Parenting Skills

Boundaries help our children by allowing them to experience negative consequence as a direct result of their actions or choices.
Developing new tools and strategies for more effective communication is one of the most powerful things you can do to help your child.
Supporting your child does not make you an enabler. What does work is lifting your child up and rewarding them for their good behaviors.
Siblings may feel angry if they're not getting the same level of support. The more you reach out to your children, the easier it is to unify your family.
The hurt you feel and is understandable and valid. But, remember, your child does not want to feel the pain they feel nor do they want to cause you pain.
It can be difficult when your family is struggling and you feel limited in your ability to help. However, grandparents can play a vital role.
If your child has a slip or a relapse, it doesn’t mean that previous time spent in recovery is wasted. The main thing is for them to keep moving forward.
You are facing a negative situation and your feelings are understandable. Managing your emotions is crucial to moving forward in a positive way.
Unless you feel unsafe, you wouldn't throw someone out of the house if they had another illness. Expressing support keeps the door open for conversation.
Take time to surround yourself with people who are empathetic and compassionate. Consider which family members or friends will be the best support for you.
The words 'tough love' can imply that anything nice you do for your child is 'enabling'. But parents can be a powerful influence in motivating their child.
While as a parent we cannot fix things for our child, we can help them change. Using research-based approaches can help the change happen sooner.
It's understandable you might worry about telling your child about your own past alcohol or drug use. Here are a few points to consider.
Addiction is particularly stressful for parents. Emotions can feel overwhelming, so take time to help yourself feel better first.
It is important not to stay isolated. The more you can connect with people who understand, the more help you will be to your struggling child.
Your child's drug use has likely caused overwhelming stress, fear and even anger. Taking care of yourself is essential to taking care of your loved ones.
Self-care is essential to managing the stress, anxiety and other negative emotions that come with helping a loved one through addiction and substance use.
The best way to prevent your child from taking negative risks is to replace them with healthy risks.
What do you do, and what can you say if your child has been caught drinking?
Learn ways to create a strong bond with your child to help reduce their chances of engaging in risky behavior.
A few simple tips and guidelines can go a long way toward spotting issues with drug use earlier rather than later.
Teenagers are living life at full speed and need more sleep than adults to stay healthy and safe – and cope with stress.
How can parents tell when their child is experiencing a ‘normal’ amount of stress — and when they should be worried? We reached out to two pediatricians to find out.
Students today are more anxious and stressed out than ever before. Julie Lythcott-Haims saw this first-hand when she served as Stanford University’s Dean of Freshmen for a decade.
Nearly one-fifth of college students report that they take prescription stimulants that are not prescribed to them. And reports show that high-school students are abusing these medicines too. Let’s take a closer look.