Adventures in Parenting

Today is the Last Day of our 30 Days to Better Parenting Challenge!
If you have been following this series on 30 Days to Better Parenting, you will notice that much of what we’ve been trying to do is improve relationships within the family, particularly with our children. When the family has a strong foundation of [...]

At 40-something years old this year, I’d say I can count on about 20 more good years ahead of me, 25 if I am lucky. Even if I live beyond 75, I don’t think I can be as productive as I have been my last 20 years. That’s just a fact of life.
What have I [...]

There is no lack of parenting books out there in the bookstores.
There are lots of websites like this one to give you parenting advice.
But there is one source of parenting advice that we rarely tap into.
Today is Day 28 of our 30 Days to Better Parenting Challenge. Our task today is to ask the expert [...]

Do you agree that the new media - the computer and all its various usages, as well as the old media - TV and such, have a huge influence on our children?
Are you familiar with the content of what your children are watching on TV, what they are watching on YouTube, and what they are [...]

Would you agree that you’ve made some mistakes as a parent?
Of course we all know the answer to that question. Everyday I make mistakes that I wish I could do over.
I should have not yelled at my kids. I should have gone to support my daughter’s band competition even though it was pouring rain. I [...]

One of the most important aspects of parenting is creating an environment in the home where your family would want to come home to. We want to have a positive atmosphere of safety, love, and joy. Having fun together at home is a good way to build a happy home.
Today on Day 25 of our [...]

Is your family like mine where everyone is usually off in their own room or their corner doing their own thing?
I am on my computer, my husband is on his laptop, each of my children are doing something by themselves.
This activity brings the family for good clean fun, and is workable in any weather.
On this [...]

Today’s task on Day 23 of our 30 Days to Better Parenting Challenge may truly be a challenge for some of us.
If you are like me, my default mode of operation is to gravitate to the familiar. The menu for meals include meatloaf, pot roast, enchiladas, or stir fry. Those are my favorites, and I [...]

“I used to walk 30 miles to school, in the snow, uphill both ways!”

We usually resort to saying things like that when we think that our children do not appreciate the easy life they have. We want to tell them that life is tough for some people, and that they should be thankful they [...]

My daughter and I went to the Los Angeles County Fair yesterday, and we forgot to bring a camera! I wanted to kick myself for not remembering such an important piece of equipment that should be central in our lives!
You’ve got to take your camera with you everywhere.
You can never have too many pictures.
Now that [...]

When was the last time you received a personal piece of mail in your mailbox? I mean in your mailbox as in the one out in the front of your house, not your Email Inbox.
It’s a thrill when I get a personally addressed piece of mail. While email is certainly efficient, I miss getting mail [...]

You’ve heard it said that a good defense is a strong offense.
When it comes to dealing with problems between siblings, this principle certainly holds true. When brothers and sisters fight constantly, no amount of screaming, threats, or punishment seem to be able to abate it.
I think the best way to deal with sibling quarrels is [...]

Do you have assigned chores for your children?
How do you decide which chores they are to do? Based on age and the difficulty of the task they can handle? I have another suggestion on how to decide on chores for your children to do.
Today, our task on Day 18 of our 30 Days to [...]

Much of what we’ve been emphasizing so far on our 30 Days to Better Parenting Challenge is building positive messages with our family. I believe a positive atmosphere of love and affirmation can achieve more than negative criticisms.
On the other hand, there of course has to be discipline when warranted.
Today is Day 17 of our [...]

I bet that for most of us, if not all, our family is what will mean the most to us at our death bed. We would say, “Oh, I wish I had told them how much they mean to me.”
Have no regrets!
Our task today on Day 16 of our 30 Days to Better Parenting Challenge [...]

Are relationships a little strained in your home?
Has everyone been stressed lately, pressured with work, school, and chores?
What you need is to get de-stress with a good laugh.
This will be a fun activity to do with your children today, on this Day 15 of our 30 Days to Better Parenting Challenge.

Go to the bookstore or [...]

“Pick up your clothes!”
“Hurry up and finish your homework!”
“Get off the computer NOW!”
Are our children hearing negative commands from you all day?
Today is Day 14 of our 30 Days to Better Parenting Challenge. I warn you, the task today will be a real challenge.
Whenever you feel a negative statement coming out of your mouth, STOP! [...]

Is parenting the most rewarding job in the world?
Absolutely!
Is is the easiest job in the world?
I wish it was, and I wish good and effective parenting comes naturally.
But the truth is, being a parent is exhausting. We have to be constantly alert, we have to make quick on-the-spot decisions, and we are called upon [...]

Today’s task for this Day 12 of our 30 Days to Better Parenting Challenge will only take a few minutes to complete.
Simply write a short note to each member of the family today. The content doesn’t have to be a long. Just an encouraging word, something funny, a word of acknowledgment is all you need [...]

Today’s task for our 30 Days to Better Parenting Challenge will seem strange. But trust me. I’ve done this before and it’s good.
Take the whole family to a cemetery.
You read correctly.
We usually go after a late breakfast on a nice Saturday morning. My family would walk around the gravesites, reading the epitaph. We see how [...]

Wherever there is food, good feelings go along with it.
Mealtimes are usually the best time for families to spend quality time.
To make the most of the time, instead of just eating together, you can also prepare the meal together. Don’t worry, no cooking skills are required for this activity I am suggesting.
The task today on [...]

How often do we remind our children to say “Thank you” when they receive something?
“Say Thank You to Aunt Mary for the nice sweater.”
“Say Thank You to the nice lady for giving you a cookie.”
Here is a searching question for us: How often do we say Thank You to our children when they do something [...]

Wake up, brush your teeth, eat breakfast, go to school, come home from school, do homework, and on and on it goes.
Life gets pretty mundane and downright boring.
Each day goes by, and before you know it, your life has just passed you by….
Stop!
We have to take a hold of life, and get it out of [...]

In our day of audio and video - ipods, mp3s, HD, etc., etc. - reading books still has a place in entertainment.
Nothing trains our imagination better than reading. Building vocabulary and writing skills all come from avid reading.
On this Day 7 of our 30 Days to Better Parenting Challenge, our task is to read [...]

Yesterday, our challenge was to identify one area in our parenting efforts that could use some improvement. We were to find some resources that address that issue.
Today, Day 6 of our 30 Days to Better Parenting Challenge - Day 6our task is to put one new idea that you found into practice. Just ONE.
We [...]

It’s been said frequently that children do not come with a user’s manual. 
Does that mean parenting is learned on-the-job only? Do we approach parenting in a haphazard manner? Do we just “do the best we can” and just hope for the best?
Fortunately, the answers to those are NO!
There are plenty of resources out there [...]

Photo by blmurch
Pictures are worth a thousand words! When we don’t know how to talk to our children, when words are misunderstood and relationships are frail, or when we just want to express our love that cannot be put into words, looking at old photo albums together speaks volumes.
Day 4 activity for today’s 30 [...]

When was the last time that one of your children had your full undivided attention with no interruption from other siblings, the computer, TV or phone?
A date night, not with your spouse, but with your son or daughter is our activity on this Day 3 of the 30 Days to Better Parenting Challenge.

Take one of [...]

On this Day 2 of the 30 Days to Better Parenting Challenge, I must put a big WARNING sign here. Today’s task may be very difficult for some of you.
Our task is to have a NO TV day!
That’s right. Have the TV off for an entire day. And yes, you will live through it, I [...]

Photo by kalandrakas
So we all want to be a better parent, right?
I am challenging myself and you along with me to the 30 Days to Better Parenting Challenge.
We do one thing a day for 30 days that will help us become better parents. Sounds doable, doesn’t it?
After 30 days, I hope we would have developed [...]