When your youngest child turned 18, you thought you were done raising children. Although your 18 year old has gone away to college, your 19 year old tried going away to college last year, got home-sick and decided to come back home to go to the community college. Another child has been having a hard time. He lost his job and has moved back in with you as well. So now you find yourself parenting adult children living at home again. You thought this was going to be a time to relax and have less worries. Instead, you are still staying up at night wondering when your children will be in. Sometimes... (Read More ...)

African-American Relationships> Your children have entered adulthood. You thought they were old enough to make decisions for themselves. But when you see poor decisions being made, you feel like stepping in to give advice and help them make better choices. When you try to tell them what they need to do or give suggestions on how to solve a problem responsibly, you wind up arguing, yelling and getting into power struggles. Eventually you get so tired of pleading and arguing that you either give up or give in. Why does parenting adult children seem so difficult? Follow These Easy Steps To Work... (Read More ...)

African-American Relationships>   You have a new teen driver who is excited to use the family car to drive to practice. A couple friends on the team want to be picked up. You’ve heard about teenage driving statistics. You’ve seen coverage of teenage driving accidents on the news. You’re concerned about teenage peer pressure while driving. Would a Teen Driving Contract Agreement help your child avoid becoming one of those teenage driving statistics?  For most teens, driving is a symbol of their independence and a rite of passage to adulthood. But driving is not a right; it is a privilege... (Read More ...)

African-American Relationships> Do you remember your first teenage driving lessons? They often consist mostly of parents screaming: “Watch Out!” “Slow Down!” “You’re scaring me!” You probably felt discouraged and your parents probably felt scared and frustrated. Would you like to make your child’s first teenage driving lessons more positive? Teaching your child to become a responsible teen driver has its challenges.  There are great safety risks when you give control of a vehicle over to a learning teen driver.  You need to realize that learning how to drive is not a right,... (Read More ...)

African-American Relationships> What Is ADHD And What Are Causes Of ADHD In Children?   Your child never seems to sit still. He runs through the house dumping out toy bins in every room and constantly jumps on the furniture. He is interested in one toy for only a few minutes before he is off to another one. You feel like you are in a whirlwind just trying to keep up with him. You start to wonder, “Why can’t he sit still and focus?” A couple friends have made comments to you that he shows signs of ADHD. You wonder, “What is ADHD and what are causes of ADHD in children anyway?” If you’ve... (Read More ...)

 Your child was insecure at night. You started the habit of letting your child sleep in the family bed. Lately, you have been waking up in the middle of the night. Image: David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net You are unable to get back to sleep because you feel like you are hanging on the edge of the bed. Finally, you decide to get out of bed and go sleep on the couch. Now that your child has gotten bigger, you want to stop this habit.  Are you finding that as your child gets older there doesn’t seem to be enough room in the family bed for everyone to sleep comfortably? ... (Read More ...)

  [PDF] GLOSSARY  OF  TERMS   ABC-123-D Steps: (A) prevent the problem, (B) acknowledge feelings, (C1) set limits or express concerns, (C2) redirect misbehavior, (C3) reveal discipline, (D) maintain progress.Aggressive anger: Explodes at targets, hurting people physically or emotionally.Aggressive communication: Being firm, but not kind. Speakers uphold their rights in ways that violate the listeners’ rights.All-at-once learners: Children who practice several different new skills at once.All-or-nothing learners: Children who practice skills in only one area... (Read More ...)

 Looking for Bedtime Routines To Make Bedtime Peaceful?  It’s time for your children to get ready for bed. You say, “Time to go brush your teeth.” One whines, “But I don’t want to brush my teeth.” The other says, “I want to keep playing.” Your spouse steps in and says, “You both need to get in the bathroom and start brushing those teeth.” The children just complain and whine louder. You threaten, “If you don’t brush your teeth now, there will be no story time.” This just escalates the situation and now the complaining has turned into temper tantrums. You probably know... (Read More ...)

 Can Anger Management Techniques Help Stop Aggressive Behavior In Children?  Your child is playing soccer with some friends and all of a sudden you see him shove one of the other children to the ground and kick him. You have taught him anger management techniques and you have seen him control his anger in the past so this takes you by surprise. You run over to break up the commotion. You say to your son, “That was really inappropriate.  You know better than that.  What’s gotten into you?” Your son’s response is, “Well, he deserved it.  He started the whole thing.  He hit me first!” You... (Read More ...)

Is Giving An Allowance For Helping With The Household Chore ListA Good Way To Teach Children And Teenagers Money Management?   You have been giving your children money for doing chores. You have company coming over and need to get the house straightened up quickly. You ask the children to help pick up the living room while you clean the bathroom. The first response you hear is, “Well, how much will you pay?” Your other child chimes in, “Yeah, that’s not included in what we do for our allowance!” You become frustrated and annoyed because you are in no mood to negotiate right now.  You... (Read More ...)