Better Parents, Better Families Archive

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St. Patrick's Day GREEN means GO!

February 28th, 201008:27 PM ET

By Ann Dunagan

For many people, St. Patrick's Day is nothing more than a holiday to commemorate the traditions of Ireland. People wear "Irish" green; stores decorate with shamrocks, leprechauns, and rainbows; and restaurants feature meals of corned beef, cabbage and potatoes, or green-colored mint milkshakes. To others, March 17th is a day to gratify the flesh: ...
Dads - Daughters Event Touches Hearts

February 26th, 201003:14 AM ET

By Rick I. Johnson

My 21-year-old daughter, Kelsey, and I had the privilege of speaking together at the Third Annual Seattle Father-Daughter Summit this past weekend. It was a powerful event that was attended by about 60 pairs of fathers and daughters with ages ranging from 11-25 years old. The Summit was an all day event sponsored by several fathering and family min...
Differences in Parenting? How Your Child May Be Using it Against You

February 24th, 201011:35 AM ET

By Empowering Parents

What do you do when your spouse doesn't parent the same way you do? Hands-down, this is one of the most frequently asked questions we receive at Empowering Parents. "I want to set limits and give consequences, but he thinks I'm being too hard on our kids," said one mother recently. "I'm tired of being the bad guy all the time!" Not only is that unh...
Why Kids Tell Lies And What To Do About It

February 22nd, 201005:27 PM ET

By Empowering Parents

Q: When your child lies to you, it hurts. As parents, it makes us angry and we take it personally. We feel like we can never trust our child again. Why does lying cause such anger, pain and worry for parents? James: Parents are understandably very afraid of their children getting hurt and getting into trouble, but they have very little protection ...
Families: Called to Go? Or to Give?

February 19th, 201006:20 PM ET

By Ann Dunagan

"The Great Commission is not an option to consider, but a command to obey." - Hudson Taylor, Missionary to China You may have heard a common statement in regard to world missions: "Some are called to go, but others are called to pray or to give." I believe this statement is true; but it's not a quick and easy cop-out. It's not enough to just...
"Anger with an Angle": Is Your Child Using Anger to Control You?

February 19th, 201011:10 AM ET

By Empowering Parents

Have your child's angry outbursts worn you down so much that you've simply learned to give in? You should know that this is not a phase or a behavior that will "just go away on its own." Read on to discover 5 things you can do to stop your child from using "Anger with an Angle" today. Anger is a fact of life. Everyone gets angry, including kids-th...
Don't Be Blindsided by the Teen Years

February 18th, 201004:28 PM ET

By Mark Gregston

Parents with children in the "tween" years should pat themselves on the back for a job well done! After a decade of protecting and nurturing their growing child, parenting can become easier at this time. But they would be wise to consider this "breather period" as a time to prepare for the teen years and make the appropriate adjustments in their pa...
"My Child Thinks He's the Boss!" How to Get Back Control of Your Home

February 17th, 201002:31 PM ET

By Empowering Parents

Why do some kids try to become the so-called "alpha dogs" of their families? The answer lies in an old saying: Nature abhors a vacuum. And in my experience, if there's a vacuum of power in a family, somebody's going to try to fill it. Understand that some mature, older kids do gain some authority in their families, and that's natural. In fact, it ...
Sharing God's LOVE . . . on Valentine's Day!

February 12th, 201010:45 AM ET

By Ann Dunagan

Valentine's Day is a great time of the year to encourage our children to share their faith in Jesus Christ with friends and family members. Valentine's cards for classmates, neighbors, or relatives can include references to God's love, or kind comments about prayer. Because this holiday is named after two early Chrsitian martrys, it is also a ...
Are You Afraid of Your Acting Out Child? Part II: 7 Ways to Get Back Parental Authority

February 10th, 201002:10 PM ET

By Empowering Parents

In part two of this series, James gives you 7 ways to get back parental control and stop living in fear of your child's acting-out behavior. Most people aren't afraid of their children; rather, they're afraid of their child's behavior. It's important to understand that this fear undermines your authority as a parent because it's hard to set limi...
Teens and Privacy: Should I Spy on My Child?

February 09th, 201001:16 PM ET

By Empowering Parents

Note from James: A lot of the things we do to protect our children might be considered "spying" by our kids, but they are in fact measures we take to keep them safe from others, as well as from themselves. Before we begin, I want to say that I hesitate to use the word "spying" because it has a negative, sneaky connotation. It's hard to "spy" on som...
Shame and Anger: The Emotional Handcuffs of Parenting

February 08th, 201012:33 PM ET

By Empowering Parents

One of the unaddressed elements of children's behavior is the pain that families go through, knowing that others are judging them. Because the fact is, they are being judged. When parents have to go to school constantly because of their kid's outbursts, when they get in conflicts with the neighbors because of the kid's behavior, when they're at th...
Are You a Mother or a Martyr? How Much is Too Much When “Doing” for Your Child?

February 05th, 201010:07 AM ET

By Empowering Parents

Without even realizing it, well-meaning parents can turn into martyrs for their kids. I've worked with many of them. One woman, I'll call her "Karen," stands out. When I met Karen, she was exhausted and frustrated, because she'd been fighting the school, her family and everyone else since her son "Kyle" was born. He had a learning disability and be...
Sibling Rivalry: Good Kid vs. Bad Kid

February 04th, 201009:17 AM ET

By Empowering Parents

Frequently, I receive calls on the Parental Support Line involving sibling rivalry conflicts. An important thing to remember is that sibling rivalry is a normal emotional state in children. Children compete with each other for their parent's approval and affection. In fact, adult children still can feel competitive about their parents' attention. O...
When Kids Get Violent: “There’s No Excuse for Abuse”

February 02nd, 201011:03 AM ET

By Empowering Parents

Violence is the extreme end of aggression. Remember that not all kids who are aggressive become violent. When children and teens use violence to get what they want-whether it's punching a sibling in the stomach or punching a hole in the wall-it usually involves a scenario where they're being told "no" to something they want to do, or they're being ...

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Here you will find parenting tips from experts on building a healthy family.