Search Results for: blog tolerating different opinions and values within a family

Learning to Laugh at Ourselves

There is a difference between teasing, picking on someone, making fun of them, and just learning to not take things so seriously. We can help our kids develop a sense of humor and learn how to laugh at themselves–not by teasing and poking fun at them, but by modeling our own ability to laugh at ourselves and helping them to appreciate the silliness and humor in every day life. I do not think that people are born with a sense of humor. How’s that for a dramatic statement? I think it is something that is learned and shaped over the … Continue reading →

Values Shouldn’t Be a Secret

You may feel pretty secure in knowing what you value and what you are trying to pass on to your child—but does your child know? Often, we just assume that our children will absorb our values and learn to see the world the way we want them too. Of course, our children do develop into people of their own with their own minds and values, but how will they know what WE value, unless we share that with them? Recently, I reacted to something one my children said by saying, “We’re not that sort of a family!” and she answered … Continue reading →

Helping Our Kids Let Go of “The Crowd”

Peer pressure, friends, cliques, socialization–it is all a huge part of growing up. Our kids learn a great deal about surviving in the real world from learning how to interact socially as they are growing and developing. But, our children also need a chance to hear their own voices, get away from the crowd, and get in touch with their individuality and figure out who they are when they are NOT part of a big peer group… As parents, we can help our children learn to balance social time with alone time. Of course, some kids just seem to natural … Continue reading →

Tolerating Different Opinions and Values Within a Family

One of the things we try to do as parents is to impart our value systems on our children. Of course, they are individuals and tend to grow up and formulate their own opinions and ideas about the world—sometimes taking on our values, and sometimes coming up with some of their own. Many of you know that all of my children are currently teenagers and they are little opinion machines right now. Part of my world, as a parent to teens, is to learn how to and foster some tolerance around all of these differing opinions and ideas that are … Continue reading →