Sir Ken Robinson Continues to Challenge our Educational System
Creativity expert Sir Ken Robinson challenges the way we’re educating our children. He champions a radical rethink of our school systems, to cultivate creativity and acknowledge multiple types of intelligence. Continue reading
Understanding Attachment Parenting
Attachment Parenting is an approach to raising children in which there are no hard and fast rules. There are general guidelines to pull from, but parents don’t need to follow all of them to participate in this parenting style. By listening to their children, following their instincts, and using certain ideas as tools to choose from, parents can build the best environment possible for their own unique family. Continue reading
Children and Immunizations – Viewpoint #2
We need to protect the lives of our innocent children. Childhood diseases are coming back because people trust that other parents will immunize, and thereby their own children will be safe. The bottom line is none of us are safe if everyone is not immunized. Continue reading
Children and Immunizations – Viewpoint #1
Before making the decision not to vaccinate children against childhood diseases, parents should familiarize themselves with the diseases vaccines prevent and what the consequences would be if their child developed it. They should also understand the risks and side-effects of vaccinations. Continue reading
Five Things You Can Do to Change the Life of a Child
Whether you decide to become involved in organized child advocacy efforts, or you chose to keep a watchful eye on the children in your neighborhood, we can each play a role in making the world a safer place for our children. Continue reading
Children Being Raised in Poverty
With the number of children living in poverty on the rise even in wealthy nations, it is imperative to understand the long-term physical and psychological implications that are associated with living in a chronic state of scarcity and need. Continue reading
Ten Terrific Reasons NOT to Put a TV in Your Child’s Bedroom
Need incentive to remove the TV from your child’s bedroom? You’ll find it here.
The TV is a stranger in your child’s bedroom influencing, guiding, directing, and causing the Great Family Disconnect. There is NO good reason not to GET IT OUT OF THERE, NOW! Continue reading
Trying to Understand Youth Violence
The reality is that bullying, mass school shootings and gang violence are inflicted and directed toward our youth on a random basis. This aggressive behavior is the foundation for the one of the escalating problems that our youth are facing everyday. Youth between the ages of 12 and 24 have the highest risk of being victims of violence. Continue reading
The Effects of Parental Illness or Disability on Children
Parental illness or disability can have devastating effects on children. Through open communication and understanding the emotions of a child, these effects can be managed and minimized as much as possible.
Continue reading
Sex Discrimination – As Seen Through A Teen’s Eyes
When you think of sex discrimination, you probably think about a work environment where a woman is getting paid less than a man, or a woman is not promoted simply because she is a woman. While these situations are often true, sex discrimination is something that could potentially happen to anybody. Continue reading
Anger, Fear, and Sadness – As Experienced by A Teen
Anger and sadness come right along with fear in most any fear-based situation, and can do a lot of damage to someone. After all, as humans, we learn by mistakes. So when we are told there is a monster outside, the emotional reactions we have are going to stick with us much longer than the feeling of relief which comes with the rising sun. Continue reading
Do You Want to be a Foster Parent?
You want to have kids, and for one reason or another, having your own is not in the plan. So now you’re considering adopting. Becoming a foster parent is one path to adoption and there are many children in the foster care system waiting for a family. Continue reading
The Teen and Body Image
At what point can someone say, with confidence, that they are beautiful? What constitutes being beautiful? Does it suddenly happen when you reach a certain age, or is there some sort of merit prerequisite? I don’t believe that any of those standards apply. For me, being able to say with confidence that I am beautiful came with a little shift of perspective. Continue reading
Understanding Child Mistreatment
“When it comes to damage, there is no real difference between physical, sexual and emotional abuse. All that distinguishes one from the other is the abuser’s choice of weapons.” – Andrew Vachss. There are many formal, accepted definitions of child mistreatment. The information in this article is intended as a basic guide to understanding child abuse and neglect. Continue reading
Talking to Your Child About Sexual Predators
We receive many messages from the media, talk shows, television and the Internet regarding the existence of childhood sexual abuse. Unfortunately, there is not an equivalent amount of information on how to talk to your child about sexual abuse and how to prevent it. Most parents never think about talking to their child, and it is very common to be uncomfortable while talking to your child about this topic. Why not give your child all of the information they need to protect themselves? Continue reading
Texting and Sexting – The Behavior and the Consequences
The moment you send a picture of yourself to someone else, consider it public information. It only takes a second for the recipient to forward it to friends (or your parents), or to post that pose on Facebook. As a result, you may face embarrassment and ridicule. Continue reading
The Effects of the Decline of Physical Activity
Kids don’t even have to walk to each other’s house to socialize these days; they can send text messages instead. Then there’s the allure of the television set. The first things some kids do when they come home from school is to park themselves in front of the “boob tube” where they’re glued until dinnertime, snacking while they watch their favorite television shows.
Continue reading
Ways to Tell if Your Teen is Experimenting with Drugs
Every young person will respond to drugs in ways that are particular to their temperaments and physiology. The key thing to look for is abrupt changes in behavior. Mood swings, for example, can be a giveaway. Your teen may be withdrawn and isolated one moment and then overly talkative and animated the next. Continue reading
The Crippling Effects of Community Violence on Children
Community violence has many negative effects on society, but children may be the real victims. Children living in violent communities have many issues that hinder normal, healthy development. Many suffer from severe cases of post-traumatic stress disorder, as well. Continue reading
The Challenges and Rewards of Co-Parenting
Children benefit from their parents’ solidarity. Conflicts, disagreements, and inconsistent behavior amongst the adults can contribute to their insecurities and anxieties. But if two parents are committed to making important decisions together regarding their children, and if they uphold each other in that area, then this kind of stability and reliability will be communicated to the young ones and contribute to their overall emotional health and happiness. Continue reading
