In a world where yelling and using loud voices seems like the normal thing in most families, it sure is not aceptable discipline. When both the parent and the child are so upset that they cannot keep a normal voice control, it is better to agree to take a time out and return to the conversation at a later moment when both parties can talk calmly.

Yes, yelling is a way to express emotional anger. It can also lead to the escalation and onset of physical anger and abuse.

No one is above the breaking point. We are all human. Like it or not we can and will lose our cool from time to time.

One place that it is not an effective moment to lose control is when disciplining... more

While walking in the zoo one day, I took note of how many signs they had posted that said, "Don't Feed The Animals." I thought how silly that was. What harm could it do to toss a peanut to a cute elephant or monkey?

So ok, yes I did it. I tossed some of my popcorn over the fence to the monkeys. It was fun too. Everyone was doing it. I didn't think that the monkey could be harmed by some popcorn.

Just about that moment here came a zoo attendant. He asked everyone to stop feeding the animals. A few of us asked why? What harm can it do?

The zoo attendant told us that if the popcorn gets caught in the monkeys digestive system it can cause the monkey to die. He went... more

One of the most wonderful ways to learn more about a child is to get down on the floor and play. It does not matter what the game is or what doll or race car they give you to use.

When children play they open up and talk. They demonstrate to you the things they have learned both good and bad. They challenge you to see what your response to their actions will be.

When you are down on the floor, they see you as no threat and they begin to smile or frown. They release positive or negative energy.

One good example for me was:

When April was five she had a Barbie car. She loved to run the car violently into things. One day I grabbed one of my old Barbies from... more

The one thing I have found most in all of my years of being around children is they all need tender loving care, even the toughest child with a disposition of me against the world. They need TLC the most. The harder they try to push you away, the closer they need you to draw them in.

It may take humor or a friendly smile, sometimes a pat on the back, and always a compliment of some kind. But step by tiny step you can eventually get even the coldest child to warm up to you.

They are looking for what they have never had before: stability, consistency and friendship.

Eventually they will learn to trust that your smile and your words are constant. They will feel that... more

Communication is one word that the world is bound by. We can talk to people out on the ocean in a ship. We can watch and talk to the space shuttle as they explore the planets.

Every day we use communication to get our work completed. Without good communication nothing would ever get done. No one would know what to do, when to do it, or where it belongs.

In a world full of fast cars that offer you the OnStar System so you can communicate with them for every vital need from an accident to a flat tire, or you can pick up a cell phone and dial up Hawaii or Japan, it seems almost redundant that the very people we really need to communicate with we simply do not make time for.

The... more

Have you ever tried to teach a lazy kid how to do chores? Well I can tell you it is not easy. The child can be taught over and over and for some odd reason, they always say, "I don't know how to do that," when you tell them you need something done.

I have made chore chart after chore chart. Posted them everywhere. Complete with a "How To Do ..." list.

After asking several times and going over what needed to be done and, still not getting anywhere, I would usually do it myself.

What I figured out was that not only were the kids lazy but very smart. They caught on to my handicap parenting. After I stopped and looked around at them sitting while I was working,... more

Sometimes as the parent of a teenage daughter, I almost hate to see the weekend coming. I know she is busy making plans for all the fun the weekend has in store. So every Friday we have the same talk. What are you planning for the weekend? Where are you going? Who will you be with? When does that place close? Will there be any drinking or drugs there? Are there phones to call home? You know when curfew is!

Then she is out the door and with the slam of the door, my heart skips a beat. It takes a lot of trust today to allow your child to begin life out there on their own. If your child is one that you can not trust, it wreaks havoc on your soul.

If you really want to... more

Well it is time to crack open the garden shed and to pull out the hand tools and rake over the flower bed. Work the dirt and cleanse it of obstacles. It is time to watch life happen.

Family Project: Create A Flower Bed

1). Purchase some flower seeds or veggie seeds. 2). Prepare the ground. 3). Give each child a section of their own. 4). Then follow the directions on the package. 5). Plant the seeds. 6). Tell each child that they must take care of their own garden. Feed it, Weed it. Water... more

Summer is just a Spring away. Everyone is getting outdoors and working in the yard. The kids are grabbing bikes and basketballs and heading to the neighbors to play or to the park.

The days are looking more beautiful and lasting a little longer at sunset. All the more reason to make sure you up date your medicine chest and replenish the Emergency Kits. There are sure to be a lot of booboos on the way.

A good Emergency Kit will include:

1). Band Aids 2). Ace Bandage for sprains 3). 4x4s for cleaning and covering wounds 4). Surgical tape 5). An Anticeptic cream 6). Cortisone Cream 7). Peroxide or other cleansing liquid... more

In a day of cheeseburgers and fries or pizza and bread sticks, a lot of our teens are not getting the good stuff they need to keep the body growing healthy. Even if mom is making good nutritious meals, at least one of the kids will be off somewhere else doing something and miss the good stuff. So it is really important to make sure you have good nutritious on the go snacks on hand.

I have learned to put a few baby carrots and grapes along with a few slices of chunk cheese into a sandwich bag and just keep them on hand in the fridge so that the kids can grab and go. Sometimes I will do peanut butter and banana or celery bags too. Just depends on the day or what everyone is having... more