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The Power of Expectations
Our expectations of our children greatly influence how they see themselves and how they see the world. Setting age- and ability-appropriate expectations for our children teaches them that they are capable of achievement. High yet attainable expectations also serve to help children avoid inappropriate choices and behaviors. |
Parents Are Leaders - What Kind Are You?
Parental leadership style has an enormous influence on how children "turn out." While autocratic and permissive styles leave children feeling unsure of themselves and fearful, the democratic style gives children confidence to be who they are. Parents who use the democratic style prepare their children to flourish in a world that requires critical thinking skills at every turn. |
Bully-Proofing Your Kids and Yourself and Protecting Self-Esteem
Gifted and talented children are often easy prey for bullies. Helping your child develop good self-esteem, as well as practicing ways to deal with bullies can help her feel more confident and self-assured. |
Touch - The "Weather Report" Game
Touch can be a sweet gift of love and pleasure, or it can be a cruel and damaging violation. Exercises in touching one another can help us learn how to show affection and build connection with our children and other loved ones. |
Forgiving Our Mothers, Healing Ourselves
Everyone knows that parents aren't perfect, but one of the most powerful things grown children can do for their parents is to let them know that they did an adequate job. Forgiving our parents for their shortcomings can allow us to heal ourselves and begin to focus on all of the things that they did right. |
Honoring Today's Dads
"Like father, like son" is an old expression that is currently being questioned and disproved. The fathers of the last generation were defined by their roles as sole breadwinners and strict disciplinarians. The phrase "Wait until your father comes home..." struck fear in the hearts of many youngsters and undermined a loving connection between fathers and their children. Today's modern partner-dads are designing a new vision for their families. |
An Attitude of Gratitude - The Key to a Sweet Life
Expressing gratitude towards others and towards ourselves can be particularly challenging if we rarely heard our parents expressing appreciation in our family of origin. But being grateful and sharing that attitude of gratitude, can make a world of difference in our home life, in our mental health, and even in our physical well-being. |
A Shift in Focus Can Change Your Life
Positive Psychology can help parents raise happy, successful children with high self-esteem. Focusing on their positive traits and strengths motivates children to increase those traits and strengths. Additionally, when parents focus on their own happiness and well-being, the happiness and well-being of their children will naturally increase as well. |
Shaping Great Kids With Positive Parenting
The relationship between emotional experiences as children, and physical and mental health as adults, is powerful and life-long. Childhood traumas give birth to high-risk behaviors, disorders, diseases, and unspeakable pain and suffering. Fortunately, parents have the opportunity to heal themselves and their families by reversing negative parenting habits and adopting positive parenting techniques. |
Become the Parent You Wish You Had
The way our moms and dads parented us is a powerful tool in determining what kind of moms and dads we will be. How we were parented is like a "blueprint" that is embedded in the subconscious mind. But we are not the victims of our parents' mistakes. We have the opportunity to create new, life-giving, positive parenting blueprints that will become our family legacy for generations to come. |
Sometimes Parents Say Dumb Things - Ideas For Damage Control
The things that we say to our children can have a far-reaching impact on their behaviors and on their attitudes. When we stop to consider our words before using them, we can interact with our children in a more positive, loving, and fulfilling way. |
Making the United States a Child-Friendly Place
Out of 21 industrialized nations around the world, the United States is at the bottom of the list. We can become a more child-friendly nation if our society as a whole learns how to tend the emotional needs of our children. Only then will they lead happier, safer, more fulfilling lives. |
Twelve Tips For a Happier Family
With depression rates ten times higher than they were 50 years ago, what hope is there for creating a happy family? The good news is that happiness is a choice. It can be learned by parents and children alike. Twelve "Happiness Boosters" will help you and your family get started creating a happy life. |
How to Boost Your Happiness
Everyone wants to be happy. According to Aristotle, "Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence." Simple, timeless guidelines can help you create happiness ever after-one day at a time. |
Encouraging Words to Improve Family Life and Build Self-Esteem
When people suffer "appreciation deprivation," their self-esteem sags. They may feel resentful or they may complain about how hard they work and how ungrateful everyone is. Everyone suffers as a result of the negative feelings. Here's the good news: Appreciation and encouragement can change the emotional climate in your home! |
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