Tag Archives: Healthy Family Communication

Help! I Gave My Kid a Phone Without Rules.

Recently, a parent asked me this question: “I gave my kid a cell phone without establishing rules first. It’s not going well. She is glued to her phone night and day. Is it too late to put rules in place?” The good news is that it is not too late to implement new phone rulesContinueContinue reading “Help! I Gave My Kid a Phone Without Rules.”

Five Parenting Insights I Wish I’d Learned Earlier

The author reflects on parenting insights gained over 18 years, acknowledging the learning curve and the impact of these lessons on her daughter’s well-being. She emphasizes the importance of listening, repair, and nurturing confidence in children, with a focus on staying grounded through social challenges and supporting their emerging independence.

How to Talk to Kids About Digital Footprints

How can parents talk to kids about digital footprints so they actually listen? How can caregivers explore online reputations in a way that connects with teens? This post explores these questions and more. Many parents are concerned that their child or teen might post something they later regret or that will negatively impact their future.ContinueContinue reading “How to Talk to Kids About Digital Footprints”

5 Family Conversations that Support Kids Healthy Screen Habits

This post shares five family conversations about technology and devices that help kids build healthy screen habits. Helping kids develop safe and healthy screen habits is a cornerstone of parenting today. Conversations about digital footprints, stranger danger, screen addiction, and more are common in families as parents try to keep their kids safe. While researchingContinueContinue reading “5 Family Conversations that Support Kids Healthy Screen Habits”

Middle School Stuff #10: Stress

This series of articles explores what students told me about the trickier parts of middle school. Here’s the final post in this series –  #10 Stress.  If you missed earlier posts, here are links: #1 – Judgment, #2 – Friendship Changes, #3 – Popularity,  #4 – Crushes & Dating, # 5 – Cliques & Groups,ContinueContinue reading “Middle School Stuff #10: Stress”

Helpful Tips for Family Tech Agreements

Thinking about creating a family tech agreement and looking for tips? A family tech agreement is a set of rules about how devices like smartphones, tablets, computers, TVs, and gaming consoles are used in your home. Besides establishing boundaries for screens, these agreements encourage families to come together and discuss healthy technology use. A familyContinueContinue reading “Helpful Tips for Family Tech Agreements”

Speaking Up in Friendship

Friendship Truth #7: We teach others how we want to be treated by speaking up. This series of posts shares the nine Friendship Truths from BFF or NRF (Not Really Friends)? A Girls Guide to Happy Friendships – although they apply to all ages and genders. Here are links to the other posts in thisContinueContinue reading “Speaking Up in Friendship”

Friendships Change

Friendship Truth #3: Friendships have different phases and change over time. This series of posts shares each of the nine Friendship Truths from BFF or NRF (Not Really Friends)? A Girls Guide to Happy Friendships – although they apply to all ages and genders. Here are links to the other posts in this series: FriendshipContinueContinue reading “Friendships Change”

Three Truths About Kids’ Friendships

Whether you are a child, teenager, or adult, friendships can sometimes get tricky. This article shares three friendship truths to guide kids as they head back to school. Our social lives are constantly evolving, especially during childhood and adolescence. Some changes are positive, like making new friends. Others are challenging, such as dealing with conflict,ContinueContinue reading “Three Truths About Kids’ Friendships”