Parents know what it’s like driving here in Jersey with kids in the car and an imaginary schedule hanging over your head. We bring snacks along so we don’t have to stop and when we do stop you urge the kids to visit the bathroom. We provide distractions to entertain and keep the … [Read more...] about Children Fighting Over Toys
Giving Children Clear Instructions
Parents make many requests of children in a day and many we don’t truly think through. When we ask children to do a chore like ‘carry the shopping bags inside’ or ‘take care of the leaves on the deck,’ it may seem so simple that we neglect to provide explicit instructions. A … [Read more...] about Giving Children Clear Instructions
Children and Low Self Esteem
We know self esteem is a person’s view of themselves or their worth. We also know a child’s view of their self worth can be increased or decreased by the way a parent speaks to them; the words they choose or tone they use. Sometimes a simple ‘look’ can show a parent’s … [Read more...] about Children and Low Self Esteem
Lady Justice and My Children
Human beings are creatures of emotion and being a parent often enhances those feelings. I cringe yet thinking about things I may have said as I discovered vegetables stashed between cushions or a VCR tape with its film pulled out into a pile. “Oh my God look what you did!” Now … [Read more...] about Lady Justice and My Children
In Terms of Ten Years
My grandmother Mur was only educated to the third grade but she was one of the wisest people I ever knew. She raised eight children while carrying water from a stream to cook and do her daily laundry. She lost her husband when he was in his fifties and managed to survive and … [Read more...] about In Terms of Ten Years
Parenting viewpoints from parents in the trenches, because parenting doesn’t come with a manual. In addition to