Dad Blogs - Useful Parenting Tips for Dads » Advice on raising kids

The Dangers of Over-Complaining for Tween and Teen Girls

GuyWinch — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 00:18:30 +0000

Kids love complaining and while parents usually pay attention to what their kids complain about, they don’t often give much thought to the quantity of their complaints. However, a recent study from the University of Missouri suggests we ought to pay more attention to how much our kids complain.

The study found that engaging in too much ‘complaint-talk’ had a negative impact on tween and teen girls’ mental health. Tween and teen girls are big talkers to begin with and today, girls have more options than ever to communicate with their friends.

The average tween and teen often begins texting, tweeting, IMing, posting and calling their friends before they even show their face at the breakfast table. These talk-a-thons can continue during recess at school and throughout the afternoon and evening.

For girls, having a BFF is a wonderful thing except that their conversations often turn to complaints and ruminations. The study found that spending hours a day focusing on such issues did wonders for the girls’ friendships—but at a pri

4 Tips to improve time with kids

John Badalament — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 21:08:40 +0000

Here are four practical tips for improving the quality of your time together: 1. Make sure your child is the center of your attention, and not just a distraction while you do other things (errands, calls, emails, etc.) 2. During your time together, do activities you both enjoy—or, put your needs aside and do something your child enjoys, even if you don’t.

Family Plan 2010

TheFatherLife.com — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 05:10:40 +0000

You then begin to see how your life is filled with sustaining energy, ongoing achievement, and overall happiness. Reviewing 2009 When reviewing last year’s Family Plan, I discovered that I was a lot more productive when my “tasks” correlated with my core happiness. ... Well what makes me happy is the following: I am happy when I am with my three children I am happy when I travel I am happy when I am healthy and exercising I am happy when I am active with SingleDad.com With those items in mind, I took out a calendar and structured my activities around my work week and throughout the year. It took a little practice and discipline, but after a few weeks, I got in the habit of planning my day the night before and making sure I was rewarding myself with my core happiness activities. ... Tips and Reminders As you begin this year with your Family Plan 2010, be sure to take the time the night before to review your commitments to your core happiness and the schedule you have planned. ... I will also post my video about my Family Plan 2010 and will continue to share my progress with all members on SingleDad.com If you are interested in learning more about Single Parent Coaching Sessions or would like to know more information on our “One on One” coaching services, please contact by email: rj@singledad.com Rj Jaramillo, 45, Divorced twice.

[A DAD'S POINT-OF-VIEW] Is Envy a Good Thing?

TheFatherLife.com — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 03:54:41 +0000

A recent visit to an old friend’s beautiful new home triggered a brief moment of envy for me. While I was extremely happy and proud of his accomplishment in creating such a lovely home with so much care and detail, I also found myself longing for something similar in my life instead of the present [...]

All Have Won, and All Will Have Prizes?: The Challenges of Youth Sports

TheFatherLife.com — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 03:52:13 +0000

See Jimmy pitch the ball. See Dick hit the ball. See Dick run to first base. See Dick get called out. See Dick’s parents yell at the umpire. See other parents join in. See Dick walk back to the bench and hide his head in his hands. See Dick’s dad yell to Dick telling him [...]

Six Tools to Relieve Your Child’s “Back-to-School-itis”

TheFatherLife.com — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 09:44:09 +0000

For some kids, going back to school at the end of summer can be traumatic. Anticipating a new teacher, classmates, grade, or school can trigger fear, anxiety, and depression–not to mention very real physical symptoms such as stomachaches, headaches, and insomnia. Fortunately, your child has a whole toolbox to draw from–in her own imagination. Here [...]

Summer School: Lessons Learned by a First Time SAHD

TheFatherLife.com — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 04:38:10 +0000

As school is starting and the house is without the noise of kids running around, I had the chance to reflect on the summer and what we did. I never thought I would have the feelings I had when the kids left for school, but never the less I had them! I’m not going to [...]

[FRESH BROOD] Hell on (Two) Wheels – Part 2

TheFatherLife.com — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 03:40:17 +0000

Editor’s note: In case you missed it, catch-up on Part 1 of “Hell on (Two) Wheels” before reading on. OK, so we finally got home with a bike that: a) fit my son, b) had training wheels that were actually attached properly, and c) looked bad-ass cool. Check, check, and check. Now it was time [...]

How Do I Know My Kid Is Lying?

TheFatherLife.com — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 03:28:48 +0000

Kids always seem to be surprised when they are caught in the middle of a lie — Mom really does have eyes in the back of her head! She really does talk to that little bird! Is it really these eyes that Mom has or does that little bird really give the secrets away? Or [...]

[INTO THE DAWN] Memories of Summer 2009

TheFatherLife.com — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 03:24:17 +0000

Elementary school began yesterday, and on the one hand it seems hard to let the summer go, but on the other hand there were some moments I could have done without. For instance, all summer long I put off getting my bi-annual haircut/head shave because my eight year old told me, “You’re ugly enough as [...]