Stress is a normal part of parenting but chronic stress leads to an unhealthy parent and a diminished parent-child relationship. Responsibilities, limited time, financial constraints and negative emotions deepen your stress. This leads to chronic stress and weakens your immune system, saps your energy and harms your decision making. It leads to sleep disruption, an […]
Life is filled with moments taken, moments given and moments shared. I will never forget the time a mother and her autistic child showed me the true meaning of love. I first heard the sound when I turned the door handle to my exam room. “Thump, thump, thump.” It grew louder as I swung open […]
The decision to vaccinate a child can be stressful and difficult. For some parents this is an easy decision and for other it is complex and fear-provoking. Whether you decide yes or no there are some facts a parent needs to know. Vaccines prepare children to fight off an infection. Vaccines activate white blood cells […]
All parents must identify and understand their parenting persona. Your persona drives your parenting decisions and plays a major role in how successful you are as a parent. Recognizing and understanding your parenting persona allows you to choose parenting tactics to meet your own needs, the needs of your child and the needs of your […]
Your abilities to anticipate and respond to the needs of your child play the biggest roles in the amount of stress a parent experiences. Stress is part of parenting. Being able to recognize, understand and eliminate this stress helps you find the emotional vocabulary to listen to and connect with your child. Uncertainty of how […]
What tools do you rely on to parent your child? Children are born into this world as perfect beings waiting for connections to be made. Although your child needs food, warmth and protection, mostly your child needs you. Your ability to connect in a love-filled positive fashion provides a secure attachment which is essential for […]
Women who are pregnant and their unborn child are both at increased risk for complications due to influenza. This is due to changes in the immune system, heart and lungs during pregnancy. These changes place pregnant women at risk for complications, hospitalization and even death due to influenza. The unborn child is also at risk […]
Parent-directed parenting strategies are built upon the parent leading the child. They are most commonly used in the preschooler or early school-aged child. This type of parenting is different from child-directed approaches where the parents follow rather than lead the interaction. In child-directed intervention the focus is on social attention and nonverbal communication. Self-esteem and […]
Your ability to anticipate and respond to the behavior of your child determines the type of parent leader you are. Leadership is an essential part of parenting. As a parent leader you must choose parenting responses and an emotional vocabulary that allow you to listen, connect and respond to your child with unconditional love. Uncertainty […]
Focusing on gratitude, having reasonable expectations and giving rather than receiving will help you deal with holiday stress. Common parenting potholes include excessive pressure to perform, succeed or to be perfect. Past memories can also trigger stress. When you avoid worrying, focus on realistic expectations and practice expressions of gratitude for what you have rather […]
