Parenting: The Challenge

Your child may be at the stage where she won't eat vegetable. It can be very frustrating and you want to be sure she is getting the nutrition that she needs. I have the same issue with my own toddler these days, the only vegetable he is really willing to eat is peas. The tricks I have tried with some good success have been to "sneak" vegetables into his meals.  For example, I put spinach and other vegetables into quesadillas. I have a juicer and juice vegetables adding an apple or a lemon so that it tastes more like fruit juice but he is getting a good dose of veggies.  Blending vegetables to make a sort of sauce can also ...

More about: Getting Your Child to Eat Vegetables

If your child is getting to the age where he will be going to preschool in the fall, you may have some anxiety around it all. It can be hard on you and them, especially if you have been home with them their first few years. Preschool is a great learning experience for the both of you that would be a shame to miss. When it gets closer to them attending in the fall, talk to your child about it letting him know what's in store for him when going to preschool. Let him know that he will meet many other kids and learn a lot of new things. You may find it difficult to leave him there on his ...

More about: Making The Preschool Transition Easier

The debate on spanking has been around for a long time, for some they would never think to use it as discipline. Others may have been spanked as a child and don't see it as a big deal. Being a parent myself, I do not see spanking as an effective way to discipline my child. There are many other effective ways to teach your children how to behave better. I think that spanking can instill fear in a child that can be held onto for years into adulthood. Getting down to your child's level when they have a tantrum or an upset and letting them know that you understand can be very helpful. Following through with the boundaries you set ...

More about: Spanking, Where Do You Stand?

With summer comes more free time and relaxed adult supervision which can mean more opportunities for your teen to use alcohol and drugs. According to an annual study of adolescent drug use one third of of high school seniors report having used marijuana as well as 27% of 10th graders. 44% of high school seniors reported drinking in the past 30 days. 15% of 8th graders, 29% of 10th graders and 37% of 12th graders report using an illicit drug in the past year. Those are some scary statistics. You want to really monitor your child for any change in mood or behavior. There are some signs that mean it's time for you to take action: smelling alcohol or marijuana stealing money marked ...

More about: Spotting Teen Drug use and Preventing It

When your child reaches the teenage years you may have noticed that your relationship has gone through some changes. You may not be as close with them as you once were or really know what's going on in their lives. How do you stay involved with their life when it seems they don't want you to be? First be there for them. They are more likely to come to you when they know you will be there for them without judgement or criticism, but just as their parent. be a good listener when they do come to you and have something to share. Wait for them to ask for advice and suggestions, don't just offer it. They want to be ...

More about: How Well do You Know Your Teen?

Summer time is a great way to teach your child about how things grow and maybe even give them an appreciation of how they get their fruits and vegetables. Gardening is a great way to spend time with your child and get them involved with keeping a garden. They may even be more interested in trying things that they have never tried before or at one time didn't like. WHen they are more involved in the process of growing their own food, they may be more likely to try and eat the resulting bounty.  Have them help you pick out some things that they would like to grow and make them "in charge" of it. if they are old enough ...

More about: Growing a Garden WIth Your Child

Not everyone has the same parenting style and there will be times when your child may spend time with someone that parents differently than you do. If their style is radically different from how you parent how do you handle that? The best thing to do is to speak up about the things that are really important to you.  Occasionally  your rules can be bent if they are not endangering your child, like a later bed time. When it comes to discipline be clear with whoever will be in charge so that there are no misunderstandings about what you're ok with and what you're not ok with. If you have good relationships with your friends and family they will respect ...

More about: How to Handle a Friend’s or Relatives Differing Parenting Style

Summer is on it's way which means school is out, what do you do with the kids? If you're on a tight budget it can be even more difficult to plan fun and educational things for your kids to do. If summer camp is not on the horizon there are other opportunities. The library is a great resource and their events are free. Check out your local library for story time, or guests events that may be happening. Take them to a toy store to play with the demo toys that are available. Younger children can ride free on buses, ferries or trains, travel to a different location to check out a new environment. May cities have a variety of ...

More about: Free Summer Activities to do With Kids

This is the suggestion from the "radical free-range" mother Lenore Skenazy. She believes that is your child is at least 7 years old they can be left at the park for an hour or 10 minutes, whatever you can handle, so that they can meet and play with other children. This is one of the ways she gives her child more independence. Parents think the world is more dangerous than when we ourselves were children. When we were children we could ride our bikes and play with the neighbors until dark. I agree that children need to learn to take care of themselves and be allowed to do so, that doesn't make you a bad parent. Parents just need to ...

More about: Take Your Children to the Park and Leave Them

The first 4 years of life for toddlers are the most important for they have a lasting impact throughout their life. Research that was reported on MSNBC.com has shown that the quality of daycare at an early age can influence the behavior of a child as well as their ability to learn. 1300 children were followed over the course of 11 years. They found that poor cooperation and lower performance in school were associated with poor quality care during their first 4 years. Interestingly, even if peers and teachers became more prominent, the more time they had spent in child care of any kind were more prone to risky behavior. This research suggest that it's really important to know the ...

More about: Daycare Has a Lasting Impact on Children’s Behavior