The Center For Parenting Education

05/10/2019

Families with young children can feel pressure to honor both their own mothers on Mother's Day. In the process, they may ignore the need to recognize all the efforts the mom is putting forth to raise their own children. We hope you can find a way to acknowledge all you do - perhaps you can have your own special day on a different date to do something you would like and when your family can focus on you. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!

12/18/2018

A younger brother walked into the room and suddenly began to complain that his older sister had MORE of something. She wisely suggested that they count how many they each had. It turned out that he actually had more.

This often happens with kids. They have a gut reaction that they are not getting their fair share. It often has nothing to do with the reality.

Read ways to respond when kids say, "It's Not Fair!"

"That's Not Fair" - a common cry of children. By responding that fair does not mean equal, you teach your kids that fair means meeting each person's needs.

12/12/2018

Parenting Principle: Overgiving to children (or to anyone) can be as detrimental as undergiving. Being given too much, more than one deserves, can make a person feel confused, unnecessarily indebted or guilty. It can make it hard for a person to know how much to give back. By Diane Wagenhals

12/03/2018

If you have a child who gets upset easily, you'll need to balance being understanding of his feelings with helping him to move on and find ways to cope with the situation. This will help him to be resilient. Learn more about the temperament trait of emotional sensitivity:

Emotional sensitivity exists on a continuum and refers to how easily or intensely a child responds emotionally to his own feelings and to others' feelings.

11/19/2018

Parenting Principle: A child may be doing things that are developmentally healthy and necessary, but that may still make for very difficult family times.

By Diane Wagenhals

11/13/2018

What do parenting and a TV commercial have in common? So much of both involves how you present an idea. For example, if you only want your child to have 1/2 a cookie, do you tell them "Here is half a cookie. That is all you get." This practically begs them to protest. OR do you say as you hand them the half, "Here is a cookie. I hope you enjoy it." Presenting things in a positive light often reduces conflict.

11/09/2018

Viewing is not the same as doing. Here are 6 ways to help your children become smarter consumers of media - and maybe become more active in the process:

Over-use of screen time for kids has significant impact on their developing brains. Learn easy steps you can take to avoid these problems.

11/01/2018

Even if your child is not a direct player in the a bullying drama, he may still may be traumatized by viewing the incident. He may worry that he is next to be picked on, feel helpless to protect the victim, or guilty that he did not do more. Learn about the important role bystanders can play:

Bullying has become epidemic. You can help decrease its incidence by teaching your children to take a stand against cruel behavior when they see it.

10/24/2018

Do you see your daughter as an athlete one day and a thespian the next? In order for kids to figure out who they are, they need to try on different roles to see which ones "fit" them best. This is part of the process of growing up and finding their identity. Allow them to experiment and enjoy all the different aspects of their personalities.

10/16/2018

We often raise our children how we were raised - for better or worse. It can leave us without a clear road map of how we ideally want to raise our children. However, with a little effort, awareness, and knowledge, we can find a new way. Read "It is Never Too Late to have a Happy Childhood - Breaking the Cycle of Uneven Parenting":

You don't have to repeat unhealthy parenting from your own childhood with your children. You can give your children the happy childhood you may have missed.

10/11/2018

Ever hear of the concept of the "good enough" parent? Many parents think they need to be perfect in order for their children to grow up well. But kids actually do better when their lives are not 100% perfect. Learn how to be "good enough" -

Many people are believe that they can be "perfect" parents. The truth is the perfect parent myth exists. Learn to be "good enough" and be kind to yourself.