Our experts explain why your parenting style is of vital importance when it comes to raising your child.
There is a purely emotional part of the parent/child relationship that is built on affection and esteem. Parents and children are genetically geared to love each other, and it’s a beautiful thing to behold. But there’s a stage where parenting becomes a functional role, not just an emotional role. With infants, the emotional role shows when... Read more »
What comes to mind when you hear the phrase “free-range” parenting? Many people picture extremely lenient parents who impose few rules and fewer consequences. However, as with many stereotypes, that’s far from the truth. Free-ranging parenting, like all parenting, takes a lot of hard work—and for the kids, being free-range is a hard-earned privilege. As a... Read more »
Have you ever noticed that when things aren’t going right, particularly with your kids, your knee-jerk reaction is to do more of something—not less? If they are not listening to you, you most likely raise your voice, rather than lower it. If they are struggling with something difficult, you jump in with loads of ideas,... Read more »
Your child: “Everyone else is going to the party. Why can’t I?” You: “I don’t care what ‘everyone else’ is doing. You can’t go and that’s final.” Your child: “Why are you so mean? You never let me do anything. I hate you!” Do you ever wonder if your rules are too strict—or too lenient? When is it... Read more »
What do you do when your spouse doesn’t parent the same way you do? Hands-down, this is one of the most frequently asked questions we receive at Empowering Parents. “I want to set limits and give consequences, but he thinks I’m being too hard on our kids,” said one mother recently. “I’m tired of being... Read more »
Do you have a well-meaning (or not so well-meaning) relative who constantly undermines your parenting? I wrote a blog about grandparents, and the positive role that they can play in your child’s life. What happens, though, when the opposite happens --when grandparents or other relatives try to negate or undermine the limits you set on... Read more »
“My child misbehaves so much that I don’t even know where to start!” This is one of the most common things we hear on the parent coaching team, and it’s an understandable problem. Many parents tell me they feel overwhelmed, frustrated and anxious when dealing with their child or teen’s acting out behavior; they wonder... Read more »
Here’s the truth: if being your kids’ friend was enough to raise them successfully, we would all probably parent that way. But our job is way more complicated than that. Children and teens really crave boundaries, limits and structure. At the same time, they also need some healthy separation from us as they go through... Read more »
Picture this scene: Your teen’s curfew is 11:30 p.m. and you stay up waiting for her. When she doesn’t come home on time, you pace and worry, your mood alternating between fear and anger. When your daughter finally waltzes in well past midnight, she disrupts everyone in the house and makes excuses when you ask,... Read more »
If you and your spouse take opposing roles in dealing with your kids, you’re not alone. Many parents take on the roles of “good cop” and “bad cop” in the family. For instance, Dad is the kid’s best buddy, and mom is the nag. Or dad is strict and mom is a sympathizer. Which “cop” is... Read more »
