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Showing posts from August, 2007

What are Your Parenting Goals?

Do you remember what your expectations were for your children before you had them? You wanted them to be healthy, happy, and well adjusted. How does this now compare to the realities of everyday life full of runny noses, crayon marks on the wall, and temper tantrums? If you’re like most parents, sometimes all you can do is damage control before falling into bed exhausted. Despite your exhaustion, know that your calling is much higher than this. It’s important to have goals as a parent. To actually put thought into how you want your kids to turn out and what principles you want them to learn growing up. If you haven’t put much thought into what your goals should be start thinking about it today. A good place to start is to ask yourself the following questions: what do you want to accomplish as a dad or mom, what do you want to teach your children, when your children are older what lessons would you have want them to learn? Here are a few goals you might want to consider for yours

What’s Wrong With You?

Since this isn’t e-bay, it is the LifeWorks web site, I am assuming (I know I know- never assume) that you are here because something is wrong. You are reading all about us with the hope someone in our group can do something to fix the situation. Worse still, someone around you has sent you to find someone at LifeWorks to fix you! I had a client years ago whose husband told her everyday to find a counselor to “make her right”. Abbey* walked into my office with her head down and her spirit dragging behind her. I was her fourth attempt to find a counselor that could “make her right”. Three other professionals took her lead and reacted to the dejected appearance and faltering voice. The inevitable, beginning of a first session question, was then asked of Abbey “tell me what’s wrong”. Being too scared, ashamed, embarrassed, and confused to say much, the answer was always the same: “I don’t know”. Abbey would then proceed to tell the therapist her husband requested her to “get righ

Winning the Battle, And the War: Tips for Parenting a Strong-Willed Child

By: Aaron Welch, LMHC, NCC He seems so cute, clever, and funny most of the time. It’s true. My three-year-old son has a sense of humor that can truly make his mama and daddy laugh. His vocabulary is advanced for his age, his smile can light up any room, and there are times that having a conversation with him can melt my heart........ But there are days where I can understand why some animals eat their young. Yes, I admit it. I am the father of a strong-willed child. I cannot live in denial any longer. No more shall I insist that he is nothing more than a sweet, innocent, angelic little boy. I must verbalize to the entire world (or, at least, to those who read this article) that there are times when my son is only one step lower than Damian, from “The Omen” movies. He constantly pushes boundaries, he often will not comply with my wishes until he knows consequences are about a millisecond away, he tries to intimidate his mama by lowering his voice and yelling

Parenting Launch Sequence ~ Managing the change of letting go of childrenso they can launch into a successful life as young adults

By Dwight Bain, NCC, CFLM Parents are told to give their children "roots and wings" from the time they are born until it is time to leave the nest, some twenty years later. I believe that the first part comes easier than the second, which may not come at all for some older adolescents these days. Let me explain a few factors to help you understand why some kids never seem to launch into early success as young adults. Giving a child 'roots' is about shared traditions, Judeo-Christian values, personal accountability to a moral standard of behavior like the 10 commandments or the golden rule as well as providing a safe and loving home environment. I believe that most parents do their best to care and provide for their kids. I also believe that most parents try to build these core values into the heart of their kids which will always show up through their behavior and choices later on in life. If a child knows what they believe they are stronger and more focused to go

CREATING POSITIVE CHANGE IN SPITE OF CRISIS

Change... it is a part of life that we don’t like to face. Oh we may speculate on what it would be like to live some where else, move to another house, take another job in another industry, move away from mom and dad, or marry our 'dream date'. We like to talk about the big changes that we may go through one day; but let's face it. Most people hate to go through a major change. I think we tend to avoid change like the plague; even though we know in our heads that God will ultimately use change to grow us into a stronger person through the process. Some of the changes in life are predictable. Losing our first tooth, the independence that comes from a driver’s license, graduation, moving out on our own, and other expected stages of life. Some changes are not pleasant, but equally common. A new-born baby not sleeping well and the parents struggling to find the energy to cope with their new child's continual cries for comfort, siblings fighting with each other, feeli