Becoming a stepparent is a bit like stepping onto a roller coaster. One minute, you’re excited and getting high-fives; the next, you’re navigating through a sea of moody silences and disrespectful behaviors.

Stepkids have seen their birth families disrupted, so they're on a tough ride, too. They’re processing massive feelings and trying to find their footing. And then, on top of all this chaos, you and your partner might not see eye-to-eye on how to parent. Phew!

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

In today’s modern world, how do we inspire children to learn? Why bother when they can just ask Siri or scribble a question into an AI app—and Voila!

These influences negatively impact our kids' motivation. To successfully navigate the effects of social media, screen addiction, and passive entertainment, it’s imperative our children's brains stay fit and they retain the motivation to learn.

That’s where you come in.

And where the growth mindset shines. It’s the internal motivation that urges us to learn and become better every day.

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

No parent wants their child to become an uncaring, disrespectful adult. And most parents do their best to provide a loving home. However, this one key parenting skill is largely overlooked, yet its absence hinders children’s development of empathy. If you want your kids to learn empathy, master this one thing!

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

When I was a young mother, there were many times I felt like I was failing as a parent—and I even taught parenting classes! It's so easy to get overwhelmed or discouraged as a parent, isn't it? We LOVE our children—but let’s face it: parental burnout is a thing, especially with both parents working.

Parenting demands a lot from us, and we're human. So if you’ve ever wanted the newborn stage to be over or wondered if you’d survive toddlerhood, or lost your cool with a teenager, you know what I’m talking about.

Once I learned missing emotional intelligence skills, it was a game-changer for me! [...]

Summer’s drawing to an end: While your children may not say it overtly, they are feeling the effects of the new school year creeping closer. From back-to-school commercials to adjusting to bedtime routines, the transition from summer to school time is as stark as day and night.

We’re sure you’re feeling it, too! It’s no small feat to walk your little one through orientation or first-day jitters or hand the car keys over to your teen. We’re cheering you on and compiled some back-to-school ideas that may ease the transition.

Estimated reading time: 4.5 minutes

Today's families are up against tremendous challenges, and many family members are estranged. When your adult child lashes out, disrespects you, or tells you they "need space," and cuts you off, their responses can really sting. Of course, it is understandable for any parent to feel hurt, confused, and even angry when their adult child ignores them or doesn't want anything to do with them. A parent may feel rejected, even a sense of guilt, wondering if they failed as a parent.

Fortunately, there are some proactive steps you can take as a parent to help improve relationship boundaries, address [...]

It comes as no surprise that there isn’t a handbook for becoming a great parent or stepparent. You may already attest to this fact. Most parents learn through trial and error. And since there’s very little support for blended families, here’s a survival guide for co-parenting. Learning emotional intelligence skills is essential for all parents, but crucial when dealing with the complexity of stepparenting.

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

Parents today face a unique challenge: navigating long-distant, sometimes fragmented, grown-children relationships. What a shock when disrespect is hurled our way, and we thought we raised our children to be respectful, empathetic adults. It can be challenging—even disheartening—when they don’t show us respect. Although you might want to dodge the hard truth that your relationship needs to change, there’s no escaping that adult children are no longerchildren!

The interactions between your grown child and yourself might be difficult right now, but there are helpful strategies you can employ [...]

If you're like most parents, your child's bedroom is the one place where a lot of thought has gone into the placement, size, timing and even the decor. Who would have guessed that so many questions arise for our children's private space: Do children need their own bedroom? And at what age is it the best for siblings to separate? How much say-so should children and teens have when it comes to privacy, cleanliness, and creating a space they love?

Estimated reading and viewing time: 3 minutes

Imagine that you're at a grocery store, and your 5-year-old daughter spots candy, eyeing exactly the kind she wants. She begs you to buy it for her, but you calmly and firmly say no. She bursts into tears while kicking and screaming in the cart. Frustrated (and maybe a little embarrassed), you think, "Why can't she just accept my answer, just once! No self-control!"

How do we teach our children respect for our decisions and how to control their emotions? And what is the definition of self-control?

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes