If you’ve ever left the house with a child wearing a superhero cape or a princess dress, or if you’ve ever noticed your child’s socks don’t match as you’re dropping them off at school or realized their shirt was on backward when you are picking them up from school at the end of the day, you know the challenges of dressing kids. Whether it’s a matter of clothes not matching or convincing your child to bundle up in cold weather, handling wardrobe issues can be sticky.
Reports in the media about ‘helicopter parents’ have skyrocketed over the past decade. The consensus from education counselors and entry-level employers is that parents are going too far making sure that their kids get ahead in high school, post-secondary education, and beyond. Instead of being helpful, parents are hovering. Rather than supporting tweens and teens, parents are swooping in and negotiating outcomes for them. But when kids don’t learn to trust their ability to navigate their own experiences, they become more helpless, which leads to shirking responsibilities and assuming their parents will pick up the slack on their behalf.
At all stages of life, people strive to experience and achieve success; however, there is no universal measure of success, suggesting that different people can perceive and evaluate success in unique ways. For children and adults alike, the way in which we measure and understand our success significantly shapes our understanding of our strengths, abilities, goals, and values. For parents, then, it is important to reflect on how they may be discussing and measuring success with their children as they endeavor to support their children find a sense of happiness and fulfillment in their lives.
There’s a lot to think about when you’re having a baby. How are you going to adapt to a new addition? What is life going to be like? But you’re not the only one. During this exciting time, it’s important to remember the furry or scaly family members, too: your pets! Many pets get used to being the ‘only child’ in the family, so helping them adjust to having the new baby around might take a little work. The following tips can help make the introduction go as smoothly as possible, and someday your baby and your pet can become friends ‘fur’ life!
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