Your kids may be more comfortable texting than talking…and that can be frustrating. But there is hope. Here are 3 steps that you can take to encourage more talking and relationship building: set the scene, set values, and set guidelines. First, set the scene. Discuss why they seem to struggle with putting technology over relationships. Admit where you may struggle and encourage them with sympathy, instead of...

As parents, most of us are deeply committed to raising our kids well. But no parent is perfect. We all mess up—probably more often than we’d like to admit. So here are 2 common parenting mistakes and how to avoid them. First, we refuse to let our children fail. To avoid this, we need to understand that removing the possibility of failure dilutes our child’s motivation to excel. Second, we make the mistake of...

To be fair, technology has been a part of their everyday existence in ways we could never have imagined at their age. Don’t assume the worst about your tech-obsessed child. Here are some reasons behind their habits. First, kids use technology to avoid awkward situations and conversations. Being heads down on their phones is one way to avoid that feeling.  Second, kids feel F.O.M.O. anxiety these days which means...

You are your child’s best teacher—more so than their friends, their siblings, or even their favorite TV show. And, as your children’s biggest influence, you should take every opportunity to instill in them important truths. In his book Lessons Kids Need to Learn, author David Staal shares ways to teach your kids valuable lessons. Here are two of them.  First, teach them to serve others. This requires identifying...

From the blaming and bickering to the wailing and whining, sibling conflict can be a nightmare for parents. And who can forget their cries of, “Daaaaad, Luke isn’t being nice!” Times like these can leave us thinking that our kids’ quarreling will never end. But it can end once you learn how to foster friendship between your kids. How? First, do fun things together as a family. Playing ball in the backyard or board...

Parents have the most important job in the world: raising their children well. But to do so, parents need to know how not to raise their kids. So here are some dangerous parenting styles to avoid. First, avoid being a “Buddy Buddy” parent. These parents are more concerned about being their child’s friend than their child’s protector, provider, and leader.  Second, avoid being a “too busy to care” parent. These...

Being a “hands-on” parent means always making an effort to be involved in your child’s life. The Institute for Youth Development recently proved the importance of this in their report revealing that “hands-on” parents raised teens who drank, smoked, and did drugs significantly less than the general teen population. So make a difference in your child’s life by becoming a “hands-on” parent with these 3 simple steps....