K-12: Parenting

We all want to be better parents, but don't always know how. In this area we've collected some great parenting articles, as well as articles on childcare and parent-child activities. The articles in this section are for K-12 children (ages 6 and up). For all of our articles on parenting, visit: Parenting

Our rating system for these Parenting articles is:

• - Best, in depth and most helpful overall
• - Very Good, but more specific in focus
• - Good reference material

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	Life as a Parent This is an excellent introduction to the world of parenthood. It provides a light, common sense approach to parenting and gives good advice for each phase that your child will pass through.
	How to Teach Your Children Discipline Children have to be taught discipline. They are not born with it. Little by little parents have to teach it to them. While teaching discipline does take time and practice, it gets easier as children learn to control their own behavior. And best of all, teaching discipline does not have to hurt either the parents or the kids. This is a great article, filled with answers to commonly asked questions and contains many helpful suggestions for parents.
	Emergency Illness And Injury Procedures When parents enroll their child, they should provide child care provider with the contact information and consent that they will need if there is an emergency involving that child. A sample "Child Care Emergency Contact Information and Consent Form" is included in this section, along with first aid measures one should take under different situations.
	Summertime Funtime Activities A new activity for you to do with your child each day during the summer - they're fun, educational and can be done with children of all ages!
	Emergency Illness And Injury Procedures When parents enroll their child, they should provide child care provider with the contact information and consent that they will need if there is an emergency involving that child. A sample "Child Care Emergency Contact Information and Consent Form" is included in this section, along with first aid measures one should take under different situations.
	Helping Your Child Learn Responsible Behavior Our children deserve to learn important lessons from us and to acquire important habits with our help. They need help in learning what matters to us. We want our children to grow up to be responsible adults. This is a great booklet, filled with ideas, advice and activities for kids of all ages.
	Helpful Information for You and Your Baby Sitter Contains a checklist for parents, and a form for parents to complete and give to their babysitter.
	Communication Tips for Parents and Kids "You never listen to me" is a complaint heard as often from children as parents. Good communication helps children and parents to develop confidence, feelings of self-worth,and good relationships with others. Try the tips listed in this very good article!
	Back to School Time- Tips to Help Children Adjust Back to school time often means changes for children and families: the first day of kindergarten or first grade; new preschools or child care settings; new classrooms and new teachers. Making smooth transitions between home, programs and schools can help children feel good about themselves and teach them to trust other adults and children. Helping children adapt to new situations can ease parents' minds and give them a chance to become involved in their children's education.
	So You Want to Be a Foster Parent? Foster parenting will change your life-style. This touching article describes the challenges and rewards of foster parenting.
	Help Children Learn To Be Responsible Citizens Young Americans clearly need to become more attuned to their responsibilities as citizens of a democratic society. Parents and teachers must act in concert to strengthen the desire and capacity of children to fulfill civic obligations.
	Top 10 Ways to Teach Children Fiscal Fitness Phoenix Home Life Mutual Insurance Company -- which sponsors the annual Fiscal Fitness(R) Survey of Americans' financial hopes, dreams and fears -- issued the following "Top 10 Ways to Teach Children Fiscal Fitness".
	First Vaccine for Chickenpox A healthcare reminder - the Food and Drug Administration licensed a new vaccine, Varivax (varicella virus vaccine live). Commonly known as the chickenpox vaccine, it will prevent the typical cases of itchy, uncomfortable, week-long rashes and mild fevers, and the rarer cases of serious illness caused by the virus.
	How To Recognize And Develop Your Children's Special Talents This Parent Guide from the ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education provides families with information on how they can develop their children's talents at home, as well as how they can work with schools toward the same goals. A section on multicultural gifted programs is also included.
	The Grief of Children One of the most difficult tasks following the death of a loved one is discussing and explaining the death with the children in the family. This task is even more distressing when the parents are in the midst of their own grief. This article, from the SIDS Foundation of Washington, will help parents understand how children express grief, and it provides specific ways that parents can help grieving children.
	How Can Parents Model Good Listening Skills? Adults, parents, and teachers set a powerful example of good or poor communication. Parents and teachers who listen to their children with interest, attention, and patience set a good example. This article is filled with suggestions and advice to help parents develop better listening skills, so they can better communicate with their children.
	Teaching children not to be -- or be victims of -- bullies Parents and teachers are sometimes reluctant to intervene in conflicts between young children. They don't want to see children harm or ridicule one another, but they want to encourage children to learn how to work out problems for themselves. In such cases, adults have a responsibility to stop violence or aggression in the classroom or at home -- both for children who demonstrate harmful behavior and for all other children. We can teach children not to take part in -- or become victims of -- bullying.
	Developmental Considerations Concerning Children's Grief This chart, from the SIDS Foundation of Washington, outlines by age category, the developmental considerations concerning children's grief. It will help parents realize what a child understands about death and grief, how children respond and what interventions a parent should take.
	Effective Parenting Styles - Why Yesterday's Models Won't Work Today Have you considered whether your parenting style was better suited to yesterday than to preparing your child for the twenty-first century? This article describes three different parenting styles and explains which one is best for today's changing world.
	Listening is a core competency for communication and for relationships Listening is such an important skill for both parents and for children to learn and to continually improve upon. This article will help you understand more the importance of listening and it provides some activities for you to do to improve your listening skills.
	Setting Limits: Steering Down the Rocky Road of Childrearing Is your child pushing the limits? Are you unsure of how strict or lenient you should be in responding to your child? Rest assured, you are not alone. This very good article first describes several different parenting styles and then provides many useful methods and suggestions to help you if your children are continually trying to test you and the boundaries that you establish.
	Too Sick for School or Daycare? A Few Guidelines to Promote Good Health The kids are back in class. It's 7:15 a.m. and Andy says, "I don't feel good." You ask yourself, "Can he still go to school or daycare today?" Parenting is full of judgment calls and this one is often less than clear-cut. This article provides a few good guidelines to help parents make this decision.
	Holiday Survival Tips Kathy McKinless, mother of four and one of the first women to become partner at worldwide professional services firm KPMG, offers tips for working mothers on how to handle work and home during the busy holidays.
	Tips for Parents on How to Have a Positive Impact on Gift-Giving to Kids Five scientists whose research has contributed to major biomedical advances offer parents tips on how they can make a more positive impact with the gifts they give their children. They had unique ideas, but one thing they all agreed on -- whatever else you give your kids, make sure you give them your time.
	Parenting and Career Development Not only what a parent does for a living can influence a child's career choice, but the family dynamics also have a strong influence. The article looks at the ways in which parenting styles, family functioning, and parent-child interaction influence career development. It's written for an educator, but has many good points for a parent as well.
	Young and Old Together Young children may have misconceptions about older people and they may dislike them, feel sorry for them, or fear them in general. But it's important for children to feel good about their elders if they are to learn to appreciate people different from themselves and accept and understand the fact that they will get older someday. When children are happy and secure with themselves, they will be ready to take on each new stage of life.
	Planning Ahead for Holiday Expenses The holiday season is approaching, and you know that often means increased spending. There never seems to be enough money for the things you want to buy, and every year you try to figure out how to pay for your purchases. The key to overcoming these holiday blues is to plan ahead and prepare for the expenses that come with the holiday season.
	New Study on Children’s Perceptions of Race and Class on Television For decades, educators and parents have expressed concern over the ways in which people are portrayed on television. There was a fear that children were getting a skewed concept about people's abilities and character based on stereotypical representations of gender, race, or class. This fear led to a number of research studies that analyzed the television roles of men, women, people of color, and people of various socio-economic levels.
	If an Adolescent Begins To Fail in School, What Can Parents and Teachers Do? Understanding the factors that may put an adolescent at-risk for academic failure will help parents determine if their teen is in need of extra support. Above all, parents need to persevere. The teen years do pass, and most adolescents survive them, in spite of bumps along the way. Being aware of common problems can help parents know when it is important to reach out and ask for help before a "difficult time" develops into a more serious situation.
	The Only Child Popular thinking often paints an unflattering picture of only children, portraying them as self-centered, attention-seeking, dependent, and temperamental. Despite these negative stereotypes, smaller families in general--and the one-child option--are growing in popularity.
	Grandparents as Parents: A Primer for Schools Children from families headed by grandparents constitute a growing proportion of students in schools, and their numbers can be expected to continue to increase. This article discusses how schools that recognize and support these nontraditional families will be able to provide better service to their communities.
	Seven Major Issues of 1997 Facing Girls in the United States Violence, economic opportunity and changing family dynamics are three of the seven issues facing girls between the ages of five and seventeen in this country, according to the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A.
	Plain Talk About...Dealing with the Angry Child Handling children's anger can be puzzling, draining, and distressing for adults. In fact, one of the major problems in dealing with anger in children is the angry feelings that are often stirred up in us. It has been said that we as parents, teachers, counselors, and administrators need to remind ourselves that we were not always taught how to deal with anger as a fact of life during our own childhood.
	Low-Cost Ways to Educate Children on Money Management Financial planners, parenting professionals and family advisors everywhere are touting the need to educate children on financial facts of life. This article provides some practical suggestions and ideas to teach children how to manage money.
	Building Self-Esteem Children with low self-esteem often feel like they're drowning in an ocean of inadequacy. This article will help parents improve the self-esteem of their children and it is the fourth in a series of articles from the Feingold Association. The helpful information here applies to all children, not just those who have attention deficit disorder (ADD).
	How Parents Can Support Gifted Children The key to raising gifted children is respect: respect for their uniqueness, respect for their opinions and ideas and respect for their dreams. Gifted children need parents who are responsive and flexible, who will go to bat for them when they are too young to do so for themselves. At home, children need to know that their uniqueness is cherished and that they are appreciated as persons just for being themselves. This digest helps parents understand their unique roll in raising gifted children and it contains a good list of indicators to help parents recognize giftedness in their children.
	Substance Exposed Infants and Children The problems associated with prenatal substance abuse are increasing and have serious implications for the future educational needs of the children and families affected. Services, programs, and strategies that have been developed in the field of special education will have a role to play in meeting their needs.
	Fatherhood - It's About Time As Father's Day approaches, many men are reflecting on how they can be better fathers. This article gives fathers suggestions on achieving balance between work and family and talks about how that requires more than just scheduling.
	Approaches to School-Age Child Care School-age child care includes almost any program that regularly enrolls children from kindergarten through early adolescence during the times when schools are traditionally closed. This includes programs operated by schools, family day care providers, recreation centers, youth-serving organizations, and child care centers. Ultimately, good school-age child care must be understood as both a mediating influence that may prevent damage to children, and as an investment in the well-being of children and their families.
	Ten Ways Fathers Can Contribute to their Children's Health Dr. Joseph Garcia-Prats, neonatologist at Texas Children's Hospital and himself a father of ten sons, stresses that fathers need to realize there are more aspects to their children's well-being than medical health.
	Back-to-School Blues ... For Parents! Just the thought of the first day of the new school year has a lot of first-time students terrified. But they're not the only ones. Studies indicate that the first day of school can be almost as stressful and emotionally upsetting for parents who are sending their kids off to school for the first time.
	CPSC and Pampers Parenting Institute Announce Joint Grandchild Safety Campaign The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Pampers Parenting Institute are joining together to offer important safety and child nurturing tips to grandparents. With millions of children getting set to visit their grandparents' homes over the holidays, they unveiled a free booklet, "A Grandparents Guide for Family Nurturing and Safety." which is also available on-line. The easy-to-read booklet contains critical information on child development as well as potentially life saving safety advice to help grandparents kid-proof their homes and protect grandchildren, from newborns to five-year-olds.
	Look Beyond the Obvious for Telltale Signs of Child Abuse The eyes may be the window to the soul, but the face offers the most telling glimpse behind the closed doors of child abuse. In a comprehensive study of 371 children who were suspected of being abused, injuries to the head and face accounted for 28% of 892 soft-tissue injuries.
	Bullying in Schools Bullying is a serious problem that can dramatically affect the ability of students to progress academically and socially. A comprehensive intervention plan that involves all students, parents, and school staff is required to ensure that all students can learn in a safe and fear-free environment.
	Bad Backs Bad for Back to School Back to school time is, well, back, and it's the back that has some doctors concerned. This article provides suggestions for how students can avoid potential back problems due to incorrectly using backpacks to carry heavy loads of books and school supplies.
	Study Finds: Mothers Are Worth $508,700! Your Mother may be priceless to you, but in today's job market she's worth over $500,000 per year, according to an Edelman Financial Services Inc. study of the many possible occupations that a typical mother might hold during the year.
	National PTA Reaches Consensus on TV Ratings The National PTA, accompanied by leaders from other child advocacy organizations, said in a meeting at the White House today that it supports a newly-revised television rating system. The system was developed in conjunction with the television industry.
	Back to School: Fresh Start for Families Back-to-school days can put many a parent into a frenzy as eager young faces rush home with a list of needs and new activities that can overload any calendar. What makes this overwhelming at times, is that school starting comes at a time when work, organizations, or volunteer commitments are also stepping up. Time and stress management are basic building blocks of overall good health. To help women who are struggling with the demands of a hectic life, Women's Health America offers the following suggestions.
	Grandparent Programs Grandparents can feel overwhelmed or ignored, depending on the role they play in their grandchildren's lives. In today's society, an increasing number of grandparents find themselves responsible for raising their children's children. To meet the needs of grandparents raising their grandchildren, programs, organizations, and support groups have been developed and are available across the country. These organizations provide many resources, ranging from legal information to coping skills.
	Tips for Parents & Teachers Regarding the Colorado Tragedy The intense news coverage of the tragedy brings school safety issues to the forefront for all of us. However, children in particular may experience anxiety, fear, and a sense of personal risk. To guide parents through discussions about the Colorado incident, the National Mental Health Association offers suggestions.
	Tips to Make Moving a Positive Experience for Children Every year, approximately 6 million kids across America move into new neighborhoods and cities. Despite the reassurances of parents, children often harbor fears of leaving friends and familiar surroundings. Here are 10 tips to help the sometimes stressful moving process go smoothly for families.
	How Can We Strengthen Children's Self-Esteem? Most parents want their young children to have a healthy sense of self-esteem. Experts generally agree that parents and other adults who are important to children play a major role in laying a solid foundation for a child's development. The points in this article may be helpful in strengthening and supporting a healthy sense of self-esteem in your child.