A couple of weeks ago, I walked downstairs to find my kids had made waffles for breakfast. Our two girls love to cook, but they occasionally forget to clean up after themselves. It only took three seconds for me to assess the mess and go looking for the kids. When I found them, the first…
Three-year-old and five-year-old boys drive moving truck into neighbor’s yard barely missing the house. It’s true. Two years ago our boys climbed into the moving truck while we were loading it and knocked the faulty gear shifter out of park and disengaged the emergency brake. There were no keys in the truck and we didn’t…
Holidays can be an especially hard time for couples, because each holiday inherently comes with its own expectations. One of the challenges everyone faces in their relationships is how to deal with the discrepancy between expectation and reality. When you expect something to go one way (having a quiet holiday dinner at home with your family)and the…
It’s finally starting to feel like fall in Florida–well, kind of anyway. It was while I was enjoying the crisper air and smell of newly-fallen leaves that I relearned a lesson I have been learning for at least the last two decades. My six year old son asked me to go outside with him while…
Question: My husband lets our 10-year-old son do whatever he wants. My husband picks up after him and doesn’t ask him to do any chores. And my son just sits and plays video games. When I try to coax our son into helping out, I get back talk, and my husband doesn’t support me.…
I am a firm believer in extracurricular activities for kids. Unfortunately, we do not all grow up on farms anymore. Teaching children responsibility and hard work does not come as naturally as it once did. Extracurricular activities can provide a way for kids to learn these same skills, but only if parents approach it…
Question: I had an eating disorder growing up. Now that I have two young daughters, I want to do whatever I can to prevent that. Do you have any suggestions?
Question: I recently checked the Internet browser history on my 12-year-old son’s computer, and he has been looking at pornography. How should I talk to him about this? I’m worried if he finds out I’ve been snooping, he won’t trust me anymore and start to keep other things secret.
In a recent interview with NY Parenting, I talk about the changes in your role as a parent that occur when a child leaves home. This is a time that parents and kids are both unsure of how to navigate their relationship and roles. “Often the move to college marks the most distinctive change…
Cindy could not find her four year old son. She looked all through the house and then the yard, but couldn’t find him anywhere. Desperate, she ran out into the street and looked up and down the road. There was her sweet son, sitting at the corner playing with his stick in the dirt. …
Everyday rituals and family traditions such as walking the dog together when you both get home from work, Saturday morning chores, and bedtime routines are all opportunities to build and strengthen family relationships. Time set aside for these daily family traditions and rituals provides a sense of continuity and predictability – without which, families often…
Related: Family Dinner Time