Category Archives: Parenting

Child Safety, Parenting, Self-Esteem, SYN Digital Enrollment Director

Parenting Goals for Your Child’s Development

Guest contribution-

There are a lot of parents with young children who prefer to hire child care services most especially when there is not enough time to be with them. Most of the times, parents prefer someone who is just a relative or someone who lives nearby. There are really times when we needed the assistance of someone who can be “physically there” to care for your child.

What are the Goals of each Parent for their Child?

 

Discover what the strengths of your child are.

This will help them develop and make their dreams come to reality.
Never give them something that is not on their list of interests, as this will only discourage them to become better.

Support your child’s excellence and make sure that you are there to guide them all the way.

You have to make them feel confident and let them know that you are there to cheer them up whenever they feel down.

Teach your child to become independent.

This will let your child do things on his or her own even when you’re not around.
Your child will be able to grow with self-esteem.
Build them with a good character so they will grow kind-hearted until they grow old.

Different Styles of Parenting

There are different ways of parenting, and that would depend on one person to the other. Since we all grew up in different communities, we tend to raise each child differently. If you try to research these styles on the web, you may discover which style would work out best for you.

If all these listed above are not doable things to do, then you have to make sure that your child is always in good hands. Child Support Agency is an institution that can help you manage the goals listed above, and makes your child become successful in life. They can help you in arranging child maintenance whenever you cannot do it by yourself.
Child Support Agency would provide you how much you need to shell out for child maintenance services, and they can even help you with the collection of fees. You will surely be informed which organization is most suitable for you and your child.

Who is eligible to apply?

  • Those who have their children with them
  • Those who are considered a child’s grandparent or guardian
  • Those parents who do not have his child living with him or her
  • Those children who are residing in Scotland

If you are the receiving parent, and you are not residing in United Kingdom, then you cannot apply for the services.

All these mentioned above are important notes for each and every parent in the world. If you are self-confident about your parenting style, then there would no reasons for you to apply for these services. There are really children who misbehave and get us out of control but when it comes to your own child, you would know and understand how it is to become a parent.

Try to search for the CSA number in order to get assistance in parenting. Give them all the information that they need to make sure that they would be able to help you accurately.

Discipline, Parenting, Self-Esteem, SYN Digital Enrollment Director

Helping Your Kids Through The Tough Times Of A Divorce

Jeff Miller, guest contributor

As difficult as your divorce is on you, it’s significantly harder on your kids. Sure, we like to think that kids are resilient and can overcome anything, but the fact is that the emotional scars left behind by divorce can haunt your children for the rest of their lives.

Why exactly is divorce so hard on kids?

  • Children have a tendency to blame themselves for divorce. This means they carry a lot of guilt and self-loathing.
  • Children grieve the loss of their parents. Even in a co-parenting situation, kids often feel like they’re losing their parents as they no longer live together.
  • Children often have their lives turned upside down by divorce. A divorce can often force kids to move to new, unfamiliar surroundings, sometimes causing them to leave their friends behind. Finances can also be tight after a divorce, creating another lifestyle shift for the kids.
  • Children often question if their divorced parents still love them. This is the hardest thing for kids to deal with. When they see their family being torn apart, they can’t help but question if their parents still love them.

So, what can you do as a parent to help your kids cope with your divorce?

  • Be honest with your kids—Maintaining (or regaining) the trust of your children after a divorce is certainly a major challenge. Your kids may feel betrayed, and they might believe you have been lying to them the whole time. That’s why now is the time to be open and honest with your kids. That doesn’t mean you need to tell them everything – you need to be age appropriate in your communications – but you do need to be honest and you need to make sure to clearly communicate that they are in no way at fault.
  • Make love a priority—Showing your children love during and after your divorce is essential to the healing process. Your divorce will keep you busy and it will take a lot out of you, but you cannot neglect your children. You must make an effort to spend time with them and to give them plenty of love.
  • Don’t bombard them with too many changes at once—One of the hardest things about divorce for kids is that it disrupts their lives. They may have to move to a new home, transfer to a new school, and get used to a totally different life. Do your best to make these changes slowly so that your kids don’t feel more overwhelmed than they already do.
  • Maintain structure and discipline—This is a tough one for divorcing parents. You and your kids are hurting from the divorce, and no single parent wants to be the “bad parent.” But it’s important that you still fulfill your role as the parent. That means giving your kids structure and disciplining them consistently.
  • Don’t neglect your own personal healing—How can you expect to help your kids heal if you can’t heal yourself? It’s important that you focus on rebuilding yourself after your divorce. Get support from family, friends, and others who can help you during this difficult time.

Remember, healing takes time, but if you do your part as a parent, you can play a major role in helping your kids through the tough times of a divorce.

——

Jeff Miller is the founder and senior counsel at Miller Law Associates, a law firm that offers clients reasonably priced, flat-fee legal representation for divorce in Florida.

Discipline, Life Lessons, Motivation, Parenting, SYN Digital Enrollment Director

Teaching Children About The Importance Of Charity

Mark, guest contributor

Charitable giving is one of the noblest acts a person can do. There is joy in giving and only those who give happily understand this.

Usually we can watch and hear news in the media screaming about increase in crime and acts of selfishness all day long, while there are also many awesome benefactors in the world who strive to help their fellow men, but those are stories that rarely make it in the media, unless the donated amount is obscene.

It is therefore, dare I say it – obligatory for this generations parents to teach by example to their kids about the advantages of helping other people through acts of charity.

Unlike Mathematics or English, charity is not a life lesson that translates to a specific curriculum. Teaching your children about charity is not as easy these days where all the value seems to be on having more and better and newer things, and thus requires discipline.

There are several ways you can teach your children how to be charitable without having to focus on negative things that could leave the child disinterested.

 

Donating clothes

Once in a while take some time to go through the closets in your home and fish out clothes that you no longer wear or need. These clothes can be given to a children’s home or go to the needy.

When you are doing it, encourage your child to do the same. Allow them to let go of old toys they no longer play with. For the maximum effect, be there with the children while they do it and make sure they are aware of the difference they will make.

Encourage them to let go of the items they could really be attached to, explaining the impact they could have on someone else’s life. Take your child with you to the charity where you will drop your stuff, and if at all possible make sure your child actually sees the difference that their toys can make in the life of another child.

 

Helping the neighbors

It is advised that you regularly engage in service oriented projects. Rake leaves out of the elderly couples backyards. Bake cookies and cakes for the people that bring you mail, milk or other deliverables, it will make their day.

You could also make food and take it to the homeless feeding stations in your community.

 

Donating blood

When going for blood donations, take the children with you. This will cause them to view you as a role model. Talk to them about the reason for giving blood and the importance of it.

 

You can have fun

It doesn’t all have to be about giving up stuff or enduring pain while giving blood. You can also play charitable house lotteries or car lotteries in which you stand a chance to win a house or a car, all the while knowing that, even if you don’t win, your proceeds are going for a good cause.

 

The importance being charitable

These simple acts may seem very minor, but the impact they will have on the child later in life is priceless. This way you will raise children who are sensitive to other peoples’ plights. The children will also value acts of sharing instead of buying into today’s capitalist mindset.

Additionally these acts of kindness will definitely make a huge difference in the society at large. The world will be a much better place for all of us.

——

Mark is a father of two great kids whom he wants to grow up in equally great people, so he teaches them important life lessons while he still has influence on their development.

Discipline, Parenting, SYN Digital Enrollment Director

Keeping Your Kids Disciplined as a Single Parent

Jeff Miller, guest contributor

Raising a child is hard enough in a traditional, two-parent home, but for single parents, the challenge is even bigger. As a single parent, the responsibility for disciplining your children and shaping them into responsible, productive members of society rests squarely on your shoulders. You can’t rely on anyone else to do this. It’s your job 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and it’s an incredibly tough job to handle all by yourself.

Make no mistake—you have your work cut out for you. But if you’re committed to giving your children the structure and discipline they need and deserve, you can succeed at this major challenge.

Here are some tips to help you maintain discipline in a single-parent household.

 

  • Make the rules clear—You can’t expect your children to know how to behave properly if you don’t set clear behavioral expectations for them. Don’t make up the rules as you go along. It will confuse your kids. Instead, come up with a short list of “house rules” that set clear expectations for what is and isn’t acceptable behavior. Don’t make too many rules though as that can be overwhelming and even oppressive. Aim for about 5 key discipline rules for your kids.
  • Be consistent—The rules will inevitably be broken. Kids love to test boundaries. It’s human nature. As a single parent, it can be hard to constantly monitor your kids behavior and to hold them accountable for their actions, but you have to be consistent. The rules must apply at all times, because if you only enforce them some of the time, your kids will learn that they can break the rules and get away with it sometimes. Be consistent with enforcing the rules and delivering consequences for transgressions.
  • Show your children plenty of love and approval—This is incredibly important. A lot of disciplinary problems are the result of kids not feeling loved or not getting the attention they need, so they act out. You have to affirm your love for your children on a daily basis. Make time for them. Be available. Talk to them. And show them praise and approval for their accomplishments and positive behaviors. When you find opportunities to do this, you’ll be encouraging positive behavior from them.
  • Keep your home organized—This is especially important for those who become single parents after a divorce. Often times, the new single parent has a hard time keeping household routines and duties organized. As a result, things become a little more relaxed and discipline starts to slip away. Kids need structure. It’s important to stay organized and to give each kid his or her own household responsibilities and duties. Structure and responsibility help prevent kids from rebelling and slipping into negative behavioral patterns.
  • Don’t try to be the cool parent—Again, this is especially important for recently divorced parents. If you’re sharing custodial duties with the other parent, it’s natural for you to want to be the “cool” parent. No parent wants to be the tough one. But the fact is that you aren’t doing your kid any favors by being the cool, relaxed parent. Your children don’t need you to be their friend. They need you to be their parent. That means maintaining discipline and structure in your home.

 

Are you a single parent? What’s your biggest challenge in raising your kids? Share your thoughts by commenting below!

 

Jeff Miller is the founder and senior counsel at DivorceYes.com, a law firm that offers clients affordable, flat-fee legal representation for divorce in Florida.

Child Safety, Discipline, Family Safety, Parenting, SYN Digital Enrollment Director

Is It Time To Improve Your Parenting Skills?

 

Charlie Smith, guest contributor

Being a parent isn’t a job, it is a lifelong turn of events that can bring us so much joy and at other times it kicks us where it hurts. Family life is just so unpredictable that we are constantly learning and developing ways in which to cope. On occasions we get it just right only to find out that we have totally messed up in another area. Our best endeavors are not always enough and we should try to learn from these mistakes. This article looks at some common mistakes we make as we strive to do the best for our kids.