Parenting Tips

These ideas will help you develop deeper relationships with your children, even in spite of a hectic schedule.

Why your kid always wants you to "do it for them" and how to get them to be independent.

Modeling the behaviors you want your child to develop is the best way to raise a happy, well-adjusted adult.

When most adults think about exercise, they imagine working out in the gym, running on a treadmill, or lifting weights.

But for kids, exercise means playing and being physically active. Kids exercise when they have gym class at school, during recess, at dance class or soccer practice, while riding bikes, or when playing tag.

Preschool offers many benefits  it can be a great place for kids to interact with peers and learn valuable life lessons such as how to share, take turns, and follow rules. It also can prepare them for kindergarten and beyond.

But going to preschool does come with its fair share of emotions, for both the parent and the child. For a kid, entering a new preschool environment filled with unfamiliar teachers and kids can cause both anxiety and anticipation. Parents might have mixed emotions about whether their child is ready for preschool.

The more comfortable you are about your decision and the more familiar the setting can be made for your child, the fewer problems you and your little one will encounter.

It's typically between the ages of nine and twelve that our cute, cuddly little children, once so willing to climb into our laps and share their secrets, suddenly want little or nothing to do with us. Your pre-adolescent is not the same person he was just a year or two ago. He has changed physically, cognitively, emotionally and socially. He's developing new independence and may even want to see how far he can push limits set by parents.

What he may not know is that he needs you as much as ever, because a strong parent-child relationship now can set the stage for a much less turbulent adolescence. But it won't be easy, because you as a parent need to respect your child's need for greater autonomy in order to forge a successful relationship with this "updated" version of your kid.

Kids don't have to pay bills, cook dinners, or manage carpools. But just like adults  they have their share of daily demands and things that don't go smoothly. If frustrations and disappointments pile up, kids can get stressed or worried.

It's natural for all kids to worry at times, and because of personality and temperament differences, some may worry more than others. Luckily, parents can help kids learn to manage stress and tackle everyday problems with ease. Kids who can do that develop a sense of confidence and optimism that will help them master life's challenges, big and small.