PARENTING STYLES

It was a typical Sunday morning in our house. My husband woke up at 8 a.m., made coffee and went outside to cut the grass. The kids were sleeping and I was sitting in bed reading a magazine. My son, Jacob, woke about ten minutes later, just as I was getting into the good part of an article — typical when you have a 5-year-old. Two minutes later, my 3-year-old daughter, Lindsay, found her way into our bed, as well. I tickled their stomachs. We had a pillow fight and we laughed and laughed. It became what we call in our house a "cuddle fest." It was the best moment of my week. Little did I know that three hours later, I would experience the worst moment of my life.

As a parent of a teen or tween, what could be better than more moments when your child wants to be close enough for a hug and to sit and talk to you? You’ve been told to expect the eye-rolling and attitude and pulling away when they hit the teen years. Yes, it’s normal for this to happen; however, it doesn’t mean it has to be this way, and that you have to suffer through it. 

giving yourself a break as a parent Inherent in the art of parenting is the feeling – at least the occasional one – of guilt. Putting Oreos and the remote in front of the t.v. in the morning for your 4-year-old’s “Special Breakfast with Sponge Bob” while you sleep in is one of those times that guilt is warranted.   

According to a study by psychologists Christy Starr and Gail Ferguson at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, which was published in the journal Sex Roles, young girls value the concept of "sexiness." Specifically, 60 girls were each shown two dolls — one of which was dressed in sexy clothing while the other doll was dressed in a loose yet trendy outfit. The girls were then asked to select the doll that they wanted to look like, the doll that they already looked like, the doll that they wanted to play with and the doll that looked like she would be popular in school.

They are extremely stressed out - One of the biggest issues facing teens is not necessarily grades, peer pressure,parents, or drugs/alcohol, its stress. They wake up with stress, live with stress, then go to sleep with stress. Teens stress about everything that goes on each day. They stress about college, they stress about how they look, they stress about failing, they stress about their friends, the list goes on. Furthermore, stress directly impacts their level of confidence.

A new study reveals a connection between spanking in childhood and mental health diagnoses later in life. Whether or not you agree with the findings, I'd like to present you with ten reasons spanking is never a good idea.

Most parents REALLY want to be good parents. But since it is rare for parents to take parenting classes or heal their childhood issues before becoming parents, we inadvertently do lots of things to mess up our kids. This tongue-in-cheek article may help you to see what you are doing! 1. Ignore the crying

By Barbara Greenberg, PhD for GalTime The news on parenting properly has shaken mothers to the core this week as Time Magazine featured a story about attachment parenting entitled "Are You Mother Enough?"

When parents think about discipline, all too often they equate discipline with punishment. Whoa … not so fast! 'What's wrong with punishment?' you may wonder. Well, punishment is costly. It results in kids feeling badly, both about themselves and about you. And is it effective? Not very.

Your teen leaves his dirty clothes all over the house. Instead of getting into another fight with him or nagging him to pick them up, you do it for him. It’s easier, right? Your daughter with ADD is having problems completing her science project. She can’t seem to focus and complains that it’s boring and too difficult. After she goes to sleep, you finish it for her. After all, you don’t want her to fail.

The cover of the latest issue of TIME magazine horrified not only many people in our office, but pretty much the entire Internet. It shows a three-year-old boy sucking on his mother's breast while standing on a chair. The cover illustrates an article about the origins of "attachment parenting."

Since the 1970s, tough love has received a great deal of attention. It's all about creating tough consequences for teens when they make irresponsible or dangerous decisions. Sadly, the term has been used to describe a parenting style that often resembles bully behavior. Parents are struggling with their parenting voice – trying to find a way to be effective parents with teens who are making poor choices. They need help practicing tough love by creating healthy boundaries and external controls for children who are unable to do this for themselves.

Do you allow your kids to give you the joy of laughter? Do you let yourself play long enough to get the joke? Do you even take the time to hear them when they are funny...even if they don't intend to be? Do you factor in the self confidence and self worth they derive when you express your appreciation for them through your laughter? Live a little—Laugh a little!

My husband and I seem to parent our children differently based on their genders, a tendency I never expected, being the enlightened and empowered woman I am. (“Roar” and all that.) Once we had both a boy and a girl, though, this tendency became obvious.