Avoiding The Melt Downs

Avoiding Melt Downs

How to Avoid Melt Downs

by Amy Egan

So often I hear complaints from parents about their children’s reactions to limits and consequences. Parents are hurt, surprised, outraged, incensed, annoyed, insulted and/or angered that their child throws a fit when given a perfectly appropriate limit.  Because the child’s or teen’s reaction causes discomfort to the parent, the parent, often unconsciously, avoids any situation in which they may have to experience a kid’s wrath.  What ends up happening is the parent tries to present a limit to their child with kid gloves on – hoping to make the limit palatable to the child/teen.  The mother knows she needs to hold the kid accountable but wants to avoid the charged emotions that usually follow. The father  does not want to be walked on by his kids but hates drama.

Water Safety Tips for the Whole Family


Water Safety for the Whole Family this Memorial Day Weekend

With Memorial Day coming up this weekend, several will be drawn to all types of water whether it is a cool dip to cool off or just to sit around a pool, lake or river and enjoy the day. Water safety is an important consideration, especially when children are involved. According to information released by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) Pool Safely campaign on September 13, 2012, there were 137 instances of children younger than 15 drowning in a pool or spa from Memorial Day to Labor Day this year. The data also included an additional 168 children of that age who required emergency treatment for near-fatal accidents in spas or pools during that same period. This information was compiled from media reports, and figures show that 54 of the 137 drowning’s last summer occurred shortly after the child left the side of an adult in their immediate vicinity, and 31 children drowned despite the presence of other people at the pool. This does not count the number of adults and children in other bodies of water, lakes, rivers and oceans. Children under the age of 5 had the highest percentage and required 911 calls for near-drowning incidents.

Ohio Kidnappings: What Should We Teach Our Children?

Mom talking to daughter

How to Talk to Your Children About the Ohio Kidnappings

“Amanda Berry turned 17 on the day that she was abducted, Gina DeJesus just barely a teen at age 13, Michelle Knight, the oldest of the Ohio trio kidnapped and held captive for over a decade, was a mere 21,” Powell-Lunder wrote on GalTime.com.

“As a parent it is hard to know what to think, let alone what to say to your children. This story has many angles, many themes.