Every stage of a child’s life presents a set of unique challenges, and this is just as true for the late teens as it is for any other time. Usually, most of the challenges faced by parents and children at this point have to do with the fact that the child is seeking and needs greater independence but is probably not entirely ready to be on their own. Below are a few things for parents to keep in mind at this point.

Varying Maturity

Some kids are more ready for independence at this stage than others. While in some situations this may be partly related to how much parents have prepared them for and nurtured their independence, there are usually other factors as well. As the parent, part of your job is to gauge their maturity level and how much support they will need from you in the next few years.  [Read more…]

What does your typical day look like? If it follows a familiar pattern, you’re doing it right. 

People are largely creatures of habit. Establishing daily rituals lends meaning to life while letting you attend to pesky pragmatic details — like that need to shower. Here are the benefits of having a family routine and tips for establishing a positive one.   [Read more…]

Children are not born good or evil, but they don’t know how to behave, either. Their instincts often conflict with the rules. And you need to teach them how to live within the rules and do what is best, years before they can understand the reasons why they need to do this. The solution is behavior management. You want to encourage good behavior and discourage bad behavior. Here are 7 behavior management tips for every parent. 

Have Clear Expectations 

Set clear expectations for your child. These expectations should be realistic. For example, you can require a toddler to pick up their toys at put them in the toy box at the end of the day but not to clean the kitchen. You can have simple lists and even checklists of what you expect the child to do. These rules can include saying please and thank you, cleaning up messes they make, and taking care of themselves. Have preschoolers learn that the bedtime routine consists of a bath, brushing their teeth, reading the bedtime story and going to bed. If they fight taking the bath or won’t brush their teeth, you might read one book at bedtime instead of two. For older children, use chore charts. Make sure they know what you expect them to do on a daily and weekly basis.  [Read more…]

It’s a parent’s worst nightmare. Locking a child in the car by mistake. Maybe you left the car running, or you turned the engine off. Whatever the case, you opened the driver’s side door, absent-mindedly engaged the car locks, got out, and shut the door. That’s precisely when the cold chill ran up your backbone. 

A recent article states that there are very few more stressful situations than locking a young child like a toddler or a baby inside your vehicle. The stress will be compounded dramatically if it happens during a hot summer’s afternoon as the temperature inside the car can rise at a rapid, very dangerous rate.   [Read more…]