Today's Parent | Parenting Resources… Articles, Advice, Help & Tips

The beginning of the school year is stressful for most children and their parents. But if your child has asthma, the anticipation of the coming school year becomes even more nerve-racking. It doesn’t have to be that way. With some preparation and organization, you and your kids can have a problem-free year.

Triggers inside and outside the classroom are everywhere. Rugs or carpeting can collect dust mites and chalk dust. Furry animals in class are cute but problematic. Rigorous sports may exert your student. Then there is freshly mowed grass on the playground, trees and weeds outside a classroom, and chemicals used for cleaning the building and treating the lawn.

Mold can grow in gym lockers and shower stalls, as well as classrooms. Any of these allergens and irritants can send a child with asthma into a full-blown attack. You can’t be in control of everything children will be exposed to at school, but there are several steps you can take to protect them: Read More

Study, socialize, sleep.

Sounds like a good plan for college students, right? But that’s not what is happening. A study from the Journal of Adolescent Health revealed that just 30 percent of students get in their eight hours of sleep a night, the average requirement for young adults. And a study at Stanford University showed that 80% of students were seriously sleep deprived, racking up sleep “debt” from continual disruption of sleep patterns.

What’s more, a recent study by the Better Sleep Council showed that more than half of college parents say their son or daughter will not get enough sleep, with nearly half of students, themselves, saying they’ll get less sleep than at home.

One reason for this is those all-nighters to cram for exams. 20% of college students stay up all night at least once a month, and 35% stay up past 3:00 am at least once a week. The result is that 12% of students who don’t sleep well miss class three or more times a month or fall asleep in class. With lack of sleep comes health issues, including anxiety, a compromised immune system, and even weight gain.

There’s no question that college students are under stress. But instead of dealing with stress in healthy ways, they tend to forgo sleep, staying up late to study, party with friends or use the internet. The problem is compounded as students who get into bad sleep habits are more likely to use medication to both stay awake and fall asleep. And they are also more likely to use alcohol to try to induce sleep. This leads to a higher risk of addiction.

Sleep education is key. Students need to understand how important sleep is to their overall health, both mental and physical. Here’s what college students and their parents should know: Read More

“Yuck! I don’t like that!” Sadly, that refrain is all too familiar around today’s family dinner table. Parent after parent despairs that their child won’t eat vegetables. And they’re right: On average, most American children are not eating the recommended 3-5 or more servings of vegetables daily. (See My Pyramid Plan to enter your child’s individual information and get an exact recommendation from the U.S.D.A.: http://www.mypyramid.gov/mypyramid/index.aspx.)

And yet vegetables are a key component in the diet of all growing kids. Veggies are nutrient powerhouses: they pack a big dose of nutrition in a small number of calories. In addition to being the primary source of many micronutrients crucial for healthy growth, development and energy, they also provide a great source of both soluble and insoluble fiber, with a lot less sugar than most fruit (another excellent, real food source of micronutrients and fiber). Not surprisingly, fiber is another nutrient falling behind in the average American child’s diet.

Together, healthy amounts of micronutrients (such as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, etc) and fiber in a child’s diet can also help to prevent or reverse childhood obesity The nutrients and fiber from a broad range of vegetables can help a child to feel full, and may stave off cravings for sweeter, lower-quality carbohydrate sources like crackers, cookies, soda and candy.

So how do you get a finicky eater to actually eat some of these nutrient gems?

Try our top 10 tips below to get started: Read More

You’re all getting a bad rap. Helicopter parents do a lot of good things for their kids.

You can act fast, swoop in to protect your child at a moment’s notice, and swoop away really fast (great skills for parenting a teenager). And that bird’s-eye view of the big picture really comes in handy.

Best of all, helicopter parents have met two great parenting qualifications: they show a lot of love to their children, and they spend plenty of time with them, often pulling the night shift.

So, if helicopter parents are so great, why all the negative publicity? Here’s why: With all this love onboard, most helicopter parents forget the fine print in their flying manual. Read More

As your child moves into the teen years they become more independent. They spend more time away from home: at school, with friends, jobs and after-school activities. It’s important to stay involved and connected. You may find that the following techniques make communicating easier and more effective.

1. Pick your time and place. Pick the correct time and place to speak with a teen by observing the teen and adapting to the teen’s needs. The most effective communications take place where there are minimal diversions. Many times, the best turf is home, specifically the teen’s room. (Be respectful if the door is closed and knock before entering).

2. Maintain a positive attitude. Look for the good. Once, when I was trying to give my son “constructive criticism” and told him so, he looked at me and said, “Criticism is criticism.” I understood what he meant. Try not to put the teen down, because this will make him angry and defensive.

3. Show respect. To be respected, a person has to show respect to others. My mother taught me that it is good to let the teen speak first; it shows you are listening. Don’t interrupt; no matter how much you may disagree, let the teen finish speaking. Show respect as you would to an adult.

4. Be supportive. Try not to take a position or side against the teenager. Most situations are not purely black or white. Yes, some issues allow no room for compromise. Many issues are not concrete and allow room for exploration. Read More

When children go to camp, there is a strong likelihood that they’ll come home gushing about the lifelong friends they’ve made, the excitement of learning to swim or ride a horse, their favorite new hobbies, and the anticipation of returning to camp next summer. What they probably won’t tell you about are the more subtle life lessons camp has given them — those skills that, if nurtured at home after camp, translate into a lasting self-confidence, an awareness of the importance of kindness, a greater comfort in voicing their opinions, and even a willingness to do household chores with a smile! The American Camp Association offers these tips to help families keep the spirit — and lessons — of camp alive long after the campfire embers cool:

• Remember to Remind — When campers come home, they often keep the spirit of camp alive for a week or two, and then things trail off. Use positive reinforcement to remind campers that you appreciate the positive attitude and willingness to help that they developed at camp. Read More

So where are your kids right now?  Are you sure?  Hopefully we know with some certainty.  But there are always those times we do not know.  Like when they are visiting with their friends.  It is for these times that we need to make sure our kids are as aware of water safety as we are.

Water safety is not a single item, quick fix subject. Sure, there are many devices available to assist you with your backyard swimming pool, but true water safety should cover all types of water.  Water Safety is a discipline that must be established for every household.  This discipline can be taught to our kids as they grow up so they come to respect water as much as they enjoy playing in it.  This discipline will be carried with them to their friend’s houses, beaches, lakes and canals where we are not in control of the safety devices available or the rules that govern use of the water.

Here are a few basic rules you could teach your kids’ as they are able to understand them.

1. Never go into the water without an adult present. EVER. Not even for a second to retrieve something from the water. Make sure they know that you will never be angry with them if they ask you to assist them in retrieving something they have mistakenly dropped into the pool, even if it is an item that shouldn’t be in the water.  (The other side of this rule is for us parents: ALWAYS supervise children playing in or around water) Read More

It’s the moment every parent of a small child dreads: the good-bye. For parents of young children, it can be a gut-wrenching, heart-aching, guilt-ridden moment full of tears, protests, and quick getaways. Separation anxiety can ruin your workday, put a damper on your (rare!) dinner out, and keep you trapped in your house (and chained to your toddler). But, that doesn’t have to be the case.

Babies can show signs of separation anxiety as early as six months, and young children can experience it at almost any age. One of the hardest scenarios for parents to deal with is dropping their clingy and crying toddler off at daycare. It can tug at your heartstrings and make you doubt yourself and your decisions. But the good news is that separation anxiety will pass—and there are some simple solutions to help you get to that point.

Toddlers understand about people leaving before they learn about people returning, and they can tell from your actions that you’re about to leave. So for most children (and their parents), anxiety begins to build even before you’ve stepped one foot out the door.

Separation anxiety can show up in many forms. Your child may cry when you leave the room or refuse to be put down if she knows you’ll be leaving. Some children will even go so far as to follow their parents into every room all day long. It can be both frustrating and sad for parents when they feel as though they are causing their children sadness. Read on for five tips that will help saying bye-bye be a little bit easier for you and your child: Read More

The ratings indicate one of the biggest forces sweeping the nation is Latin and Ballroom Dancing!  “Dancing With The Stars” continues to be a huge hit with all ages and most adults, kids and teens!  All ages sit in front of the TV fascinated by the fun, fitness and glamour of the ballroom world.

Ballroom dancing is an art that requires partner dancing. Kids train with other kids to learn how to dance and work with the opposite gender in a mature and respectful manner.  Other benefits include improved muscle coordination, mental focus, social interaction, confidence and posture.  Ballroom dancing is a truly positive lifestyle change and is enjoyed both socially and competitively around the world.  Immediate benefits include fun, friendship, and structured learning.  Dancing opens doors for a child’s cultural development and pure form of happiness.

Contestants with ballroom dance training on “So You Think You Can Dance” score higher with dance resumes that have partnership dancing added to their backgrounds of hip hop, tap, jazz, and ballet. Read More

Summer may be coming to an end, but that doesn’t mean you’re free to forget about sun protection. When shopping for back-to-school supplies, make sure to stop by the sunscreen aisle. Children in elementary school usually have outdoor recess between 10 AM and 2 PM, when the sun is especially intense. Just one severe sunburn in childhood doubles the chances of developing melanoma later in life. So while preparing for school, make sure to remind your children about the importance of applying sunscreen and seeking the shade when outdoors.

“The sun’s ultraviolet rays don’t go away when the summer is over,” said Perry Robins, MD, President of The Skin Cancer Foundation.” Children spend a great deal of time outdoors throughout the school year— walking to and from school, and during recess, after-school sports and field trips. We encourage children to develop a year-round sun protection regimen to lower their risk of developing skin cancer later in life.”

Although sunscreen is an essential part of a complete sun protection program, you may need to check with administrators before sending your children to school with a bottle. Many schools prohibit students from bringing in sunscreen and some require a doctor’s prescription. Others not only allow sunscreen but may provide it for student use. Read More