Other Blog Posts

How to Address Bad, Rude, or Inappropriate Teen Behavior—When You’re Not the Parent

By: Dr. Peter Scales, Guest Blogger

I get a lot of questions about how to address bad, rude, or inappropriate middle-school-aged and teen behavior when it’s coming from other people’s kids. Whether you’ve overheard a young person in your neighborhood swearing, or you’ve witnessed a young person making derogatory remarks or treating another young person badly, it can be tricky to know when—and when not—to confront him or her about the inappropriate behavior. What you might do in different situations depends on several things, but here are three general rules-of-thumb to keep in mind when addressing these types of situations. Read more >>

Why Parents Should Encourage Kids to Volunteer and Ideas for Getting Started

By: Susan Ragsdale

Can families volunteer? Can I? What age do you have to be to volunteer here? These are the same questions that pour forth every year from 13 eager girls, ages 9-12, involved in my local YMCA's one-week summer volunteer camp. Read more >>

3 Ways to Help Your Child Say ‘No’ to Cheating

By: Rebecca Post, Guest Blogger

As another school year draws to a close, your children will be taking exams and completing final projects. You may assume that your child would never cheat, but you may also be aware of Americans’ shifting values around cheating. It seems that even some educators cheat. Most recently, 35 educators in the Atlanta Public Schools were indicted for falsely improving students’ test scores. Read more >>

Why I'm Proud to Be a "Mean Mom"

By: Vicki Bohling

My name is Vicki and I’m a mean mom. Not all the time, mind you, but I apparently have it “in me”. Read more >>

My Top 5 Reasons Blended Families are Awesome

By: Steve Palmer

The popular television show Modern Family stars several families who are connected to one another through various relationships. Have you seen it? It’s a very funny and entertaining show, but another important reason to watch it is because it portrays a pretty accurate view of how our society has changed to accommodate the various “new” definitions of “family”. There is a so-called traditional family (mom, dad, two kids), a same-sex couple raising their daughter, and a blended family (dad, mom and her biological son). Read more >>

Four Reality Checks for Sending Your Child to College

By: Becky Post, Guest Blogger

If you are a parent of a junior or senior in high school, you probably find yourself muttering that persistent cliché, “Time flies.” Now that my nineteen-year-old daughter is in college, a few more clichés appear to be enduringly true, and foremost of all is this one: “It’s none of your business.” In fact, this realization has evolved into a few cold hard reality checks that my husband and I are learning to embrace. Read more >>

How to Instill Positive Values in Your Child

By: Gene Roehlkepartain, Guest Blogger

One of the most important things your child can do is to internalize the values they will live by. For moms, dads, and other parenting adults, this process can be both rewarding and terrifying. Read more >>

How to Be Involved in Your Child's Peer Relationships Without Being Controlling

By: Gene Roehlkepartain, Guest Blogger

As our kids grow up, we recognize that friends play bigger and bigger roles in their lives. They become romantic partners; they help teens develop social skills, try new activities, and provide them with lots of support and encouragement. Through their friends, kids figure out a lot about themselves and who they are becoming. Read more >>

Chores and Family Responsibilities: 5 Ways to Set Great Expectations for Your Child

By: Gene Roehlkepartain, Guest Blogger

What are our children and teens’ roles in our families? Are they just supposed to do well in school and stay out of trouble? Are they expected to do chores such as making their bed, cleaning their room, taking out the garbage and recycling, or caring for a family pet? Or are they expected to provide care for a sibling, aging grandparent, or disabled family member? Do they cook meals and clean the house for the whole family? Read more >>

Keeping Kids Safe: Tips for Raising Good Kids in a Violent World

By: Gene Roehlkepartain, Guest Blogger

Being a victim or perpetrator of violence, harassment, or bullying is a serious issue, with lasting negative effects on the lives of children and teens. When young people experience violence, they face more physical and mental health challenges as well as problems in school. They are also at greater risk of using violence themselves. Parents can play important roles in preventing or reducing these risks for their children. Read more >>