Tips for Becoming a More Empathetic Parent

No one every said that being a parent would always be easy. There will be times when your child’s behavior frustrates you (or makes you angry). Many people “lose their cool” when they feel stressed and overwhelmed. Children need parents who are empathetic to their needs. Here are some tips to help you become a more empathetic parent. There is an article in the Huffington Post titled “How to Be an Empathetic Parent, Even When It Feels Hard”. It was written by Andrea Nair. She is a psychotherapist and parenting educator who teaches people how to be empathetic. In her … Continue reading

Preschool Etiquette: Table Manners

One of the most popular areas of teaching etiquette is table manners. We all want to sit and eat with others who are clean, respectful, and enjoyable to be around. Poor table manners can turn a lovely meal into a disaster. Kids have a hard time understanding why they shouldn’t spit out food they don’t like or yell at the table. Kids have a tendency to do as they please. So it is a parent’s job to instruct them and teach them the table manner rules. Table Manner Rules Sit while you are at the table. Do not stand on … Continue reading

How Long Does It Take to Get Over a Death?

Well, what’s your guess? Six weeks, six months, a year? Six years? Or all of the above? Mental health experts agree that it takes a minimum of one year to come to grips with the death of a close family member. And that does not mean that at the end of a year one is really “over it.” What it does mean is that, after one year, all of the important milestones have been passed, that is, the first birthday, Christmas, wedding anniversary, Father’s Day or Mother’s Day. There has also been time for the routine of life to be … Continue reading

Coping with Death

We all have to cope with death. As the saying goes: “No one gets out of this world alive!” We know it must inevitably happen yet we are often not educated or prepared for it when it does come. We cope with the death of loved ones largely by avoiding its certainty for as long as possible, and hope that when the time comes we will somehow muddle through it. There is probably nothing in life we prepare for less, and yet there’s nothing in life that is more inevitable. When you think about it, it’s a funny way to … Continue reading

Why it can be hard to lose a parent you dislike (1)

Some of us are really lucky and have parents that we love pretty much equally. They may have vastly different personal qualities, but overall, we would be hard pressed to say which one we prefer. Alternatively, we may have one parent who we dearly love, and the other one is disliked for a number of reasons. So when it comes to losing one of these parents in death, we would assume that it would be far harder to lose the parent we adore. After all, hasn’t the other one been a thorn in our side for as long as we … Continue reading

Why it can be hard to lose a parent you dislike (1)

Some of us are really lucky and have parents that we love pretty much equally. They may have vastly different personal qualities, but overall, we would be hard pressed to say which one we prefer. Alternatively, we may have one parent who we dearly love, and the other one is disliked for a number of reasons. So when it comes to losing one of these parents in death, we would assume that it would be far harder to lose the parent we adore. After all, hasn’t the other one been a thorn in our side for as long as we … Continue reading

Help Your Child Recognize Bullying

This is a companion blog to my previous one, “Protect Your Special Needs Child from Bullying.” Children with special needs don’t always recognize what bullying “looks” like. That may be because rejection and cruelty has become all too common for them. Or maybe it’s just too difficult to judge the conduct and emotions of others. For example, it might be hard for a child with Asperger’s Disorder to determine whether someone is telling a friendly joke or laughing at him. Unfortunately, bullies will take advantage of these difficulties, putting our kids at risk. I looked around the internet for some … Continue reading