My kids like television… a lot. Sometimes I worry (as do many of you) about the amount of TV that they consume. I especially become concerned when their little eyes glaze over as the hypnotic TV trance brainwashes them into encouraging me to purchase Aquaglobes or Debbie Meyer Green Bags, or they reenact entire seasons …
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Carl and Raylene Worthington believe that prayer–not medicine–should be used to treat illness. When their 15-month-old daughter developed bacterial bronchial pneumonia, they turned to their faith rather than a doctor. The child died, and the parents are now facing manslaughter charges. Reading about the recent court battle over parental rights in Oregon has raised some …
Continue reading Your Right to Raise Your ChildGrowing up, my parents and teachers told me that I was smart and talented frequently enough for me to believe them. While adults thought they were doing the right thing by lavishing praise on children (whether or not they deserve it) a growing amount of research shows that telling children that they are special or …
Continue reading New Ways to Praise: "You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake"It’s eleven minutes after seven in the morning. If the kids are going to make it to school on time, I need to get them out of the door and strapped into the car by 7:15. Inevitably, one of them (my son is 4, daughter is 7) will encounter a challenge (I don’t know where …
Continue reading Take Time to Say, "No"I’m sure (I hope) most of you will agree that teaching our children manners is crucial.  Here’s a simple way to reinforce your children saying, “thank you.”  This Dad-o-Matic Quick Tip works best with younger children.  When you hand your child something that they have asked for, don’t let go. Keep your grip on the object–be …
Continue reading Dad-o-Matic Quick Tip: Getting Kids to Say Thank YouMy wife and I have always made it a priority to read to our children–I’m sure most of you do the same, and yes, I do the voices. I would like to think that this habit has helped lead to our second grader’s ability to read at a 5th grade level.  Every night, before bed …
Continue reading Our Favorite Bedtime Books I spend a lot of time online.  Working at an interactive agency, part of my job is staying up on the latest online trends which includes having accounts at several social media, community and networking websites. Recently, I inadvertently came across the profile of someone I knew, my niece, and I was surprised to …
Continue reading Hey – She's Not 22!The “C-word” – it’s one of the worst words in the English language. Whenever I hear one of my two children utter this word, they know that there will be consequences. Under no circumstances are my children allowed to say, “can’t.” Here’s how I’ve helped eliminate “can’t” (and a few other words) from the conversation. …
Continue reading The "Bad" WordsWhen I was in grammar school, I didn’t know anyone with a life-threatening nut allergy. Today, it seems to have become a far more common occurrence, and different schools have different approaches to handling the kids with the allergies and the foods they’re allergic to. My son, who just started pre-K at a private parochial …
Continue reading Nuts!