Your Parenting Matters

There is a great article in the Milwaukee Magazine from a coach about finding new ways to say ‘no’ to children. He makes a great point of substituting the Red Light, Green Light game as a way to help children learn in a fun way what is ok to do and what isn’t. A little […]

There has been a lot reported in the news about the lead content of toys. It can be difficult to know which toys may be a risk and where they are manufactured. This article about green toys has some tips on what kinds of materials to look for and even looking at common household items […]

I was on vacation last week driving to the Netherlands to visit a friend. My husband and I were talking about things in the news. He was shocked by something he read about the rise of indigestion and heartburn in children. Naturally, the drug companies responded by saying they were developing new drugs to combat […]

Another internet challenge. Webkinz is the latest pull on you pocketbook. Webkinz are stuffed animal toys that you buy which come with a tag that has a “secret code” you child uses to access the Webkinz World on the internet.
I just read an article that says many parents are worried because their preschoolers are […]

This morning, it is taking me a little while to get started. I have had company all week and I am taking my time. I flipped on Good Morning America and they are having much ado about a new mini van that has 3 channels of TV the kids can watch while traveling in the […]

One of the most important principles in the STEP (Systematic Training for Effective Parenting) approach is using encouragement instead of praise when giving positive messages to your children. Since the 1970’s there has been a big push toward finding ways to help children achieve positive self-esteem. As a result many parents, coaches and teachers eliminated […]

Recently in the San Francisco Chronicle there was an article about a father who complained when his daughter’s science teacher scheduled a viewing of “An Inconvenient Truth”, the global warming movie narrated by Al Gore. The father wrote this in an email to the Federal Way School Board:
“No you will not teach or show […]

I find it hard to ignore the behavior problems, bullying, and general disruptions that are occurring in our schools across America. But, today on the Oprah show, I saw something that gave me hope.
It was inspiring to watch, as one school in Detroit brought about a transformation in communication and connectedness to 64 high school […]