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Channel: Parents & Families Archives - First Things First
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How Parenting Style Predicts Teen Mental Health

Parenting is a complex reality where influence meets responsibility. Parents shape a child’s present and future.  After recent surges in adolescent mental health problems and suicide, the nation’s...

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What to Do About Perfectionism in Parenting

The first time my four-year-old son wrote his name at pre-school, I faced a parenting moment I didn’t expect. When I arrived for pick-up, he ran down the hall yelling, “Mom! I wrote my name! Mom! I...

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Quality Time with Grandparents Matters Most

My grandmother passed away last week. She was 85, and her health had been slowly declining for a few years. But it didn’t make the news any easier to hear when she passed. When I was growing up, I...

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Beyond Reading: A New Way to Increase a Toddler’s Vocabulary 

A recent study is changing the game for parents of young children. Reading has long been hailed as the number one way to increase a toddler and preschooler’s vocabulary and language skills and set the...

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Parents Should Have Hard Conversations With Young Children

“Momma, when you die and I don’t have a Momma anymore, can I go live with Nana and Poppy?” my four-year-old asked nonchalantly last Saturday. “Well, if anything happens to me and your dad, you can...

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Screen Time, Childhood, and Our Future

As my oldest child approaches his fifth birthday, I find myself reflecting on the challenges of raising kids in today’s world. From the moment he was born, I’ve been mindful of how much time he spends...

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Effective Grandparents Practice Quality Over Quantity

My grandmother passed away last week. She was 85, and her health had been slowly declining for a few years. But it didn’t make the news any easier to hear when she passed. When I was growing up, my...

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The Impact of Parents Arguing in Front of Kids

My husband and I had a little argument last week. It wasn’t a big deal, just one of those everyday disagreements. But you know what? Our four-year-old reacted in a surprising way. He saw us arguing and...

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The Why and How Behind Adult Children Cutting Off Their Parents

Have you ever wondered why some adult children become distant from their parents? It’s a big issue, affecting 40% of adult children in the United States, according to a study by Cornell University....

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One Thing You Can Do to Make Your Children Happy

Happiness is in no way the main goal of parenting or all that a child needs. Study after study shows a bit of struggle and frustration will allow a child to build character. But having a positive...

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Women Change After Childbirth. So Should Their Support

Picture this: you’re a mom. You’ve just had a baby, and while you’re over the moon with love for your little one, you’re also feeling a bit… well, different. That was me not too long ago. And let me...

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Embracing 50/50 Custody is the Best for Children

Embracing 50/50 Custody is the Best for Children I am not an advocate for divorce on many occasions, but I do know there are some situations in which the ending of a relationship is better for everyone...

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Why Traveling With Young Children Is Worth Every Meltdown

My son was four months old the first time he flew on a plane.  I was invited to a tech conference at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I was exclusively nursing, living on a...

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Why Dads Matter Everyday

Last weekend was Father’s Day. I helped my young children celebrate their dad by purchasing a small gift we knew he would love and creating personal cards for him to enjoy. He was delightfully...

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What Families Fight About (And Why It Matters More Than We Think)

As a mom of two little ones, I’m no stranger to a toddler meltdown over the wrong color of water cup or the clashing of the wills at bedtime. I’ve seen firsthand how even the smallest of disagreements...

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