Empathy — the “vitamin” for emotionally healthy families

Would you like a world in which everyone only looks out for themselves or one in which people genuinely care about one another? How about in your family? Would you prefer to have a spouse that believes only his experience is correct or one who treats your perspective...

Self-care for parents

For many of us, our children occupy our first thoughts upon waking and our last ruminations or prayers as we fall asleep. We may choose paying work that allows us access to resources that we deeply want to give them. We may choose to have our family be our work and...

Reverence for our children

The other day I was in the kitchen preparing dinner while a Kindermusik CD played in the background. As Belle nuit, ô nuit d’amour (often referred to as the Barcarolle) by Jacques Offenbach began, my daughter hopped down from her stool and started dancing in the...

Are you too helpful with your children?

One of my favorite wise women is Rachel Naomi Remen. I was given her article In the Service of Life by one of my mentors and it has a profound influence on me as a parent. I strongly encourage you to read this piece for yourself as it offers numerous gems. For now,...

Parents have “discipline” all wrong

I just finished reading How Do You Discipline a Child in the Post-Hitting Era? and am amazed that parents can still be so confused. The problem is that we use the word “discipline” when what we actually mean is “punish.” Discipline is a trait...