The prospect of becoming a step-parent is an exciting part of starting a new relationship; however, it’s crucial to manage your expectations and understand the challenges that potentially lay ahead. Step-families are inherently more complicated than traditional families because they involve more people and, in some cases, there’s a history of conflict between the child’s biological parents. ...
Exploring sexual behaviour is a normal part of adolescence, but parents must be mindful of the messages their children get about sex. Certain types of content, like hyper-sexualized entertainment, social media posts, and especially pornography, can hinder healthy sexual development. They can also give teens unrealistic ideas about relationships and, in the case of pornography, lead to addiction. If you’...
Though eating disorders are typically associated with young women, they can affect people of any age and gender, including boys. Currently, at least one-third of eating disorder patients are men, and rates of disordered eating are rising more quickly in young males than females. These trends accelerated during the pandemic, as many children attempted to cope with heightened anxiety, isolation, ...
Children are experiencing a historic disruption in social development. The Covid-19 pandemic rapidly accelerated the preexisting trend of kids relying on digital devices (rather than face-to-face conversation) to stay in touch with peers, a phenomenon linked to language delays and increased social anxiety. Kids with poor communication skills also have more difficulties with academic learning, and research shows they face ...
Parenting is one of the most demanding jobs one will ever have. A parent’s desire to do the right ...
Having a sense of fairness is a great virtue and a sign that your child has a strong moral compass. ...
Sometimes classroom behavior problems signal giftedness. Brad and Karen were at their wits end. Their grade school children once again ...
Research shows that kids who do chores grow up to be happier, more successful adults. When kids pitch in around the house, they feel competent and valuable, which facilitates the development of healthy self-esteem, confidence, and resilience. Kids also learn practical skills by doing chores, including organizational skills, time management skills, and the ability to complete tasks independently. Unfortunately, getting ...
One of the greatest challenges parents face when trying to cultivate a parenting style is adapting standard methods to suit the unique traits of their child. Though a consistent, balanced approach to parenting works most of the time, some children invariably require more (or less) discipline and guidance than others. Rules that are sensible when applied to a neurotypical child ...
We all want to protect our children from disappointment and ensure they have the best possible opportunities in life, but lawnmower parents take these natural desires to extremes. Unlike helicopter parents, who closely monitor their children’s lives and offer sometimes excessive support, lawnmower parents proactively intervene in their children’s affairs. They may take drastic measures to achieve success ...
Ever since cameras became available to the average consumer, parents have been capturing - and sharing - images of their kids’ major milestones. Over the last decade, however, the way we share photos of our children has taken on a digital dimension that comes with a unique set of considerations. Sharing pictures of your children on social media can violate ...
