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Alternatives to Spanking for Common Toddler Behavior Problems
I’ve noticed that most parents who spank really don’t want to. They feel that they must spank their child in order to achieve proper behavior, teach a lesson or just in general, produce a good citizen. There seems to be a general frustration among many parents in simply not knowing what else to do when … Continue reading
Taking Care of You
We spend a lot time taking care of our kids, trying to be better parents, trying to run our household, trying to be good partners and good sons and daughters. We are constantly on the hunt for the next trick in shopping, cleaning, beauty, parenting, relationships, anything to make life go along just a little … Continue reading
How I Know For a Fact That Children Are Not Morons
I’m still surprised and dismayed at the many articles and discourse I see online discussing whether or not children are just immature, sneaky, manipulative little creatures who require extensive breaking to become sufficiently molded to adapt to the human world. I’ve always operated on the concept that my kids are legitimate humans with real souls … Continue reading
Why Do Fathers Matter? A Wounded Daughter’s Perspective
This weekend is Father’s Day. Today we focus on our fathers and our love for them. We focus on everything we love and appreciate about our fathers. Some of us didn’t have great fathers. I didn’t. I love my father. But he hurt me terribly. And I’m no longer married to my children’s father. That … Continue reading
How Attachment Parenting Produces Independent Kids
Children are in our care for a limited amount of time generally spanning two decades. During that time, their needs change drastically, yet gradually from year to year. I’ve always found it odd that the principles of attachment parenting are criticized as promoting dependence in children when, if you analyze the proper development of independence … Continue reading
Sexual Molestation: Don’t Let Your Child Become a Victim
I was molested as a child. Sadly, this does not make me unique. One in four women will be sexually abused in her lifetime and one in six men. This is not reassuring to any parent. But we need to understand that this is a real risk to our kids. And we need to understand … Continue reading
Kid Confessions: But Daddy Never Says “No”
I hate telling my kids, “No.” I hate to see the disappointment. I hate the arguments. I hate the frustration. But, I do it anyway. “No,” is a necessary part of life, part of my job as a mother, and one of the words I use to establish limits and boundaries. I’ve always been extremely … Continue reading
The Lie That is the American Teenager
One of the greatest lies being spread in our culture today is that of the American teenager. This is a mysterious creature who is supposed to suddenly and drastically transform from a sweet child to a horrific monster, usually overnight, on her thirteenth birthday or thereabout. She is expected to have the “best years of … Continue reading
The Difference Between Play and Entertainment and Why It Matters
Kids are born with natural curiosity about their world and the desire to explore and learn. They have a drive to touch, taste and feel everything around them. This is how they learn. This is also how they get into trouble and we often find ourselves stopping them, redirecting them or even punishing them for … Continue reading
Respect and Discipline: Can You Really Have Both?
I spent half my childhood in a home that practiced corporal punishment. My parents believed that children needed to be trained to be obedient and conform to expectations of the adult world. They also believed that bad behavior was a result of a sinful nature and they aggressively attempted to curb these supposed tendencies. I … Continue reading
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