Parenting Kids With Low Self Esteem

 Have you ever wondered what goes on inside the head of a person with low self-esteem? If you're experiencing low self-esteem for the first time, it can be pretty scary. If you've not experienced negative self-image, it's hard to imagine why those of us who have behave as we do. If you're parenting a child with self esteem issues, it's even more challenging. Kids struggle with communication as it is. To explain negative emotions to a parent can be overwhelming. Here are coping tips. Read more

How I Set Work-at-Home Boundaries with Myself and Family

I've been a WAHM (work-at-home-mom) since 2005. There are advantages to working at home. I see more of my family, I'm readily available. I don't have to go out to work every day. Oddly, those advantages are closely related to the disadvantages. Work-at-home perks caused many problems before I learned to set boundaries. Here's how. Read more

How to talk and listen to your teen

"We need to talk." Hearing those words makes me nervous. I don't know whether it's the faint implication of censure, the possible portent of bad news or just the fear of the unknown, but I get edgy when someone says that to me. Kids get nervous, too. Here are parenting tips on talking to teens so everyone feels comfortable.  To read the article, click here How to listen to your teen. (Please note: there are several errors in this article and I apologize for that. I'm not sure, but I think they're happening when I transfer the article from WORD to the template I'm using.)

Why kids cut and self abuse

Self-abuse is a touchy, uncomfortable subject. Kids cutting can be terrifying for parents. Cutting refers to a form of self abuse in which the skin, typically near the wrist, is sliced or pierced. It's scary for kids, too, particularly those who cut or know someone who does. Cutting behavior is dangerous--it spreads infection and causes scarring. Most upsetting of all is that such acts may stem from underlying depression and thoughts of suicide. From personal experience as a mom and childhood self-abuser, here are thoughts on cutting behavior.  Why kids cut and self abuse 

Enforcing Rules with Kids--Easier Said Than Done

I'm going to admit something that I'm not too proud of--sometimes, I'm a hypocrite. I dispense parenting advice that I have trouble following myself. Don't get me wrong--I believe in what I say. I just don't always practice what I preach.

Take the issue of enforcing rules--I'm not a total failure, but let's just say my batting average is pretty low. <---this mom is a pushover (shh-don't tell my husband or kids). I find it much easy to set forth the boundaries than to follow through on consequences. Several factors contribute to this shortcoming.  Enforcing Rules with Kids--Easier Said Than Done 

Biggest parenting time-wasters with better alternatives

Wasting time is something we all need to do now and then. Continually working at maximum productivity isn't good for machines, let alone humans. We parents are especially notorious for working ourselves to the edge and over. When I work too hard for too long, the quality of my work suffers (I'm also freakishly grouchy). Having said that, there are more and less healthy ways to waste time. Here are some not-so-great ones, with better alternatives. (Picture shows us wasting time at a gazebo at Myrtle's Plantation in St. Francisville, La. For tips on how to waste time, click here Biggest parenting time-wasters (with better alternatives)

There's Solidarity with Mom Who Choked Facebook Bully

When first reading about Debbie Piscitella, the Florida mother who ABC News Blogs says choked a Facebook bully in her 14-year-old daughter's defense, I was inclined to pontificate. According to the article, the kid wrote on Facebook that Piscitella's daughter was a "fat (deleted) whale and didn't deserve to live because she is so nasty that he wouldn't even rape her." That makes the mother bear in me want to disassemble the kid like a jigsaw puzzle and leave few pieces out. Read more at There's Solidarity with Mom Who Choked Facebook Bully

How to Parent an Obese Child

How This Mom Would Help an Obese Child Lose Weight and Be Healthy In Cleveland Heights, Ohio, an 8-year-old child was taken from his mother's home and placed in foster care. Why? He weighs over 200 pounds. Mom is being charged with medical neglect, for not making him diet. Despite having access to more community support networks than his mother, the foster family isn't finding it so easy to get his weight down either.

Obesity isn't a simple matter, as they are finding. It's not just nutrition and exercise that determine a child's weight. Some kids can live on junk food and never gain weight. Other children, no matter how well they are fed, will go through a pudgy stage. Genetic makeup, breastfed or bottle, family poverty, intellectual stimulation, puberty, depression and emotional issues, thyroid problems, Prader-Willi Syndrome all these factors and more can affect a child's weight. If I was a parent, these are the steps I would take to care for this obese child. I know what it's like to be the overweight kid. I also know what it's like to parent a child who struggles with weight problems and a child with an eating disorder. So many factors enter into the equation. The important thing is to address the emotional health issues, provide good nutrition and fitness opportunities and let puberty take its course. Read on...

Sexual Harassment, Bullying Prevention Among Middle and High School Students

Sexual Harassment, Bullying Prevention Among Middle and High School Students List a parent's top ten fears about middle and high school and sexual harassment will be one of them. A recent survey by the American Association of University Women (AAUW) confirmed that parents should be concerned. The study revealed that 48 percent of students in grades 7-12 report that they have sexually harassed in some way at school or through electronic communications. Here is a Q-and-A about kids and sexual harassment. Read on...

How to Get Your Teen to Respect You Without Compromising Your Integrity

How to Get Your Teen to Respect You Without Compromising Your Integrity
Respect is the name of the game for parents, but how to achieve that oft-elusive goal with teens and children? How can you "get" teens to respect you? With these simple tips. Read on...

Genetic Testing for Mood Disorders

With the Arizona shooting deaths on January 9, 2011, discussion is focused on mental health issues that may trigger violent events. Profiles of shooters often reveal a history of psychiatric issues. Are there genetic

tests that demonstrate a predisposition to mental health issues? Let's look at one commonly diagnosed mental health condition: bipolar or manic-depressive disorder. Read on...