Children need help to deal with their emotions. This means teaching them how to respond when feelings arise.

Our family teaches us how to function in the world. It should provide love and warmth to all of its members. A strong family gives its members the support they need to make it through life’s toughest spots.

Do-it-yourself “legal” documents and estate planning software can be found in office supply superstores and scores of web sites. Some publications and advertisements lead a person to believe that they can handle all their estate planning needs either by themselves or with just one phone call, plus a hefty fee to a slick attorney operating from the internet.

Summer camp can be a fun, growing time for many school-aged children. If you are thinking about summer camp, here are some things to consider...

Communication is the basic building block of our relationships.
It is through communication that we convey our thoughts, feelings, and connection to one another.

Mary and Bill recently divorced. Their divorce decree stated that Bill would pay the balances on their three joint credit card accounts. Months later, after Bill neglected to pay off these accounts, all three creditors contacted Mary for payment...

Adults sometimes think that children do not experience feelings of grief, but even babies feel loss and show signs of grief. Children experience many losses—such as losing a favorite toy, being separated from a parent, losing a family member to death, moving to a new home or school.

In today’s busy world it can be hard to find time to play. Play is as important for adults as it is for children. Play increases our creativity and can make us better problem solvers. 

It is much more than the words you say. It is what you say, how you say it, why you say it, when you say it, and what you don’t say. It is your facial expression, your gestures, your posture, and your tone of voice.

 Spending time together as a family takes planning, but it’s a good investment. When children feel close to their parents, they try harder to please their parents and make them proud. This makes the whole family unit stronger.

Although children learn about AIDS in school and from their friends, parents have a very important job in helping their children really understand AIDS and how not to get it.

1. Get a plan and stick to it.

Set a specific “quiet time” every day for homework or general reading. Involve your child in setting the rules for this. Ask your child to come up with three rules 

When you bring up the subject of teenagers in a room full of parents, there’s usually a group groan. People roll their eyes and laugh nervously. Almost everyone thinks about this stage with fear and trepidation.

Well, yes and no. For some children, the school reading program doesn’t succeed as well as we’d like. And for every child, parents can make a big difference in helping children learn to read better.

Researchers know that strong families feel “in control” of their finances. Some very rich families feel “out of control,” and some very poor families have this vital feeling of being “in control.” Help your children learn how to be “in control” of their spending.

Children can learn to make healthy decisions with support from their parents. Parents can help children learn to make decisions by working together with them rather than always being in total control.

Children who are given the basics — love, healthy food, enough sleep, clothing, a safe and healthy home — have a natural head start at school.

What are the characteristics of youth who are most and least at-risk of becoming involved with drugs and other risky activities? What can parents do to help their kids stay on a good path?

If we want our children to be non-violent, we can not use violence to discipline them. Discipline means “to teach.” When we discipline our children we are turning their misbehavior into an opportunity to teach them how we want them to behave.

When expectations are realistic, it is easy for a child to experience success and feel personally valuable. On the other hand, when expectations are too high or too rigid, parents often express disappointment in their child’s actions. 

Youth who stay away from risky behaviors tend to have parents who set clear limits for behavior. These parents usually have rules about homework, television use, curfew, drugs and alcohol.

At one time or another most parents ask themselves: "What can I do to help my child feel better about himself...to feel more confident...to view life positively?"

Is stress getting to you? Here are some clues research gives us about stress and the characteristics of good stress managers.

A family crisis occurs when a family has to change. It is a turning point: things will either get better, or they will get worse. Sometimes, day-to-day hassles can pile up and cause a stress overload.

Preteen children continue to define their values, beliefs and knowledge about sexuality. Giving accurate facts and openly discussing their questions and concerns can help teens and preteens develop healthy and responsible sexual attitudes.

Most adults recognize that teens have better thinking skills than younger children. These advances in thinking can be divided into several areas: Developing advanced reasoning skills...

There are five major social and emotional issues that teens deal with during their adolescent years. These include: Establishing an identity. This has been called one of the most important tasks of adolescents.

To help children learn about rules the following steps may be helpful: Identify what is expected.

The goals of parenting center around: Teaching our children how to behave well, teaching them how to be responsible for themselves.

Adolescence is a time of many transitions for teens and their families. To ensure that teens and adults navigate these transitions successfully, it is important for everyone to understand: What is happening to the teen physically, cognitively, and socially?

Ideas For Family Meetings: Family Time together can be a good time for all! A family meeting can be a time to have fun together. 

It’s not easy being a parent! As children grow into their teens, every family goes through stress and conflict. It’s a normal part of growing up. Understanding the changes your child is going through makes it easier to be a positive parent.

Deciding to divorce or separate is a difficult decision for parents. Although you may hear that people divorce  too easily, most parents do not come to the decision to separate or divorce easily. When people choose to marry they are committing to a life together and most never think they will separate or divorce.

Good communication helps children develop confidence, feelings of self-worth, and good relationships with others. It makes life with them more pleasant and helps them grow into adults who have good feelings about themselves and others.

Building strong financial and consumer skills in youth can start early. Kids as early as 4-6 years old can begin to understand basic concepts. Providing youth with consumer, banking and money management related experiences help them build skills and confidence in the market place.