Are You A Snowplow Parent?

There are many different kinds of parenting styles to choose from. Some of them are very beneficial both to the children and the parents. Others are disadvantageous to not only the children, but also to their parents. Among the worst is the “snowplow parent”. Actual snow is not required for a parent to choose this parenting style. Emma Waverman, writing for Today’s Parent defined a snowplow parent as “a person who constantly forces obstacles out of their kids’ paths. They have their eye on the future success of their child, and anyone or anything that stands in their way has … Continue reading →

Saint Joseph Parenting Center Offers Classes

There are times when every parent could use a little help. Saint Joseph Parenting Center offers three different types of parenting classes. Their vision is that all children live in a world free of child abuse and neglect. Their mission is to strengthen families that are at risk of child abuse and neglect by providing parenting education and support. Saint Joseph Parenting Center describes their values this way: “We equip parents with the education, tools and resources to change unhealthy parenting patterns and to foster healthy ones in an effort to decrease the incidence of child abuse and neglect. “We … Continue reading →

Gentle Parenting Offers Empathy

Think back for a moment about how you were raised. Did you parents threaten punishments (perhaps including physical violence)? Did they offer you rewards for doing your chores? There’s a new, more emphatic way, to parent called gentle parenting. It offers parents and children a way of partnering together to connect and solve problems. What is gentle parenting? The Conversation reported that gentle parenting throws out the old ways of disciplining children. Gentle parenting encourages a child to internalize good behavior for its own sake. Here are a few examples from The Conversation about what gentle parenting looks like: Start … Continue reading →

Millennial Parents are Raising their Kids Without Religion

Millennial parents are raising their kids without a focus on religion. According to Parents, Millennial parents tend to have fewer children, and they subscribe less to traditional expectations about family structure than parents of previous generations do. The American Enterprise Institute in November of 2019, conducted Interviews about religion with a sample size of 2,561 adults living in the United States. Here are some key findings: Young adults (age 18 to 29) are far more likely to have been raised without religion than are seniors (age 65 and older). Roughly one in five (22 percent) young adults report that they … Continue reading →

Parenting Myths Debunked

Can you spot a parenting myth? Your parents may have handed down parenting advice that seemed appropriate when you were young – but is now out of date. Some parenting myths can be harmful to children. “Boys Will be Boys” According to Dictionary.com, the phrase “boys will be boys” was first recorded in English in 1589. It was originally a Latin proverb that would have roughly translated as “Children (boys) are children (boys) and do childish things.” It is true that children – whatever their gender – do childish things. Parents should expect that type of behavior from their kids. … Continue reading →

Idaho Lawmaker Introduced Free-Range Parenting Bill

Those of us who are part of Generation X remember walking to and from school, and riding a bike around the neighborhood, by ourselves. Today, some parents want to raise their kids the way they were raised – with plenty of freedom to explore and make their own decisions. Unfortunately, this can get parents into legal trouble when other parents report them for neglect. Representative Ron Nate, an Idaho State Republican, has written a bill that would protect parents who want to give their children less supervision. It is called the Reasonable Childhood Independence Act. “The intent of this is … Continue reading →

When Parents and Grandparents Disagree

It isn’t unusual for a parent, and a grandparent, to “butt heads” about parenting choices. This can lead to frustration and anger from both parties. It might be helpful to understand why these situations are happening – and what might help put an end to those uncomfortable moments. Psych Central posted information from the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health at Michigan Medicine. It provided some insight on why parents and grandparents sometimes disagree about parenting choices. Half of the parents who took the poll described disagreements with at least one grandparent about their parenting. One in … Continue reading →

Study: “Good Enough” Parenting is Good Enough

Parents are human, and all humans make mistakes. Some parents worry that if they are not perfect parents, it could result in lasting harm to their babies. A study from Lehigh University debunks that idea. “Good enough” parenting is actually good enough. A study titled: “Secure Base Provision: A New Approach to Examining Links Between Maternal Caregiving and Infant Attachment” was published in the journal Child Development. It was co-authored by Susan S. Woodhouse (an expert on infant attachment), Julie R. Scott (of Pennsylvania State University), Allison D. Hepsworth (of the University of the Maryland School of Social Work), and … Continue reading →

How to Raise an Optimistic Child

Would you like your child to have the ability to see the bright side of things? Do you want your child to have a happier attitude – and life? It is possible! There are things parents can do if they want to raise an optimistic child. Be a Good Example Children tend to imitate their parents. If you want to raise an optimistic child, you need to teach them how to be optimistic. Pay attention to how often you complain about things. The more a parent does that, the more their kids learn that they should look at life in … Continue reading →

The Pros and Cons of Intensive Parenting

Intensive parenting is becoming a trend. It has some similarities with helicopter parenting, but is not damaging to children. It could be considered the opposite of free range parenting. A study titled: “Social Class, Gender, and Contemporary Parenting Standards in the United States: Evidence from a National Survey Experiment” was published in Social Forces. It was done by Patrick Ishizuka. He analyzed data from more than 3,600 study participants who were parents. The participants read about various scenarios in which a mother or father interacts with a child between the ages of 8 and 10. The stories focused on the child’s leisure … Continue reading →