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....

As your little girl grows up, there will be many boys that come in and out of her life. But the one man who should always be there for her is you, her dad. Fathers play a vital role in their daughter’s journey to adulthood and, along the way, there are some important things that every daughter needs from her dad. First, she needs you to be involved and interested in her life. Second, your daughter needs you to...

There will be times when you will miss a big moments in your kids’ lives—moments like their game, their school play, or even their piano recital. And whether missing these big moments is intentional or not, it still damages your relationship with your child. So here are 3 A’s to recovering when you miss a big moment with your child. First, be aware. Notice when your child is upset with you by staying tuned into...

I have a hard time with clichés. Something sounds good so people start saying it over and over. And while they’re usually shared with good intentions, the problem remains that many clichés are skewed truth. So here are some common false pieces of wisdom you should not teach your kids. First, don’t teach them that “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” There are a lot of things that may not kill you, but can...

Speed bumps on the road are designed to slow us down. In the same way, as we speed through life, there are natural speed bumps that tell us that we need to slow down, take notice and focus on our relationships with others…especially our kids. Here are a couple of bumps we should be on the lookout for. First, there’s often a speed bump when our kids hit puberty. As their bodies and minds change, we must slow down...

When it comes to discipline, parents so often equate firmness with harshness. But the two are completely different. Firmness says that a boundary is secure and won’t be crossed without a consequence. But harshness uses angry words and intimidation to intentionally scare a child into submission.  So how can you discipline firmly without being harsh? First, show less emotion.  This will help your child focus on...