So you're between the ages of 13 and 24. What makes you happy? A worried and weary parent might imagine the answer to be sex, drugs, and a little rock 'n' roll. Maybe some cash, or at least the car keys.

Turns out the real answer is quite different. Spending time with family was the top answer to that open-ended question, according to an extensive survey conducted by The Associated Press and MTV. And even better: Nearly three-quarters of young people say their relationship with their parents makes them happy. So the answer to the enigmatic question of what makes your children happy? You do.

Don't ever forget it!

Warmly,

Mark Brandenburg

Mark Brandenburg MA, CPCC
mark@eqnow.org
www.markbrandenburg.com
www.eqnow.org
Phone (+1) 651-766-9976 ... read more >>

Oh those dreaded teenage years. As parents you may experience anxious feelings about the coming years when your children will grow up to be young teens. Those temper storms, stubborn behavior, changes in ways of thinking and so many new and difficult situations to deal with. And above all, you know deep within there will come a day when your daughter will start going out with a boy.

As a parent, acknowledge that everyone does start dating at some point. Don’t forget your past years as a teenager and youth. Dating is both a normal and good activity. ... read more >>

A number of years ago, my four-year-old daughter was starting to say our grace before dinner. “Daddy, fold your hands like this!” she shrieked. Everyone at the table was startled by the intensity of her outburst.

But if we consider the world from the standpoint of a four-year-old girl, it may make perfect sense. She wakes up in the morning and isn’t always sure if she’s going to school or not. She’s not quite sure of which clothes she should wear, and she’s not always sure who she’ll be spending time with each day. She’s not all that comfortable with the language yet, so it’s not always easy to get her point across. ... read more >>

Mood swings of young teenagers can make it difficult for both the parents and teenagers. It can be distressing for both parents and teens and both have difficulty in managing the same.

Having an understanding of what is causing these changes will make it easier to face and handle them.

Emotional ups and downs can be caused by
• Hormones – which start the physical changes at puberty, also affect moods and general emotional responses in teens
• The teens worrying about the physical changes affect their emotions
• Skipping meals to loose weight can also affect their moods, making them more irritable.
• Lack of rest leads to moodiness, gloominess, irritability, etc.
• Changes in their thinking. (Thinking abstractly)
• Expectations ... read more >>

Posted by Jeremy Adam Smith

I liked this: "10 Signs that Parenting is More Equal than it Used to be."

And I thought this was interesting:

Achieving a work-family balance doesn’t seem as foreign to fathers these days as it once did. Technology advances are giving fathers the freedom to focus on their family life while maintaining their workplace responsibilities…or so it seems. ... read more >>

I don’t know what your marriage looks like, but the reality is that there will be a huge number of people who hear this who are all set to throw in the towel – half of all marriages in this country end in divorce. The state of the other half of marriages will look like patch-work quilt … some great, some not so great.

Communicator & author, Walt Larimore says that when he and his wife buy a wedding present for friends, that they give them a box … a very beautiful, but empty box. In it, they put these words:
“Most people who get married believe a myth – they believe that marriage is a beautiful box filled with all the things they’ve longed for - they believe that it is filled with companionship, sexual fulfilment, intimacy and friendship. The truth is that marriage at the start is an empty box, you must put something in before you can take something out. ... read more >>

Take a few minutes today and jot down how dramatically different your life would be if you had never met your wife. Of course your kids would not exist, you would still be dressing like a mad scientist and your culinary skills would consist of spaghetti every night. But also talk about all the things you treasure that only she can bring. The things no one else knows about.

Put a note on her pillow tomorrow or tape it on the front door on your way out. Just another little way to say “thank you” to your best friend.

To learn the art of writing notes to your wife, click here.

Posted with permission from www.allprodad.com

“Do you want your kids to come over for awhile and play, so you can get some work done?”

“Sure,” I said to my sister-in-law, without a moment’s hesitation.

And as soon as I said it, the battle began again: Work vs. kids vs. guilt. Here was an opportunity to spend some extra time with my kids, and I was turning it down to spend time at work. Work that eventually needed to be done, but could have been done later.

The guilt that grips us in these moments is uncomfortable, and it challenges the image we have of ourselves as a good parent. Choosing to be away from our kids is evidence of an unpleasant fact for all parents: Sometimes we just don’t like being with our kids. ... read more >>

Hi, I’m Tim Sisarich and I was at a wedding recently … it was beautiful … a stunning bride, rose-pettled aisle, the groom beaming as if his bride was the only person in the universe.

… and then there were the vows. They echoed the vicar …I promise to stand beside you, to stay with you … … in sickness & in health, for richer, for poorer, in the good times and the bad … I DO!

As they said their vows, I was struck by the gamble they were taking … a 50/50 chance they’d make it to their 12th wedding anniversary… a 50/50 chance that 5 years from now, that groom, would be echoing the same words to Sarah from marketing
I could almost picture him standing in the doorway, suitcase in hand… His daughter stands there clutching her mummy’s hand … what was she thinking… is she too young to understand –… she will someday… won’t she? ... read more >>

It’s been a long, hard day at work. You want to come home and just relax and have fun with your kids. You don’t want to deal with discipline. But Mom has had the children for most of the day and she’s tired of the fighting and bickering. So she starts to discipline and wants you to help. This is not your idea of unwinding.

So what do you do? Support her. Absolutely. Children need a unified front from parents, and when Dad is viewed as the Softie, it makes Mom look like the Bad Guy and makes her job so much more difficult. And marital tension increases dramatically. If you have an issue with the way Mom is disciplining, wait to talk to her about it after the children go to bed. Short term, backing up your wife will be extra work. But long term it will be well worth it as your children will be unable to pit Mom and Dad against each other. The softer you are on discipline now, the harder it will be for your family. ... read more >>