Author: Dr. Steven Richfield Although the parenting journey is typically paved with good intentions, the roadmap can be hampered by ambiguity, uncertainty and parents’ own issues. These forces dig deep into decision-making, leaving impact for better, or perhaps, for worse. Unsure of direction, some parents demand extreme loyalty to their wishes, prohibit acceptable forms of [...]
Author: Patty Wipfler We live in a society that has a demanding and judgmental attitude toward parents and young children. Often, the attitude toward children in public is that they should be seen and not heard, that the parent should be in control of the child’s behavior, and that children who are having feelings in [...]
Author: Patty Wipfler Parents are expected to stay “in control” of their lives, their children, and themselves. Some major parts of this expectation are impossible to fulfill! But because there is no way to learn parenting skills and truths ahead of time, we parents struggle and worry when we don’t seem to be “in control,” [...]
Author: Dr Steven Richfield Among the many frustrations of parenthood one ranks among the top: the chronic arguing child. It takes so little for them to express an opposing opinion or to debate issues that seem so petty to other family members. Attempts to curtail disagreements seldom work but tend to fan the flames of [...]
Author: Patty Wipfler, Source: http://www.handinhandparenting.org We all are struggling to deal thoughtfully with the War on Terrorism, and the wars that have sprung up in its wake. A cascade of feelings has been triggered in each of us. We are now exposed to daily images of death and strife. In many countries, we face the [...]
Author: Dr. Steven Richfield Parents expend considerable effort preparing children for the challenges ahead but little attention is typically paid to helping them communicate in emotionally meaningful ways. Emotional literacy empowers children to identify feelings within themselves, draw distinctions, understand subtleties, and verbalize their emotions with sincerity and consideration of others. This capacity to translate [...]
Author: Dr. Steven Richfield One of the thorny tests of parenting is striking a balance between strictness and permissiveness. Those of us who err too far in either direction suffer various consequences. These include overly rebellious kids or family life lacking boundaries between generations. Despite the obvious long term costs, legions of well-to-do parents struggle [...]
Author: Dr. Steven Richfield Early childhood is generally marked by behaviors that leave parents brimming with pride and wonder, not shuddering with worry and confusion. But sometimes immature impulse control and fierce anger combine with such intensity that young children aggressively attack and react to people and events. The results are disastrous for peer relations, [...]
Author: Gool Bugwadia Parental involvement is the key element that can significantly boost children’s education. The greater the degree of involvement and earlier the start, the better will be children’s academic progress. Parents, who communicate the importance of education to their children on an ongoing basis, seldom fail. These are the parents who hold high [...]
Author: Gool Bugwadia Parents can play a critical role in handling sibling rivalry effectively. It is their overall attitude, their sensitivity to children’s emotional needs and their coping mechanisms that can together contribute to ushering in peace and harmony in the home. Sibling rivalry is a common natural phenomenon which could, if not handled effectively, [...]
