Aug
31
ATTACHMENT PARENTING: PARENTING IN A DETACHED SOCIETY
By Stephanie Lehane (January 2009)
There is a modern-day debate surrounding a centuries old practice that has been coined “attachment parenting”. To first understand the controversy, one must define the term attachment parenting. Attachment parenting is a way of child-rearing that serves as a guideline, rather than a rulebook, for parents to better understand the non-verbal communication they receive from their infants, babies, and children. At odds with this concept is the parenting style popularized at the beginning of the twentieth century and passed down for several generations since.
The three main modalities of attachment parenting as they relate to infants and babies are breastfeeding, babywearing, and co-sleeping. It seems the mere mention of any or all of these invites a plethora of advice and opinion. In the face of all of the scientific data pointing toward breastfeeding as the best form of nutrition for babies, women of previous generations will often advise that new mothers bottle-feed. This same troupe of well-intended matriarchs often tends to rally behind the concept that a baby, even an infant, can be spoiled. And of course nursing mothers who opt to co-sleep with their infants receive dire warnings of increased risk for SIDS and children who will be in high school still climbing into bed with mom and dad. Yet, for centuries, mothers out of instinct and necessity carried, cuddled, breastfed, and co-slept with their babies. It wasn’t until the advent of modern medicine and the advancements of science that mothers began to question their innate sensibilities in favor of advice from professionals, typically men, who would tell them that there is a new and improved way to raise a healthy baby.
Aug
24
Single Parents In College – How To Meet The Double Challenge
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Experts think that two of every ten college students today is a single parent, whether male or female. And the number of single parents in college is on a steady rise. This shouldn’t really be surprising since single-parent households have been on a sharp and steady increase for several decades. Whether by chance or choice, single parenting is a popular lifestyle for adults today.
Today, there are more single parents enrolled in college than ever before. Single parents face difficult challenges, and single parents who are also college students have additional stresses and demands to deal with.
The Challenges for Single-Parent College Students
Single parents attending college have many obstacles and difficulties. They have demands on their time greater than the amount of time they spend in class. They must also study to achieve satisfactory academic performance. Pressures to perform in class are added to those they already feel from their home and child-rearing responsibilities.
Society may not recognize the added burden. Being a single parent in college doesn’t change social expectations for making parent-teacher conferences, attending PTA meetings, coaching kids’ sports teams, and the host of activities expected of parents today.
And people may view single parents in college differently. Even if having children was a conscious choice, people may assume that the single parent was irresponsible in his or her social and sexual behavior. Peers and professors may assume the single parent is promiscuous, creating even more problems for the harried student. So while the stigma against single parents has largely disappeared in modern western cultures, it may not be completely gone for single parents in college.
Aug
17
Single Parenting – Recognizing Their Efforts And Helping Them
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According to Wikipedia, mono parents are parents without partners in raising a child or children. Thus, a mono parent is one who raises his or her bud solely and lonely, spouseless.
Illustrations on mono parents will be at variance from place to place. Each societal mannerism treats and classifies them to their accord.
Treatment of mono parents modify according to where they are put up. Mono parents in urban areas are dealt with in a more positive manner in contrast to those from rural areas.
Mono parenting has become a widespread scenario in today’s lifestyle. But not all cultures receive this change in the way of living, with a positive outlook.
Mono parents- Their practicality
The mother or father is left to raise the bud, companionless, due to various causes and reasons.
They are singled out due to reasons like annulment, mutual separation (break-up), one of them is imprisoned or has kicked the bucket.
The so called parent, who raises the bud, is not necessary to be blood related to that bud. The DNA affirmation does not really count to classify him or her as a mono parent.
Parenting singly is a mere option opted by the person, if the bud is not his or her organic child. Opting to raise another person’s bud is an aristocratic gesture.
As per the latest research, mono parents should get hold of their bud either legally or by adopting or by getting pregnant, unnaturally, or by becoming the surrogate mother.
Aug
10
Other Children And Their Parents
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The saying, “other people’s children” usually brings to mind how misbehaving other people’s children can be. “Other children’s parents” is a new saying that refers to how other people parent their children. Parents all have different expectations of their children and allow different behaviors.
When children begin to have friends, there are times parents would rather their child not associate with a certain child. Some parents let their children run wild, whereas some parents are completely strict. Parents have to learn to accept how other children are raised and teach their children to continue to respect their limits.
One common mistake made by parents is thinking that their parenting techniques are the best parenting techniques. Frequently parents may want to allow another child to disobey his or her parents, because they don’t think that another child’s parents’ decision is right. For example, some parents don’t allow their children to drink soda or eat sugary items. Offering these items to this child will compromise his or her parents’ ability to hold their child accountable. When parents respect other parents’ rules and parenting techniques they not only show respect to the other parents, but they model respect for others to their children.
Aug
3
Research has repeatedly shown that children succeed academically, socially and emotionally and become more well-rounded and balanced individuals if their parents are involved in their education and school activities. Getting involved also sends the message to children that parents are genuinely interested in their education, and that going to school is a positive, valuable cause.
But many parents don’t seem to show much interest in this cause when they aren’t participators in their children’s school activities. They often say they don’t have the time or energy or that they feel uncomfortable in their children’s schools. Other parents just seem to be confused about their options and how they can participate, or are just lacking the right information.
So how can schools get parents involved with school activities?
Communication is the key. A major reason for lack of parental involvement is lack of clear, straightforward and helpful information. Schools and teachers need to make contact with parents—in person, on the phone, through e-mail and websites, through letters and notes sent home, through newsletters. Teachers need to talk to parents in a basic manner without adding “educational jargon” and ensure parents have regular access to readable information about their children’s school activities—both in and out of the classroom.
Parents want to know what their children are learning, what school activities they are involved in, how they as parents can specifically be involved with their children’s education and school activities, how they can approach teachers and how they can help their children at home.
Jul
27
Effective Parenting Training
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A parent, whether single or with a partner, is often blamed for anything that goes wrong with their children. Blame for the perceived wrongdoings of our children is probably one of the hardest burdens that we as parents have to carry.
The truth is that parents these days are time poor and their children are, more than ever before, influenced by many powerful outside sources. Most parents are doing the best they can with the knowledge they have. For the majority of people, this knowledge is based on how they were parented themselves. But times have changed, what worked for their parents and for them as children may not work now for their own families. Many people find that relying on what they learned from their own experience isn’t sufficient.
With just about everything that we do in life, we learn from our ‘mistakes’. Some of our mistakes are easy to move on from, others can last a lifetime and cause untold heartache.
Most people are born with parental instincts so parenting does come naturally to a certain extent. But who among us can say that they have not made mistakes? The evidence of some of our hasty parenting decisions can be in the form of defiant, uncommunicative or sullen children and teenagers, and these mistakes are not easy to live with.
Is there a better way? Yes, there is. Learning to become an effective parent can save a great deal of heartache.
Jul
20
10 parenting tips that all parents should implement every day to improve their family’s life and make it easier.
Parenting tip 1
Good parenting is remembering to tell your child you love them and not stopping – even when they so tall that they can look down on you. Do this regardless of how they behave because although you may not like his behavior you do love him.
Parenting tip 2
Speak words of affirmation to your child each day and as soon as they are old enough encourage them to speak these out to themselves. This will help you raise a more positive child which improves family life.
Parenting tip 3
Improve your parenting skills be encourage your child’s independence and tell him what he can do it, rather than what he can’t do. It can often seem quicker to do things for your child but instead leave enough so you child can learn and become more independent
Parenting tip 4
Spend time listening and talking to each child individually, this is the greatest investment you can make in your child’s life. It’s the best way to show them that you love them
Parenting tip 5
Jul
13
Attend Parenting Workshops to Learn Positive Parenting Strategies
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Parenting is a difficult job. One needs to be very careful when it comes to raise children. The basics of parenting should be learned otherwise life becomes tough. Many parents, especially those who are new, require help to manage their family life properly. Parenting workshops often proves to be good for them.
Those who are lucky enough to have elderly ladies in family can gain some helpful tips on how to raise children without any external help. However, parent coaching is good for all – whether you have adequate knowledge of parenting or not, parenting coaching always equip you with more ideas and strategies to handle your family matters smartly.
Hence, going for parenting classes is a win-win situation – you have nothing to lose at all. Chances are high that you will learn a lot of new things while interacting with psychologists, counselors, child specialists, doctors and other parents. Hence, it will be a wise decision to go for parent coaching whenever you fail to find a realistic solution to your problems.
How Parenting Workshops Help
Putting it simply, parenting workshops equip you with essential parenting skills to raise a healthy, happy and responsible child who can enrich the family as well as the society with their positive contributions.
To make your child a reliable, trustworthy and healthy citizen of tomorrow you need to know the basics of parenting very well. If you fail to recognize the problems your children are experiencing, how can you help them grow up to your dreams?