What’s better than baking cookies? Eating cookies other people have baked! This year organize a cookie swap. To keep it pandemic proof, consider a couple of alternatives to the in-person exchange. Have everyone participating bake on a specific weekend, and then pick a time to drop the cookies off at respective houses, or find […]
Just in time for all the holiday meals coming up, we’ve got 39 table talk questions that will be sure to invoke giggles, guffaws, and gasps. We recommend slipping these wacky dinner conversation starters into your next family gathering to slip into the dinner conversation—everyone will learn some fascinating facts about the ones they
The great thing about the holidays is having the chance to spend time with loved ones and create family traditions together. But this time of year can also get busy and go by fast, so to make sure we really enjoy the holidays and have lots of family fun, we suggest making a list of ideas
Once your child is born, you can expect major changes in your life. Your focus goes from your own life to the life of your son or daughter, and that alone can be enough to scare parents. What many new parents don’t expect are some of the smaller, more subtle changes that are associated with
Is your teenager depressed? The symptoms may be harder to spot than obvious blues. The following are some of the signs of teenage depression, and are most significant when they occur in combination and over a period lasting more than two weeks. • First, sadness, anxiety and hopelessness. • Second, lack of interest in food
Adults often ask me, “What question do you hear most from teens?” The most frequent concern that teens have, and the one most often voiced by patients, and in letters from readers of our books is, “Am I normal?” This question can be asked in many different ways. One teen might say, “I’m fourteen, but
The prospect for seeking professional help from a family counselor, a psychologist, or psychiatrist can be a painful one. But your teen or your family may need professional help in the following instances: One, if you’re caught up in hurtful patterns of behavior that create and perpetuate tension within the family. Two, if your teen
So your child has expressed an interest in riding a bike. Now what do you do? Well first you need to find a suitable bicycle. If you do buy a bike, take your son with you to the bicycle shop and get expert advice to be sure the bike fits him. Don’t get a bike
Parents who really believe that spanking is the only way to discipline usually continue to do it, no matter how many family counselors or parenting specialists advise against it. Parents who are unsure about ways to discipline, but who are open to learning other ways to guide or discipline their children, DO usually try other
First of all, let em state that I don’t believe that chronological age should be the determining factor in these decisions. It’s very normal for young teens to be paying lots of attention to their hair and appearance. The reasons you should or shouldn’t let your daughter highlight her hair should be based on other
