Traditions That Bring Families Closer
Extraordinary moments often masquerade as ordinary life. So look around the pandemonium and remind yourself to be grateful for every minute you get to spend with your children as they grow. These years pass more quickly than we can imagine, and when kids look back, these are the memories that will define family for them.
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Why Do Families Need Rituals?
What's a ritual? It's a routine with meaning. Children love ritual. Repetition, the comfort of belonging, the sense of wonder, magic, and celebration -- all create a bonding experience that nurtures both kids and parents. Rituals hold families together.
Read MoreAutumn Holiday Rituals that Nurture Family Connection
Parenting is tough, and often we're just rushing against the clock to get our kids out the door in the morning, pick them up on time, get them through their homework and dinner, into the tub, into bed...so we can get up the next morning and do it all over again.
Read MoreThanksgiving Rituals To Teach Gratitude
"If we want to be happy, and to raise happy kids, we need to practice gratitude — deliberately, and consistently, or we may end up feeling more entitled than appreciative. When we feel entitled, we often stew about unfulfilled expectations. Disappointment is not a happiness habit. Gratitude is." - Christine Carter
Read MoreParents' Holiday Survival Skill #1: Manage Yourself
No matter what holiday you celebrate, what's your most important survival skill? In fact, what's the most essential skill for parents, at the holidays and every day? It's to manage yourself, so you can stay calm and loving with your child!
Read More8 Tips To De-Stress Your December
December doesn't have to be stressful, no matter what holiday you celebrate. The increasing dark of the Northern hemisphere can be a signal to turn inward to your family, to create more warmth, light and peace in your home. It can be a time for cozy connection and deep joy, whatever your personal beliefs.
Read MoreEasy Homemade Presents to Make With Kids
If it’s the thought that counts, then what matters about a present is the love that goes into it. There's no need to spend a fortune on gifts, whether for grandparents, cousins, friends or teachers. Your kids will love making them, and the recipients will treasure them.
Read MoreHelp Your Child Discover Her Inner Angel
Read More"On Christmas morning, before we could open our Christmas presents, we would go to this stranger's home and bring them presents. I remember helping clean the house up and putting up a tree. My father believed that you have a responsibility to look after everyone else."
-George Clooney
Holiday Survival Guide
Disrupted schedules, traveling with little ones, the crash and burn from all the excitement -- Holidays can easily be a recipe for tears and tantrums. Here's a baker's dozen of my top tips to help you manage life during the holidays, so you can minimize the tears and maximize the joy.
Read More50 Meaningful December Traditions for Families
Want more family joy and deeper meaning this holiday season? Experimenting with a new family tradition or two can lift your spirits and bring your family closer.
Read MoreYou Don't Have To Make Up for Not Being a Perfect Parent
"We often don’t feel the wonder and beauty because we're too busy trying to live up to the ideal in our head.... The cost of perfection is that it stresses us out to the point where we no longer enjoy the moment we're living in." - Pastor Jon
Read MoreLooking for Love at the Toy Store
"Television advertisements for toys and games often exploit children's underlying needs and desires. Many commercials show a child playing with a game or toy with her parents. The message is clear to young children: Ask for this product and your mother and father will pay attention to you. It is an offer they cannot resist." -- Lawrence Kutner
Read MoreNew Year's Rituals for Families
“Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one.” - Brad Paisley
Children are fascinated by the passage of time, which seems magical to them. They LOVE the idea of a new year, a new beginning, a celebration of life. And so do adults! We can all use the momentum of a fresh start.
Read MoreThe Secret of Making a New Year's Resolution You Can Keep
Did you make a New Years Resolution to be more patient, or to stop yelling? Surveys show those are the #1 resolutions for parents.
Read MoreDo you have a New Year's resolution about parenting? Let's do this!
Many people joke about New Year's resolutions as if they're impossible to keep. But there are some people who are able to change their lives in positive ways, using the new year to give them a psychological boost. What do they know that we don't?
Read More10 Simple Ways To Improve Your Parenting, No Resolutions Necessary
Tired of resolutions? Here are 10 Simple Ways To Improve Your Parenting, No Resolutions Necessary. Put these on your fridge and read them daily. (You can download a pdf from the link at the end of the article.) I guarantee you less drama and more love.
Read More5 Resolutions That Will Make You a Better Parent This Year
"Dr. Laura....My new year's resolution is to be more patient. But when I told my family, they reminded me that I made the same resolution last year. I feel like a failure, even though I know I've become a better mother over the past year." -- Christina
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