Our values continue to evolve throughout our lifetime, but it’s our formative moral lessons - those we learn prior to age 10 - that create the foundation for strong ethics in adulthood. If you have a school-aged child, sharing your values with her will hone her ability to empathize and strengthen the parent-child connection. Imparting solid values can also make ...
As adults, we understand that violence is not permissible under any circumstances. When you see your child hit another child, it’s therefore normal to feel worried, upset, and embarrassed. Many parents are surprised by how strong their emotions become when they witness their child hitting: Even if you know your child is probably just overwhelmed (and unaware of how ...
As kids grow up, they move from a state of complete dependence to one of independence. Clinginess in young children therefore doesn’t come as a surprise to most parents: Kids rely on their parents for support and safety, so it’s normal for them to become anxious at the prospect of separation. If your child seems significantly more clingy ...
One of the greatest challenges parents face is figuring out how to encourage the development of healthy self-esteem without engendering egotism. With research indicating that narcissistic traits are becoming more prevalent among young people, many parents are concerned that their attempts to make their children feel valued could have unintended consequences. Fortunately, understanding what separates confidence from arrogance will give ...
Politics has always been a controversial topic, but rarely has our political climate been as divisive as it is right ...
The human brain processes all sensory information whether or not you are fully aware of it. Most children are able ...
While most of the issues adopted children face while growing up differ little from the challenges experienced by non-adopted children, ...
Every long-term relationship involves a certain amount of conflict. No two people agree on everything, so it’s normal for couples to occasionally argue over matters related to money, personal values, or plans for the future. Indeed, many experts believe that conflict can play an important role in maintaining a healthy relationship, provided that it doesn’t get out of ...
Throughout most of human history, children slept close to their parents for protection. Young children therefore naturally tend to become anxious when left alone in the dark; their brains are hardwired to seek the safety of adult companionship after nightfall. Small children need to be proactively shown how to relax and feel secure at night even when their parents aren’...
Self-discovery is one of the hallmarks of adolescence. By age 12, young people begin the process of separating themselves from their parents and defining who they are as individuals. As they undertake this journey, they’re shaped by many different factors, including their familial and cultural values, the expectations of society, and their peers. Nonetheless, teens are active participants in their ...
Some children adapt readily to peer socialization, but many struggle to find acceptance and form strong bonds with other children. Sometimes, this difficulty is related to a learning or developmental disorder (like High Functioning Autism or ADHD), in which case your child should receive both professional and parental assistance in building better social skills. In other cases, kids flounder socially ...
