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 distances from their adult children, 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 they are no longerchildren!

The interactions between your grown child and yourself might be difficult right now, but here are helpful [...]

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

It is a growing trend today that more and more adult children live with their parents instead of leading independent lives. In 2020, a record number of adult children returned home to live with their parents. Of course, it was understandable, given the circumstances of the pandemic and the unprecedented job losses and business closures. However, jobs are plentiful now, and yet Pew Research Center reports that in July of 2022, half of adults ages 18-29 lived with one or both of their parents.

Given this trend, what parental support is helpful, and what stifles independence, resiliency, and [...]

Watching children grow and develop is as rewarding as it is fascinating. Children are like little sponges, soaking up information and discovering all they can learn about their environment.

Within a family, parents, siblings, and grandparents all play a significant role and greatly impact a child’s emotional development. However, they are not the only influence on children at home. Growing up with a pet can positively impact early childhood development and help establish healthy emotional regulation and mental health in children.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Parenting is hard work. But when we're critical of ourselves and have a lot of negative self-talk, it can become downright discouraging. Maybe, you're even feeling burned out as a parent. In that parenting exhaustion, have you ever thought to yourself, "I'm really a bad mom!"?

With this full-time, never-let-up job, it's easy to slip into feeling overwhelmed. Many of today's parents live thousands of miles away from grandparents and extended family, which was a major support in earlier times. So how do you parent consciously, keep a work-life balance, and create a fun-loving, happy family, [...]

Einstein once said, “not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” Money is heavily pedestalled these days, and it’s essential to teach your kids a balance between financial literacy, social responsibility, and emotional intelligence (EQ) when exploring life lessons with money. The goal is to prepare your children to create a healthy, happy, and successful future while teaching them to be responsible, empathetic human beings.

Yet, it’s not always easy as a parent to keep long-term values in mind when faced with the demands of everyday life. So, [...]