Well the first day of school has come and gone. And with that went all the excitement that caused my daughters to be up and ready for school without any prompting.
While they still enjoy going to school, getting them out the door started taking some combination of nagging, scolding, reminding, and of course rushing. It [...]

As a School Counselor and mother of three, I believe it is vital that parents, educators and others in the community help children become strong, confident, compassionate leaders. Though I admit this is no easy task. It takes patience, persistence and plenty of tools. That’s why I am pleased to share with you a new [...]

I was very fortunate to meet Claire Mysko at the recent BlogHer conference. We both attended the session on how to help children have a healthy self image. When Claire shared her expertise on this subject, I was thrilled when she graciously agreed to write the following guest post for me!

Girls today are told they [...]

Vanessa Van Petten is the teen author of the parenting book You’re Grounded!: How to Stop Fighting and Make the Teenage Years Easier. She writes a parenting blog from a teenager’s perspective to help parents understand what is actually going on in the minds of teens today. Her awesome parenting tips as a Family [...]

In keeping with the spirit of Simplify Your Life week, here’s a post for all you parents out there! In addition to the first ten, here are ten more ways to simplify your life . . . with kids. Frankly, it never occurred to me I HAD to simplify my life until I had [...]

Out of all the issues I deal with as a parent and a School Counselor, the one I deal with most often is anger management. At home it presents itself as sibling rivalry, while at school I work with students who lash out at their peers physically, verbally or both.
When one of my kids yells [...]

It’s challenging these days to fit in a lot of “quality family time” with such hectic schedules, but that’s all the more reason why it’s so necessary to strengthen family ties.
One of the simple ways my hubby and I bond with our daughters is to start the day with a “family cuddle.” Our children delight [...]

Finding a good babysitter can be a very stressful experience. Many parents rely on friends and family to watch their children, but there are inevitably times when you need someone outside of your immediate circle to care for your children. While there are a lot of teenagers who can provide caring, reliable and cost [...]

Last week I talked about how to tell your children you are getting a divorce. Now, let’s talk about when.
Before I provide this type of guidance, I want to reiterate the importance of having both parents present during this pivotal conversation.
When both parents sit down to tell their children about the divorce, it demonstrates to [...]

Divorce can be awful, and telling your kids is a very difficult part of the process. However, there are many things you can do to prepare for the conversation and to minimize your children’s feelings of uncertainty, fear, confusion, anger, and guilt.
While many parents are anxious to “just get it over with,” it is very [...]