Focus on Better Behavior

Many times teens need school credit, to beef up their college application, or to contribute to a cause they believe in. Volunteering is a perfect place to start but it can be difficult to choose a cause or find something appropriate. There are three sites to look into to find hundreds of ways to volunteer for a variety of causes. Think MTV is an organization that gives teens access to others in order to share their passions and learn about a variety of issues and take action alone or with a group. They can get rewarded with prizes as well. There is also a page for parents and educators to learn more. CauseCast is a platform ...

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I have never spanked my child, nor do I ever intend to. I do not think spanking is an effective form of punishment and what can they learn from it? It's possible that they learn that violence is an appropriate form of discipline. They may learn to be afraid of you if they do anything wrong. They may learn that they deserve that type of punishment. Personally, I don't feel that learn anything of value by being spanked. It is not a loving caring way to discipline your children and in turn they may do the same to their own children and may grow up to be passive adults. I've heard of many parents that have spanked their children feeling ...

More about: Spanking Your Children, Effective or Not?

I'm sure you've seen them, parents walking around at the mall or the supermarket with their children on a leash. I have some serious problems with this way of teaching your child to stay close and not to run off. I think that having to restrain your child doesn't allow for them to learn to stay with the family, it teaches them that they are incapable and need to be constantly monitored. An alternative would be to talk to your child before you go out and let them know what the rules are and that staying with the family is necessary. If they runoff or don't adhere to the rule, then everyone will go home. it may not be your ...

More about: Using Child Leashes as a Teaching Technique

When your child gets to about the age of 2.5 or 3 nap time can be disrupted and sometimes they may have days when they don't nap at all. This can be frustrating especially when you know that they still need a nap in the middle of the day. To give yourself a break and let them get some down time try encouraging "quiet time". Instead of saying "nap time" prepare your child for having some "quiet time". Let them know that they don't have to sleep, but they need to remain in their room and read or play quietly until you come get them. If they come out, quietly take their hand and lead them back to their room ...

More about: The importance of Sleep for Your Child

A friend of mine told me he was having problems with his four year old son sleeping in his own bed at night. For a few months now he has been sleeping with his parents and they have had a hard time getting him to sleep alone in his own bed. My friend said that he told his son that if he slept in his own bed five nights in a row he would "earn" an ipod touch. I was surprised by this. What will happen as he gets older and won't do the things he's asked to do? The parents have neglected to train their son and now a habit has formed and not wanting to deal with is ...

More about: Bribing Children to Get Results

Divorce is tough for everyone in the family. Most importantly you want to talk to your children about what you and your ex are going through and make sure they understand that they are no the cause. Some children have a very hard time and want their parents to stay together, other times they are relived and can find happiness in two homes. Don't ever talk badly about your ex with your children, they are still the parent of your child and they need to be able to share love for both of you. The process can go smoothly as long as you can work toward laying a foundation for successful co-parenting which includes setting limits and respecting roles. As ...

More about: Parenting Through Divorce

It has been found in a recent study in Australia that children of mothers who work part-time watch less TV, eat less junk food and are a lot less likely to be overweight. These part-time working moms let their kids watch about an hour less of TV per week than full-time working mothers. They also ate fewer snacks and had more time to exercise. This same study showed that working moms raised the unhealthiest children. It seems as though part-time working moms have more of a balance between work and raising healthy children. Since many full time working mothers are even more busy than part time moms they may find it easier to feed their children snacks or food that ...

More about: Part-time Working Moms Raise Healthier Kids

It's not news that families are busy, work, after school activities, driving around, family dinners usually take a back seat. It's very important for families to have meals together it keeps the family close and gives everyone time to relate and talk about what they are up to. It only takes a few steps to get your family back on track to having dinners together. Set a time for dinner and make a routine, it doesn't have to be at the dinner table, it can be anywhere as long as the time stays the same. After dinner engage your children in other activities, like helping with homework, playing a game, or even going on an after dinner walk. Create a ...

More about: Getting Back to Family Dinners

As parents it's important to keep our kids healthy and fit and to teach them to take care of themselves. be encouraging whether they are playing a sport or on the playground. Find activities that match their age. For younger children just playing outside is a great way to keep them fit. When they get a bit older they may find that they like a specific type of sport or physical activity encourage them to pursue whatever that may be. Involve yourself with their activity time having you around will inspire them. Along with the exercise and activities make sure they are eating healthy. Avoid foods containing high fructose corn syrup, and high fat contents. Your encouragement will give them ...

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Unless you know what book you are looking for it can be very overwhelming to find one that's appropriate for your young child. Keep the following in mind when you're on the hunt for new books. Are the illustrations engaging and appropriate? You'll want illustrations to accompany relevant text. The text should be appropriate for your child's developmental level, having words they can understand. Books with no words can be great as well allowing them to create the story. Choosing books that you enjoyed as a child are also great, especially since you will be reading them a lot! A book that encourages interaction is important; following directions, counting and naming colors. Looks for books that your child will want ...

More about: Choosing a Book for Your Preschooler