It’s likely you can name that first boy who you thought hung the moon. He had deep brown eyes or the latest hairstyle and stole your heart right away. Whether it was in fourth grade or junior high, the feelings of that crush were real and may have led you through an emotional roller coaster. If your daughter is starry-eyed for the first time, it’s important for parents to recognize her feelings without downplaying the crush. Help your daughter through this crucial moment in her life by discussing these affairs of the heart at her pace.
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Boys’ Attachments to Dads in Child Development
When a father holds his son for the first time, a sense of pride and joy beams from his face. A young boy with an attachment to his dad often has the same look in his eyes. “The relationship a boy shares with his father is a constant in life – friendships with schoolmates, fraternity brothers and work colleagues will come and go, but the father-son relationship is one that lasts throughout life,” says Christina Steinorth, the author of “Cue Cards for Life: Gentle Reminders for Better Relationships” and a licensed psychotherapist in Santa Barbara, California, with a master's degree in marriage and family therapy. A boy’s attachment to his father directly affects his development through the years. From healthy attachments to the risks associated with over-attachment, know how to foster your son’s relationships and overall development.
How to be Independent From Parents
From day one, parents take on the role of nurturer for their children while teaching the importance of independence. As children grow up, though, it can be hard for parents to let them soar on their own, to a place where mom and dad may not be able to protect them. "Most parents who are enmeshed in their adult children's lives have good intentions, and they have a strong sense of wanting to be there or support their children," says Rachel Thomasian, a Los Angeles-based marriage and family therapist.
Super Mom: Going Back to Work After Baby
It's time to return to work, and as a new mom, you may be dreading the day you'll be leaving your child to re-enter the workforce. But don't let guilt and anxiety get in the way of the time you have to spend with your baby. "Use that time for quality interactions and positive experiences," says Texas-based licensed counselor Aline Haeger. Those experiences will foster your love for both family and work and strengthen your role as a working super mom.
Tips for Integrating a Blended Family
Blending a family can offer rewards and challenges that strengthen the bond of your marriage and your family life. To successfully merge families, parents will need to assess and discuss their similarities and differences and how they -- and their children -- plan to compromise and cooperate. Patience, consideration and open communication are essential and will help bring about a much smoother transition for the entire family.
What Do Kids Learn By Volunteering?
One of the goals of a parent is to raise a responsible child who's willing to help others. In a "me" society, that task can be challenging. But focusing excessively on oneself is typically the pathway to unhappiness, says clinical psychologist Carl Hindy. Volunteering, however, provides children with an opportunity to gain important life skills while learning to put others first.
Getting the Most Out of an After-School Job
As your teen joins the workforce, it's important to foster his sense of growth and accomplishment, while also setting realistic expectations for the responsibility of a job. Although adjusting to a job may not be easy for your teen, the rewards can outweigh the challenges, says New York-based psychotherapist Lauren Urban-Colacicco. "The benefits of working after school include a greater sense of competency and responsibility and [learning] greater time management skills," she says.
How to Let Your College Kid Go
For a parent, it's never easy to watch a child leave for college. For the child, however, it's an exciting time, one that shouldn't be stifled by helicopter parenting. If you're excessively concerned, your anxiety over your child's well-being could actually handicap her ability to live and function in the world, says Melody Brooke, Texas-based family counselor. "The greatest gift you can give your children is to believe in them," she says.
Can You Afford to Stay Home With The Baby?
When Danny and Tracy Kofke got married, they committed to live on one salary for four years before they expanded their family. While his wife worked as a teacher, Danny, also a teacher and author of two personal finance books, said they made sacrifices to pay off debt and build an emergency fund. The goal? The couple wanted one parent to stay home with the children. “Parents should start preparing for this way in advance,” said Danny Kofke. “There is no price you can put on having a parent stay home.”
Ways to Make Bath Time More Fun
Does the idea of bath time send your child running in the opposite direction? With some creative planning and a few exciting accessories, that daily stint in the tub can actually become one of the most enjoyable times of the day for your little one. Add some pep to the "splish" and the "splash" of bath time by boosting the fun.
Shannon Philpott-Sanders 