What do kids learn from dad? In the journey of life, father figures play a significant role in shaping the lives of their children. From teaching essential life skills to imparting valuable lessons, their influence often extends far beyond the boundaries of the family unit. Let’s look at 5 things that kids learn from interacting with their father. We caught my son in a lie. In three days, he ordered over $200 worth of digital “accessories” and fake money for an online game he plays. When my husband and I confronted him, he was well-prepared with a ridiculous lie about not even being on his tab ..read more

In today’s divisive world, it’s vital to start raising free thinkers instead of simply creating followers. By encouraging your kids to think critically and make decisions for themselves, you can help them develop the skills they need to become successful and confident individuals. Consider this complicated moral dilemma: You see a someone rob a bank, but then they give the money to a struggling orphanage. Do you call the police or let the orphanage keep the money? This question was asked to 150 study participants – with one caveat. Half of the participants were told that the majority of other ..read more

A few years ago I cured my anxiety without using medication. I hope some of these 8 tips can help others improve their mental health the natural way. Years ago when I was in pharmacy school, we were taught that anxiety medication was reserved for extreme cases. For people still suffered after therapy and life-style changes. Most anxiety medication increases your levels of free serotonin (which control your mood and a few other things). So, the thought is if you have anxiety that isn’t responding to lifestyle changes, then you may be lacking in this happy chemical. Fast forward to a few years b ..read more

Get your kids actually talking to you with these 21 deep Conversation Starters – specifically designed for kids. Also, learn why it’s so important to replace small talk with meaningful bonding moments. Start with these fun topics and questions. A normal after school conversation with my kids goes a little something like this: Me: Hi! How was your day? Kids: Fine (emotionless) Me: Did you do anything special? Kids: Nope (already trying to walk away from me) Me: What did you have for lunch? (throwing them a soft-ball question) Kids: I don’t remember (clearly lying to move past me) Me: Did anyth ..read more

It can be challenging for parents to know how to respond when your kid wants to quit a sport or activity – football, wrestling, piano, chess club or whatever they signed up for. Whether you have a teen or a child, it’s important to understand why they want to quit and to respond in this simple way. My oldest son – the natural people-pleaser- would walk across hot coals if he thought that is what my husband and I wanted. We wonder if he would even tell us if he wanted to quit one of his sports. On the other hand, my daughter complains from time to time about every activity she is in – even if s ..read more

Is my daughter a mean girl? These are 5 signs that your daughter may need you to intervene and promote kindness and empathy. If you have a daughter, you know that the answer to “Is my Daughter a mean girl” is, well, complicated. Your daughter (whether a teen girl or a young child) most likely has moments that make you wonder if she has a mean bone in her body. She truly is sugar, spice, and everything nice. On the other hand, there are some days where you can compare her to a hungry lion. Stalking her prey, looking for a moment of weakness, and attacking with force and vengeance. As a parent ..read more

Learn how to raise humble kids with these simple life lessons in humility. Also, learn why it is so important that parents make these changes today. Our generation is making a huge parenting mistake. And, ironically, it is all while we are trying to be seen as good parents. As parents, we are so focused on pride, self-love, and materialistic accomplishments that in our quest to raise confident, well-adjusted kids, we are actually raising overly sensitive, entitled children. Some of us are accidently raising – dare I say it- narcissists. Now, I am not saying that I don’t want my kids to love th ..read more

Kids who own up to their mistakes and decisions – good and bad – have parents that have these mindsets. When your kids make mistakes or poor decisions, do they own up to it or try their best to hide and avoid and blame or consequences? Most modern children and teenagers will do anything they possibly can to avoid facing their mistakes. Take my oldest son, who uses what I like to call the “defend and deflect method” to point blame away from himself. Basically, he would have a well-thought out, organized rebuttal (such a first child, am I right?) for WHY what happened was not – in fact- his faul ..read more

Understanding the root causes of narcissistic behavior in children is crucial for parents. This article delves into common parenting mistakes – related to overindulging AND underindulging – that lead to narcissism and how to adjust your parenting style to raise empathetic kids. If you are familiar with Greek mythology, you may have heard of Narcissus. So the story goes, Narcissus was so ridiculously handsome that he fell in love with, well, himself. After seeing his own breathtaking reflection in a pond, he was so enamored (with the view of his own self) that he refused to leave and died at th ..read more

The art of raising critical thinkers may not be as challenging as you think! These 5 parenting techniques will help you raise kids who are independent thinkers and mindful humans. As parents, we can learn a lot about how to interact with our children by observing past discoveries. And when we think about critical thinking, there is no better place to start than ancient Greece. Approximately 2,500 years ago Socrates, a famous Greek Philosopher, established the idea of critical thinking. He explained that we can’t always depend upon authority figures to know all the answers; therefore, it is imp ..read more