Enjoy Your Children and Parenting!

When Your Child Lies

admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 21:26:06 +0000

Children want the approval of their parents and to feel like they belong. When rules are put in place and your child is dishonest in order that they don’t break the rules, how do you discipline them? Especially if you know that they have been dishonest and they deny it? You want your child to learn the lying is not an option and that there will be consequences. It can be hard to decide what type of consequences will work best depending on what the situation is. Ultimately you want your children to have a habit of being honest especially with their parents! A good way to put rules in place is for your child to create their own consequence. This makes it so you, the parent do not become the “bad guy” and they will have to choose something serious enough so that they will continue to be honest in the future.

Raising a Child with a Personality Different from Your Own

admin — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 21:25:58 +0000

Parenting children is one of the hardest jobs someone can do, but when you find that raising one that has a personality that is very different than your own that is another challenge in itself. You may be wondering how a parent should raise a child that is their opposite. All children are unique with their own individuals personalities. Some thrive with structure while others do well on their own not being micromanaged. Even though you can’t change their personality you can still model good behavior and create a strong relationship with your child. Talk to adults that share similar traits to find what may inspire and engage them. Pay attention to how they play and relate with other children and adults, see what learning style is most effective. There should always be positive reinforcement, age-appropriate responsibilities and balance between life outside of the house and at school. Introducing a

Staying Connected with Your Children as They Grow

admin — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 21:23:07 +0000

Children grow so fast and it can be hard to stay connected with them especially when they head into their teen years. Start when they are young, spending as much time as you can playing with them, reading to them and teaching them. As they grow older their interests may change, being involved and engaging with them will allow you to stay connected with them. When they reach the teen years, let them know that they can count on you for support and that you are there for them if they need to talk about anything. All of the other things that need to get done like dishes and laundry can wait, these moments will go by fast and it’s important to make your children feel like they are important and contribute.

How Can Parents Teach Their Kids to Focus?

admin — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:23:01 +0000

Focusing is not innate in children and it is a skill to be taught, but how? The most powerful way to influence focusing is by being a good model for your child. Reduce distractions as much as possible by turning of the television, putting toys away and sitting down with them to help them focus on the task at hand. Build routines which will help with getting things done. For example, after coming home from school have them put their things away, do their homework and do any other extracurricular activities. After a while when this is enforced, you won’t need to ask them to do these things. Having your child become better at being focused is as much our job as is theirs. It is one of the most important skills parents can teach.

Forcing Your Child to Play Sports

admin — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:18:15 +0000

Every parent wants their child to be involved, whether it’s a club or a sport, or maybe some kind of music lessons.. Some parents “force” their children into playing sports more often than not because they think it is important, but maybe their child does not. It’s important to have a conversation with your child about whether or not they really want to be involved with sports so that they are not just doing so for your approval or because you want them to. If it is really important for you that they play a sport, let them choose which one to play. Remember that they may or may not stick with it or want to continue doing it after they’ve tried it, that’s ok. You can also allow them a certain amount of time until they can quit doing the sport. It’s crucial that your children get to make their own decisions about which sport to play so that they are enjoying what they are doing.

Relaxation Techniques to Share With Your Child

admin — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 21:18:04 +0000

Sometimes parents need a little help with calming their child down whether it’s to cool off a meltdown or winding them down for bed time, they need to learn to relax. Here are a few techniques to share that can bring great results. Have them site and focus on breathing in and out using slow deep breaths. Tensing and relaxing beginning with the eyebrows then to the forehead, jaw, shoulders, trunk, fingers, tummy, legs and toes. Practicing “oming” Kids usually have fun with this one. Do some gentle stretching and exercise while breathing nice and deep. These few things can really help de-stress and create a calm as well as be really fun to do with your child.

Parenting in the Digital Age

admin — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:22:44 +0000

The internet is not going away and it has become a large part of our lives and culture. Not all of it is a bad influence in our children’s lives and can bring many positive experiences in their social development . In order to make the experience work for you and your kids you only need to be aware of a few things and put some rules into action. Be involved with what your children are looking at and using online. Explain to them the possible dangers that can occur using the internet and how to avoid them. Keep the computer in a common area so that they are not unsupervised. If you start this when they are young, it becomes commonplace and is expected.

Being Direct with Your Teen

admin — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:22:38 +0000

The teenage years can be really hard, but one of the best things you can do for your relationship with them is to be direct. Giving them facts is helpful for getting around in the world but also letting them know what to expect emotionally is also a good idea. Many teens think that parents are not that smart and don’t get what they’re going through. They think that the world is unfair and that they are alone and not normal. Our job as parents is to reassure them that they are normal and that yes, the world is unfair sometimes, but how they choose to deal with it is the most important.

Do Teens Have Life too Easy?

admin — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 19:12:51 +0000

Times have changed a lot since we were young and teens and we had different challenges growing up. In our day there were no computers for writing papers, or cell phones to use for an emergency, or dishwasher to clean the dishes. Many teens think they are entitled and don’t need to be responsible for anything.. Where does this behavior come from? Our role as parents is to teach our children responsibility and independence so that they can eventually make it on their own in the world. Times are different and some things may be easier now than in the past, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t need to take an active role in helping out the family.

Are You an Anxious Parent?

admin — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 21:12:41 +0000

Many parents will tell you that parenting is the hardest job in the world, but the most fulfilling. Anxiety can play a big role in parenting, taking care of someone else 24/7 can be quite stressful. Every parent goes through it at one time or another especially once their kids reach the teenage years. This is the stage where they are beginning to find out who they are and what they want in life and you can’t take care of them like you used to. Trust in your early education of your children and they will do the right thing. Worrying will not help you or them and as long as you have open communication your anxiety can be resolved.