Articles (Page 5)
Get a Response
• • • • • Parenting Tip November 21, 2014 Get a Response Parents give instructions many times a day. The difference between a drill sergeant and a parent has to do with relationship. The way you give an instruction helps a lot. In fact, a little forethought can head off resistance before it starts. In addition, we encourage parents to teach children to respond back with some kind of response such as, “Okay Mom,” or “Okay Dad.” This answer…
Raising Emotional Awareness
Parenting Tip November 17, 2014 Raising Emotional Awareness Some children have a rather narrow repertoire of emotional tools. They tend to react with anger whenever they experience any negative emotion. When they’re sad, they display anger. When they’re afraid, they show anger. When they’re disappointed, they take it out on others by getting mad. These children need to learn healthier ways of expressing their emotions, but first they need help understanding the feelings they’re experiencing. A child’s heart can be…
The Value of Listening
• • • • • Parenting Tip November 11, 2014 The Value of Listening Jesus said, “out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). Parents can use this principle to gain some understanding and insight into a child’s heart. Listening becomes key. It’s surprising how many times we ask kids why they don’t talk to their parents and hear the answer, “Because they don’t listen to me.” Yes, it’s true some children confuse listening with agreeing.…
You Be The Leader Game
• • • • • Parenting Tip October 29, 2014 You Be The Leader Game One activity that fosters cooperation in family life is the “You be the Leader” game. This game has three parts. In the first part, choose an activity and someone to lead. The activity might be cleaning up the kitchen after dinner, washing the car, raking the leaves, organizing the playroom, shopping for groceries, or some other household chore. The leader could be Dad or Mom…
Talk to Teens about Character
• • • • • Parenting Tip October 23, 2014 Talk to Teens about Character Teens are at an important stage in life where they are developing their own value system. Sometimes teens seem unresponsive to parental leadership but what you say has more weight than you imagine. Take time to identify character strengths and weaknesses and then respond accordingly. When you see a problem, relating a consequence to the specific weakness can be more productive than just “grounding” a…
Suggestions for Influencing Teens
• • • • • Parenting Tip October 17, 2014 Suggestions for Influencing Teens Even the best of parents must make some changes in the way they parent as their children grow up. The old methods of relating don’t work the same way anymore. In fact, they seem to cause problems instead. Of all the changes teens make, the most important one is probably the adjustment in their relationship with their parents. They’re moving from a parent-child relationship to an…
Some Tips for Helping Kids Deal with Anger
• • • • • Parenting Tip October 6, 2014 Some Tips for Helping Kids Deal with Anger Anger damages relationships. We help parents every week in our office deal with anger in their families. Here are several guidelines we’ve found helpful for anger management in a home. When parents and kids work on these things, anger episodes are reduced. Make these a regular part of your routine and you’ll see tremendous progress. 1. Never argue with children who are…
One Way to Teach Kids Honor
• • • • • Parenting Tip October 3, 2014 One Way to Teach Kids Honor One of the ways that parents can teach honor to children is to include it in the instruction process. You might say, “I’d like you to obey me by setting the table, then I want you to think of something extra to do to surprise me. That’s showing honor. You choose; it’s up to you. Report to me when you’re done and I’ll check…
Bad Attitudes Are Automatic Responses
• • • • • Parenting Tip September 26, 2014 Bad Attitudes Are Automatic Responses Attitudes can be good or bad and are inherently interwoven into everything we do. They often rest just below the surface and are sometimes difficult to read or understand in adults, let alone our children. Billions of dollars are spent each year to create or change attitudes in you toward certain products or activities. Furthermore, attitudes are highly contagious. As a parent, you know that…
The Value of Training
• • • • • Parenting Tip September 19, 2014 The Value of Training Every day you’re training your children to become healthy responsible adults. Is it okay to get up and walk away in the middle of a meal? Is it acceptable to leave the table without helping to clean it up? Is it all right to eat without saying thank you to the one who prepared the meal? How will kids learn what’s appropriate if you don’t train…