Search Results for: blog parenting your oldest child what to expect and what to do

Dad in Denial

Can money really solve your biggest problems? A billionaire dad is really, really hoping it can. Cecil Chao is so livid that his smoking hot daughter, Gigi, recently wed her same-sex partner that he is offering a $65 million “marriage bounty” to any man who can get her to change her sexual preference. In other words, the 76-year-old Hong Kong business tycoon is in complete denial that his darling daughter is a lesbian and is willing to pay a pretty penny to any guy who can turn her straight. Denial is not an unusual parental reaction upon learning about a … Continue reading →

Married…..again?

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It seems like before the ink is dry on your divorce decree everyone starts asking you if you think you will get married again. What? I’m not really thinking much beyond what I’m going to fix for dinner and how to get time off work to have the car fixed. Now you want me to think about getting married again? It’s almost painful to say that, married again. Each of us thought that first time was forever, there wouldn’t be any “again,” yet here we are, wondering what to do next. We all want to be loved, we need to … Continue reading →

10 Ways to Push Your Teen Away: Don’t Show Affection (Part 10)

You might be surprised at this last part of my blog series, “10 Ways to Push Your Teen Away.” We are going to wrap it all up with a pretty bow called affection. I think the reason some might be surprised is because it has never crossed their mind the importance of showing affection to your teen. In fact, for some parents it might actually feel very uncomfortable. And then for other parents, they get the sense that their teen doesn’t want affection. In fact, you might be outright rejected when you attempt to give a hug. But don’t let … Continue reading →

10 Ways to Push Your Teen Away: Expect Them to Act Like Adults (Part 9)

As I continue my “10 Ways to Push Your Teen Away,” in part 9 we are going to consider how we sometimes expect our teens to act like adults. One of the clearest ways we do this is by making statements like, “Grow up!” or “Why don’t you act your age?” I have made similar statements to my own teens. One day my oldest son responded to my request that he act his own age with “I am!” And you know what? He was right. Take some time to really think about statements like that. When we tell our teens … Continue reading →

Should Children and Teens Be Forced to Attend Church?

If you are a church-going family, the odds are high that at some point you may deal with having a child who is no longer interested in attending. This can especially become a challenge when children reach their teenage years. So how do you handle that? Should you force your child or teen to go to church? Well there are two sides of logic when it comes to this issue. There is the side that believes forcing a teen to attend church will only turn them off more. Forcing an issue can sometimes make them more resistant. There is the … Continue reading →

Victimized Twice

As if it isn’t enough that a child would be the victim of former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky, to then become the victim of bullying. Yes, twice victimized. A 17-year-old from Pennsylvania had to leave his high school because other students were blaming him for Penn State coach Joe Paterno getting fired after he failed to report an incident of child sexual abuse to police. This 17-year-old was apparently the first victim to come forward and now he is being persecuted. He has not only had to deal with the sexual abuse he endured when he was around … Continue reading →

Daycare More Expensive Than College?

I heard something pretty shocking the other day on the radio. The DJ was talking about how the price of daycare for an infant is now more expensive than a year’s tuition in a public college (such as a technical school). On average, parents can expect to shell out $18,000 a year in order to have their baby cared for on a full-time basis. I guess that makes me feel somewhat better since college is just around the corner for my oldest son. He will be attending a technical school that offers an aviation program. I know they say you … Continue reading →

Interfering in Children’s Friendship Problems

I don’t know why I do it…but alas it has happened again. It is parental intervention in a friendship problem with my child. For some reason I really struggle with letting my children work it out. I hate to see them hurt or not getting along with someone, so I attempt to patch things up. However that almost always backfires. When my oldest son was in middle school he had a lot of difficulties with his best friend. The problem is that his best friend’s mother is also my very good friend. Needless to say it ended up causing friction … Continue reading →

Are Stay-at-Home Moms More Depressed Than Working Moms?

This weekend I read on “Health Day” that a new study shows stay-at-home moms are more likely to display symptoms of depression than those women who work outside the home. Yet the study also found that despite this, working moms who are overworked and out of balance are more likely to be depressed, as opposed to those who work outside the home and have a good order of things. I honestly don’t think it really has anything to do with whether or not you work inside or outside the home. In either situation you can be out of balance. I … Continue reading →

Conflict With My Tween

Well I just returned from a three day weekend trip to North Carolina. I attended a Christian writer’s conference and for the first time in my life, flew to another state without my husband and children. I wasn’t sure what to expect, as far as my children being without me for three days. Since they are pretty self-sufficient and independent, I didn’t anticipate it being a big deal. The few days leading up to my trip, my oldest two did express that they would miss me. It was my youngest son, my 12-year-old that seemed more than happy that I … Continue reading →