When a Parent Adandons a Child: How to Cope

As hard as we try to give our children the best life possible, sometimes things are just out of our control. It can be devastating and confusing for kids when life doesn’t go as they think it should. In our home we have had to deal with some very difficult issues following a divorce and [...]

Getting Over the “Its Not Fair” Syndrome

Life is not always fair, but we can learn to roll with the punches and make new choices along the way. We always have the choice to change.
By Anne Mattos- Leedom
I remember so clearly sitting next to my dad as we drove through town. I was discussing some injustice I had suffered and he [...]

Money Matters: Who Pays What When Adult Children Live at Home

Adapted from: Under One Roof Again: All Grown Up and (Re)learning to Live Together Happily By Susan Newman, Ph.D.
Living with a relative solves many financial problems, but you will want to straighten out the details in the beginning and adjust them along the way so everyone feels the arrangement is fair. It may be that [...]

Ten Ways to Be A More Positive Person

We are all feeling uncertain these days. Rather than give in to fear and worry, it is important to learn new ways to cope with change and invite inspiration and positivity into our every day.
Emotions run high when our lives are in crisis and when the world seems to be teetering on the edge. Developing [...]

Will Our Love Last?

Raising caring, responsible children in today’s world presents many challenges. We hope as parents that our kids will grow into strong adults who can care for themselves and for others with their whole hearts and minds. We gauge their success as adults on many external factors, but from what I have seen in my many [...]

Want Healthier Kids: Serve Dinner For Breakfast

Nutritionists tell us how important it is to make sure our children eat a good breakfast each and every day. But many American children are used to eating sugary breakfasts such as pancakes, waffles and cereal.

Get this. A bowl of Frosted Mini Wheats contains three teaspoons (12 grams) of sugar; some raisin bran cereals contain [...]

When Mental Health Issues Touch Your Family

Divorce rates continue to rise and families can be destroyed. In some cases, couples can move forward and handle child rearing and financial issues with minimal disruption. However, when mental health issues are involved it can be truly devastating as the healthy family members try to cope with the ongoing issues that are constantly brought [...]

Getting Your Kids to WriteThank You Notes

The holidays can be a wonderful time to enjoy our families and share so much love and joy with our children. However, all the fun and excitement can either be something that will be meaningful for the rest of our kids’ lives or it can be quickly lost in the rush of the gifts and [...]

Four Ways to Raise Financially Responsible Kids

Allowances are a great tool when used properly to teach kids how to manage money. Its critical to set allowances up as an ongoing process for earning money, not as a method to demonstrate love or to reward kids for actions that are naturally expected in a family unit. Here are some guidelines to help [...]

Cliques, Peer Pressure and Fitting In…

I’ve done the math…there are 6,570 days in my daughter’s lives from the day they are born to the day they turn 18. Many of those days will be filled with so much joy….but others will be filled with heartache and frustration. It is a great feeling to be able to help my kids learn [...]

The Value to Volunteering

It is never too early to encourage our kids to care about others. Dr. Erik Fisher gives us some great advice on the cycle of giving and receiving.
In today’s society, so many of us feel that children are growing up with unhealthy values and unproductive attitudes. Children and teens are sometimes viewed as self-centered, seldom [...]

The Do’s and Don’t of Teaching Kids Self Control

Experts tell us that self control is one of the most important virtues kids need to do well in life. Here are some great tips from author Dyan Eybergen on the Do’s and Don’ts of this crucial life skill.
Self-control is a skill that enables a person to discern what is right from wrong. It is [...]

The Three Pillars of Being A Good Role Model

Experts are consistent that being a great role model is one of the most important factors in raising strong, responsible kids. It is pretty clear that if you want to raise caring kids, you need to show them daily what that looks like. If you want your kids to be responsible, clean, whatever it might [...]

Help Wanted: Mother…Classified Ads For All You Do

Author Melissa Stanton offers a great look at what being a stay-at-home mom would look like if you had to hire one!
Here’s a sampling of the job postings that would be needed to cover all you do for the children—and significant other adult—in your household.
NANNY: Patient, loving woman who requires limited sleep and adult interaction [...]

Protecting Our Kids: Where Should We Draw the Line?

In today’s world there are so many threats to our kids’ physical and emotional well being that it is almost overwhelming. Cyber-bullying, kidnapping, too much violence and sex in the media and of course, the scars and damage that can occur in marriage and divorce. If these issues have kept you up at night, stay [...]

Ten Tips for Saving Money for College

This year, more than ever, college bound students and their parents will want to spread their spending dollars as far as possible. Marie Carr, author of Sending Your Child to College  has sent three daughters to 4 different colleges. She offers these tips that will help parents save money.
1. Don’t pay for health insurance twice.  [...]

Mid Life Crisis Management: Avoid Sharp Objects

I confess, one of my favorite shows growing up was Little House on the Prairie. Anyone who knows me won’t find that too surprising. I have to confess I still watch it on occasion. One of the biggest differences I have noticed in reflecting on this time in history is that the concept of “Mid [...]

The Dangers of Over Parenting

In today’s world parents have to be more careful and more vigilant about our kids’ safety, activities and well being. It is a more dangerous world. However, in our zeal to protect and care for our kids we run the risk of going too far. We can protect our kids to the point of actually [...]

Healthy Eating is Not a Discipline Issue

Stress is an ongoing issue in most every household but nothing brings about more stress in my home than trying to get my kids to eat healthy.  As we pack their lunches it seems like it is a daily battle to get something substantial and healthy into their little bodies and let’s not even discuss [...]

Five Secrets to Setting and Achieving Your Goals

We so often start the New Year full of enthusiasm and certainty that this will be the year we will finally succeed.

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