Your Parenting Matters

All parents have strategies on how to make traveling with children more fun and less stressful. I like to promote ways that encourage interaction with family members not just solo activities like listening to iPods or watching DVD's. I would love to hear what you have done to make trips something to look forward to.

More about: Traveling with Kids!

I was at lunch the other day, when a young couple sat down with their infant daughter. She was probably around 3 months old and sitting happily in her car seat while her parents looked over the menu in preparation for ordering. They were obviously smitten with this new addition and it was fun to watch them take such pleasure in their little one. Until...mom decided to give baby some water from a bottle. Baby clearly didn't want it. A few minutes later, dad decided to give it a try. Now, I could see him directly. Baby turned her head from side to side as dad tried to get her to take the bottle. He was talking to mom and basically was ignoring baby's signals that she did not want the bottle. This went on longer than was comfortable for me! Finally, she started to wail. Mom got into the ...

More about: Responding to Your Children

It can be difficult to get a good feel about a parenting style before you commit to giving it a try. In all my years in private practice and in raising my own children, the benefits of the respectful parenting style derived from the psychology of Alfred Adler has no equal. I am excited to share the principles of this kind and firm parenting style in online parenting classes on LifeMatters.com. To help you get a clearer picture of how this parenting style works without punishment, I will answer your parenting questions here each week. Please feel free to post your brief question and don't forget to give me the ages of your children.

More about: Positive Disicipline Parenting Style

If you feel like you need to become more involved with your child's life and schooling there are a few things you can do to remedy that. It starts at home in helping with their school work or being with them while they play and also playing with them. When they are at school you can still be involved. Find out if there is a possibility of volunteering in your child's classroom. Becoming a member of the school council will allow you to be be involved with decisions that get made about how their school is run. Volunteer for their field trips. These are just a few ideas to keep you connected to your child while they discover the world.

More about: Get involved with Your Children

There are ways of knowing what your child is doing without spying an being strict about what they can and cannot do. Be in conversation with them about what they are listening to, what shows they like to watch, books they like to read. You can share why it is that you don't like something that they are interested, because if the dangers, or negativity it may bring to them. Also when they have their friends over, get to know them too, your child probably spends a lot of time with them. When your child finds that you share an interest in their life at an early age, they will be more likely to share their life with you when they get older. They will also be more open to receiving your suggestions and advice as well.

More about: Establishing an Open Relationship with Your Child

There will come a time when your child, boy or girl will want to have a friend over, or they will want to go to their friend's house for a sleep-over. If it's your first time, don't worry, here are some tips to help things go smoothly. For children around 9 or 10 try a no TV rule but let them watch movies. Girls like to do hair and make up, have some hair accessories and some makeup for them to try on each other. For the boys have some sort of project for them to do, or something that they can make. Include the kids in the family atmosphere and keep it low stress. Incorporate a lights out rule around 9 or 10pm, the girls will most likely stay up to chat and giggle, which is fine, but the no lights rule will start to settle them down for ...

More about: Child Sleep-over Tips

Once your child becomes a toddler so many things come into place. They want to become independent, but may not be able to use words yet to convey what they want. They will make their frustration known to you when they want something or when they become upset for not getting what they want. There are a few things to try so that tantrums don't get out of control. Distracting your child with something else to take them away from the current upset. Picking them up and holding them to try and soothe them from the upset. Some things to look for when the upset occurs, are if they tired or hungry. You might try some sign language with your child if they are not able to speak yet which can help greatly with communication. Soon will be able to curb those upsets or at least shorten them.

More about: Tame the Tantrums

It's no secret that raising children is a challenge. A lot of parents find themselves feeling guilty for staying at home and wishing they were working, or vice versa. For the most part parents are just trying to get by while giving the best to their children. Being a parent, you do what you have to in order to give your kids a good life and still be able to live a good life. Don't beat yourself up about doing or being more, when you are doing the best that you can.

More about: Don’t Feel Guilty

Sometimes they just can't be soothed. I've found just taking them out to the backyard can make a big difference in temperament. With little ones show them the trees and flowers letting them touch them. Let them crawl around the lawn enjoying the blades of grass between their toes. With older kids maybe try and have them help you pull weeds or water plants. Involve them in these simple chores, kids like to help and soon they will forget their crankiness.

More about: Have a Cranky Kid?

Kids these days have so much more to deal with than the previous generations. With drugs, the internet, alcohol, education, there is a lot of stress and pressure that they have to work through. Is being a friend to your child a good thing or does it hurt your relationship with them as a parent? I think there is a fine line between the two but you can achieve a good balance of both. Respecting them and listening to them instead of just telling them what to do or ordering them around is a good way to establish some friend/parent boundaries. Showing them that you understand that they are their own person and can make their own choices is a great way to be a friend, but at the same time knowing that there are consequences to their choices and that there are rules they need to abide by if ...

More about: Friend or Parent?