to
attack, decimate, maim and destroy itself. It requires little
effort for us to kill one another or ourselves.
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.
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.
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.
What
Do You Do When Your Kid is “Acting Up”?
There
were probably good reasons why men were the ones who were out
hunting big game for dinner while their wives stayed at home,
many centuries ago. One reason is that men probably threw spears
with a little better velocity. Another is that women seem a bit
more comfortable in the midst of the emotional turmoil that constitutes
family life.
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.
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.
TV
and Your Toddler’s Attention Span
But you won't see an outcry from the mass media
giants in this country. You see, we live in the country where
"Why TV is Good for Kids" appeared as the cover story
in Newsweek Magazine in 2002 — the same Newsweek Magazine
that's owned by the Washington Post Company, which owns a sprawling
cable company and six broadcast stations around the country. No,
you won't hear too much about these important studies from the
Time-Warners of the world. Bad for business, you see. But if you're
the parent of a young child, it's much more than that. It's the
possibility of permanently affecting your child's health.
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.
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.
Our
two boys, ages 7 and 9, are constantly fighting. The only thing
that works is to separate them — my wife is with one, and
I take the other. It's driving us nuts. Do you have any suggestions?
Siblings will naturally vie for their parents’
attention, and fighting will be a part of that. It is completely
normal. The problem with separating them too much is that they
won't learn some of the skills that will help them to get along
in the future.
In
Us We Trust
It is so primal, this thing called trust, and so
basic to our survival. Without trust, could we attach to one another?
Could we love? Lie in another person’s arms? Dare to procreate?
Could we forge societies and build institutions? Speak and believe
that we’ve been heard? Would we set up housekeeping? Trade
one thing for another? Would we freely slip away to conjecture,
to wonder, to dream? We’d be at war every day of our lives
if we didn’t trust. We’d be anxious, jumpy people.
We’d be on-guard, fenced-in solitaires — withered
souls with narrowed eyes.
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.
Redefining "Grounding" for
Your Teens
I invite you to ground yourself
in love and compassion. For thousands of years, great, grounded
teachers have exemplified the power of love and compassion to
generate happiness and to feel the joy of being alive. Ground
yourself in love and compassion, and you will feel that same
joy.
Build
Your Child’s Emotional Toolkit
Let’s
explore how to teach basic, essential psychological skills that
all children need, such as being able to let go of upsetting experiences
or take in positive ones.
Friendships
in Middle School
Children with friends in middle school appear to do better than
children without a reciprocated friendship (i.e., where the friendship
goes both ways and is not just one-sided). A longitudinal study
of 242 middle school students evaluated the relationship between
friendship and social and academic measures.
What
You Say and What Your Children Hear: Why There’s A Difference
Ever
wonder what happens when your young children respond in unexpected
ways to the words you say? It’s because the words they hear
differ from the emotional messages they receive at the same time.
Consequently, they feel mixed up, so their responses are mixed
up.
Helping
Kids Cope With News of War
Every generation has had
its share of scary news and frightening headlines. My mother still
recalls air raid drills and having to practice ducking under her
desk at school. Shortly thereafter, we had headlines from the
war in Vietnam. My generation dealt with the Cold War, with its
terrifying prospect of nuclear weapons.
Using
hypnosis techniques for supportive parenting
A more accurate description of hypnosis would be to call it a
heightened state of relaxation. The hypnotist simply says words
that allow you to become more relaxed than usual.
10
Ways to Get Your Kids to Talk to You
Parents can often be frustrated by their kids' unwillingness
to share their lives with them. Whether your kids are toddlers
or teens, there will be times when it's difficult to break
through and find out what's really going on.
Top
Ten Ways to Raise Emotionally Intelligent Kids
Having a high level of emotional
intelligence in your children is the best way to ensure that they
live a happy, successful and responsible life as an adult.
Winds
of Change - Families Facing Changes
More important (but still common) changes occur
when a family member takes on a new role. These changes include
promotions or a job change; a man or woman’s becoming a
spouse; a spouse’s becoming a parent; or a parent’s
becoming a grandparent.
Be
Smart With Your Children’s Feelings
All of you have heard about
how important it is to "honor your children's feelings." While
this seems like a worthy endeavor, it's a fairly vague notion and
can easily be dismissed, especially when your child is crying or
whining.
How
You Can Teach Your Child Respect
Parenting advice to teach your child how to be respectful
Teaching
Responsibility - Responsible Children
Enjoy 10 parenting tips to raise more responsible children
Raising
Emotionally Intelligent Sons
Men generally haven't received the training
in "emotional
intelligence" that women have. They have a harder time
identifying their own feelings as well as the feelings of
others. They have been trained from an early age to learn
that being tough is more important than showing feelings.
Teaching
our Children By Example
Don't just tell your child how to be a good
person, show them
through your own actions.
This piece discusses one daughter teaching her father this important lesson when
he tried to tell her to
give selflessly to charity.
The
Hidden Messages of Parenting
What we say and what children hear can be very different
and damaging.
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.
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...
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..
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...
