family, child, children, parent, preschooler, youth, kid, teen, adolescent, pre-teen, caregiver, mom, dad, mother, father, grandparent
“The kids are all grown up and we’re empty nesters!” It sounds like a taste of freedom, but once adult children are grown, the relationship works like a retractable dog leash—pull and tug, more or less slack, pushing for space while longing for closeness. It’s like an in and out dance. Indeed, two of our […]
It is affirming to see some fathers pushing baby prams and taking parental leave. My Dad never saw the inside of a poopy diaper. By my generation, childcare was starting to go in a gender equal direction. Now I see my children parent with even more equity. Yet, I also see family stress spinning in […]
Dwayne Peace and I are members of Calgary’s chapter of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers. From the day we met, I have been impressed with Dwayne and his work as an ex-police officer, School Resource Officer, and now youth and parent speaker. He is a strong, no-nonsense, reliable, caring, and gentle guy, who willingly […]
How often do we hear a sigh and then, “I wish my children acted more responsibly!” We’ve also heard, “She is so irresponsible. I have to do everything for her.” Or “At his age I had to act responsibly. I did not have any choice.” What has happened in an era when children have more […]
There has been a movement afoot to bring back virtues. With the fading of organized religion in many people’s lives, there has been a lack of, and a hunger for, old fashioned wise guidance for goodness. Virtues are different from values. Definition of Values Values are what we deem important to us. To assess our […]
For years people have said, “I love your home. It’s warm, welcoming, and cozy.” We have had at least three realtors say, “I would like to purchase your house myself.” How did Les and I discover how to make our home, sweet home? I was blessed with a mother, a poor-farm housewife, who used to […]
Do you remember a television show called Kids Say the Darndest Things? It aired from 1998 to 2000. Well, I propose that often times parents say the darndest things. I used to say them myself until I learned to improve my communication skills. Good parenting starts with awareness and then choosing better. Here we will […]
Invite and negotiate household workload.
She bent down and tied up her 9-year-old’s shoe strings. Remarkably, the little guy is a bright, and potentially capable, boy. Millennials (those born between the mid-1990s to early 2000s) are often times called The Me Me Me Generation. They tend to be over-protected from challenge, consequences, and tears. As the family researcher, Jean Illsley […]
While happiness is a desirable emotional state, compassion and empathy are developed through opportunities to feel disappointment, sorrow and pain. Parents weaken their children’s resilience when they protect them from experiencing the uncomfortable consequences of life’s hard bits. Consequently, I invited parents to resign from believing or attempting to make happy children. I am not […]
In 1972 our dear sixteen-year-old daughter, Kelly, ran away from home and joined Satan’s Choice biker gang. Kelly was not only a youth at risk, she also acted out on many bizarre and life-threatening behaviors. She acquired forty convictions, many physical wounds, and three children fathered by drug dealers. We now know Kelly lives with Fetal […]
Most parents want to be joyful, encouraging and wise with their children