No way around it: Being a parent is a tough job. And some parenting days are much tougher than others, so you might find yourself yelling unexpectedly, then regret it. Every parent reaches their limit.Our parenting know-how and emotional maturity are challenged every day. Of course, we also experience immense shared joy and a sense of fulfillment, but our children's needs change continually. Every time you think you've got the job figured out, your child shifts to a new developmental stage, far different from the one before. Learning how to redirect children's behavior is crucial for every [...]

Life before kids is such sweet sorrow; I used to take care of myself and exercise, up with the dawn for a refreshing run along the seashore. When my boy was born, I was up with the dawn running back and forth changing diapers. So ended the days of the refreshing oceanside runs.

Then a few months later when he was six months old, I had an epiphany: he wakes up early, I wake up early, why not sit him in the stroller and restart my sorely missed morning exercise routine? The fresh sea breeze was healthy for the both of us, and ever since I've found that we were both in a better mood after our [...]

While adolescents are not a different breed, they might at times seem like it. This portrayal has only been heightened by media and movie portrayals. Teens get stereotyped as hormonal, socially lost, or rebellious.

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Parenting today's teens is challenging. Many parents even dread raising teenagers because they've often heard negative, even scary stories over the years from other parents. As a culture, we think we've got teenagers pegged—uncontrollable, disrespectful, and rebellious. The big question is: "Is adolescent rebellion avoidable?"

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

And guess who the culprits were?

Teenagers.

"Are you an only child?"

That question always gives me pause. Yes, but also, no. I am not alone in being the child of a blended family. Nor am I the only one who’s a bit confused by the whole situation—parents included.

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Sibling rivalry is practically guaranteed as soon as a family has more than one child. But that doesn't make it any easier to handle or any less frustrating for parents! Most parents have a very different ideal home life in mind.

When brothers and sisters fight and argue, the entire family dynamic is rocked. Arguments at home can easily spill into each family member’s work or social life. Strife can make a happy, healthy family life seem like an unattainable dream. In extreme circumstances, it can even lead to enduring psychological or physical pains. This dynamic often leaves parents [...]

Psychology Today has this to say about stress. "Stress generally refers to two things: the psychological perception of pressure, on the one hand, and the body's response to it... Lifesaving as the stress response was meant to solve short-term, life-threatening problems, not extended difficulties ... Prolonged or repeated arousal of the stress response, a characteristic of modern life, can have harmful physical and psychological effects."

However, it is the perception of a threat by you and your child that determines whether or not a cascade of survival chemicals is triggered and dumped into [...]

Temperament: ten unique traits. Do you know your child's temperament?

Temperament is a lot like wrapping paper. The traits come in many colors and designs, in a multitude of hues and intensities. They are as different as the multitude of autumn leaves with varying tones and colors. Knowing our child’s unique temperament and the interaction of traits, parents are armed with a critical tool to parent more consciously and increase family ease and fun. The more skills in your tool belt, the more equipped you are for the curve balls that life throws your way! Here you'll learn key actions to [...]