Teenhood is characterized by awkward, confusing changes that can make or break one’s mental health. A key to thriving during this time is understanding self-esteem and self-awareness and taking the necessary steps to develop a healthy degree of both. Parents can help their kid do so by first praising their…
The teen years are characterized by developmental changes—both physical and mental—that can make this time difficult for teens and parents. Fortunately, parents can make this time a little easier on everybody by parenting their teens with love and logic, according to mental health professionals. Parents should maintain open and honest…
Research shows that there are a few keys to good parenting: encouragement, limit-setting, monitoring and supervision, problem-solving, and positive involvement. Encouragement is all about showing your child positive attention, so as to encourage good behavior. Limit-setting involves setting clear rules as well as clear guidelines for discipline if those rules…
You can set your child up for success by teaching them how to live a happy, healthy life and equipping them with beneficial tools. One parenting technique that can help you accomplish this mission is simply being honest with yourself—are you being the supportive parent or the pushy parent? Practicing…
Positive parenting is a loving and gentle approach to parenting that helps to foster healthy relationships between parent and child. There are a handful of skills that parents can practice to accomplish positive parenting, of which includes validation, balance, listening, and support. Validation involves accepting your child’s feelings as they…
Researchers sort parents into four common parenting styles: authoritarian, permissive, uninvolved, and authoritative. Authoritarian parents are viewed as disciplinarians, as they make strict rules and offer no wiggle room. Permissive parents, on the other hand, create and enforce little to no rules; they treat their kids more like friends. Uninvolved…
Expecting parents often have conflicting emotions, and that’s okay—but you can take action to better prepare for parenthood and make this time more enjoyable. First, you should throw all of your expectations out the window and open yourself to whatever comes your way. Some additional tips include maintaining an honest…
Ask any kid whether their parents are overprotective, and they’ll probably say yes. Whether or not their parents are actually overprotective, however, cannot likely be determined from their child’s testimony—as it’s innate for children and teens to think their parents are a little too controlling or strict. Take for example,…
Some of my favorite memories from grade school wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for P.E. class: tackling Holiday-themed obstacle courses, learning how to play my soon-to-be favorite sport (soccer), and crab-crawling across the floor in a fit of laughter alongside friends. I had a blast in gym class and looked…
When people go off to college, they’re essentially “leaving the nest.” For the last 18 years they’ve lived in arm’s length of their parents, and then suddenly… it’s time to fly solo. This rang mostly true for me: upon moving into my dorm, I embraced a newfound independence. But I…
It’s no secret that the teenage years are often characterized by rebellion—there is, however, an ongoing argument about how parents should properly handle this phase. Should they step in or back off? Do they need to crack down on the rules or prove their trust? What’s the most effective approach?…
Heard any good dad jokes lately? Well, these may not technically be dad jokes, but they are hilarious tweets about fatherhood from some of the funniest dads on Twitter. Whether it’s a well-crafted 280 vent about the joys of being a father or merely reporting yet another fantastic moment in…
