50+ Ways to Show Kids You Care

It is so important to show kids we love them every day of the year. While many of these we do naturally, we might not do them often enough or sometimes we just need to vary our routine and go the extra step to show our own children and the children we meet how special and unique they are!

You will notice that some of the ideas on this list apply to all children we know, not just our own. Whether you are a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, friend, caregiver or teacher you can have an impact on a child with any one of the ideas on this list. Children thrive when they are reminded of how much they are loved and valued, not just by their parents but by others in their lives as well.

Holding Teenagers Accountable for their Behavior

Do you enable your teenager's poor behavior?

Do you enable your teenager’s poor behavior?

A woman I know named Mary had a teen son with anxiety issues.  Things escalated with him and he began to refuse to go to school. Eventually, he was placed in an outpatient program through a psychiatric hospital and also attended group sessions with other anxious kids.  His life improved and he returned to school.  However, a few months later he began skipping school again. The woman decided to get some help for herself.  After learning some important things she began to realize that she had been contributing to her son’s anxiety issues. Mary was able to see that she had always seen her son as ‘fragile’ and treated him that way. She had ‘let him off the hook’ over and over again throughout his life, thinking he was incapable of being responsible, towing the line, learning from his mistakes. Her vision of him was a weak one, and it was very perceptible to him and others. Therefore, his vision of himself was a weak one, creating lots and lots of anxiety within his psyche.

How to Help Kids Develop a Positive Body Image

Keeping Up Appearances: Helping Young People Develop Healthy—Not Harmful— Attitudes About the Way They Look by Rhonda Franz February is National Eating Disorders Awareness Month. According to the National Eating…

14 Valentine’s Day Traditions to Share with Your Kids

Valentine's Day Traditions

How to Make Valentine’s Day Special for Your Family

By Kerrie McLoughlin

Growing up, I always looked forward to Valentine’s Day.  I loved making valentines for my friends at school and decorating a shoebox to collect them.  When I got home from school I could always count on chocolates from my mom and a small gift from my dad; cards came in the mail, too, from grandparents and aunts.  I was definitely made to feel special on Valentine’s Day.  I think everyone should get the chance to feel special on this sweet day full of love.  Check out the 14 traditions below that you can share with your kids and give some of them a try: you’ll definitely make someone’s day!

Valentine's Day Traditions

How to Make Valentine’s Day Special for Your Family

By Kerrie McLoughlin

Growing up, I always looked forward to Valentine’s Day.  I loved making valentines for my friends at school and decorating a shoebox to collect them.  When I got home from school I could always count on chocolates from my mom and a small gift from my dad; cards came in the mail, too, from grandparents and aunts.  I was definitely made to feel special on Valentine’s Day.  I think everyone should get the chance to feel special on this sweet day full of love.  Check out the 14 traditions below that you can share with your kids and give some of them a try: you’ll definitely make someone’s day!

Helping Your Teens Set SMART Goals for the New Year

Helping Your Teens Set SMART goals

How SMART Goals help determine what should be categorized as a goal.

I really don’t like the word “resolution” – and I never set any New Year’s Resolutions for myself. The way I see it, if there is something I need to change about myself, I’m not going to wait until January 1st to make that change … I’d better get on with it right away! If you realize you’re eating too much cake, or that cigarettes cause cancer, you should make those changes immediately.

New Year’s Resolutions just don’t seem to stick. The unfortunate truth is that it’s become completely normal and accepted to flake out on our New Year’s Resolutions – the gym is packed to the gills in January, a little less crowded in February, and then back to only the regulars in March.

However, I do see the value in setting goals. Goals have a different feel than resolutions do. Resolutions have a negative connotation, don’t they? New Year’s Resolutions usually mean that you need to stop doing something you shouldn’t be doing.

Seven Simple Ways to Teach Your Children Gratitude

Teaching Kids About Gratitude - Thank You Note

Teaching Kids About Gratitude

Gratitude is more than an attitude. Recent studies show that grateful people are happier, more resilient, and less depressed. They also have higher self-esteem and better relationships. These results prove that gratitude is more than polite manners and positive thinking. It is a way of life, and a wonderful legacy to leave our children.