Author Leo Buscaglia once wrote about a four-year-old boy whose next-door neighbor was an elderly man who had recently lost his wife. One day, the little boy saw the man crying. So, he walked into the old gentleman’s yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When he came home, his mother asked him what he said to the man. The little boy said, “Nothing, I just helped him cry.” There are four things we need...

The last two Monday’s I’ve talked about lies that can hurt your child.  The 3rd lie parents tell their children is, “You can have it now.”  The four-letter word no child wants to hear is, “Wait.”  Let’s face it, neither do we.  We live in a society of instant gratification…fast food, instant downloads, immediate access.  Instant is good, right?  Well, it’s convenient, but there is value in waiting too.  But we...

Do you acknowledge the times your teen takes out the trash or helps a sibling with homework? Or do you just let his efforts go unnoticed? Don't miss those chances to let your teen know he’s appreciated. Your gratitude will not only give him a sense of significance, but will also help reinforce good behavior.  When you see your teen doing something right—whether it’s doing a chore with a good attitude or not...

Summer vacation can be great—no school, no homework and no real schedule.  But, sometimes all of those summer hours can be hard to fill, especially if you don’t want your kids glued to the TV or computer 24/7.  That’s where iMOM’s Operation Summer comes in.  It’s the ultimate summer plan for moms – and it’s free!  Every week iMOM will send you printables, activities and ideas to fill your summer with memories and...

Last Monday, I talked about the 1st lie that can hurt your child.  Today I’ll tackle the second.  We live in a world full of options.  What clothes to wear, what kind of cereal to eat, what to watch on TV?  Choices and more choices.  Our children grow up wrongly thinking their choices are infinite.  Unfortunately, too many parents reinforce this belief.  When a decision needs to be made, we tell our children,...

Think back to your school days.  Remember the child who was different?  Maybe he wore old clothes, had a disability or didn’t look like everyone else. Maybe he always got picked last for the team because he was uncoordinated or simply unpopular.  Well, these children are still around.  That’s why it’s important that we teach our children to be compassionate—to be kind to children who are different… instead of...

First, deal with those intense emotions by calmly removing your child from the situation and sending him to his room to think about it…the fewer words you use to do this, the better. Second, when you sense he is ready, ask your child to write down what he’s angry about and why he’s angry…writing it down works because it activates reflective thinking in a child.  After the note is written, discuss it with your...