Family decision-making is an intriguing phenomenon. Many factors become part of the decision-making process. Emotions play an important part in this activity. Parents and children each use emotions to steer decisions favorable way to themselves. Using emotions to influence decisions develops naturally. The use of emotions becomes harmful when they are used as threats to control or intimidate others. Emotionally charged threats and intimidation leaves their victims feeling helpless. Victims of emotional blackmail often give in, believing they have no other options....

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Blink. That's all we did, blink, and summer is ending and a new school year is beginning. Parents have mixed emotions. Relief that the kids are going back and dread that another school year, and the battles that come with it, is right around the corner. Here are tips for a successful school year for students and parents. Tips for Students Get a good start. If you start out behind, you dig a hole that you will spend the rest of the year digging out of, if at all. Get a good finish. Even more important than getting a good start is getting a good finish....

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Q. What is the best way to teach safety awareness to young children? A. The best way is to follow your instincts. It is a natural process. You, your parents, your brothers and sisters, any other close members of your family, and your friends provide just the right input. You are your child's first and most important teacher. You, your family, and your friends form for your child his or her first and most important social group. Your parent-child relationship is the main model; and you, your relatives, and your friends make up your child's training ground for all future relationships....

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The law of - ing. The law of - ing refers to a misnomer in the way we talk about this special kind of family. By calling them "blended families," we imply that blending two families is a one-time event, and all the work is done. Nothing could be further from the truth. "Blending families" is a much more accurate term because it implies that putting two families together is a lifelong process with lots of work to do. The law of Brady. Let's get this one out of the way. "The Brady Bunch" was a TV show, complete with scripts so everyone knew what was coming in advance, with as many takes as necessary to get it right....

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As with everything, names go through cycles of change with passing generations. I also tend to think that names have improved immensely since the first Elmas, Minervas, Bufords, and Alfreds graced the baby's room wearing appropriate nametags on their cribs. A country of tradition, we still hold tightly to such commoners as Becky, Wendy, Mike and Bill. And being the trendsetters of a diverse time, we also like originality. Girls are acquiring sophistication with names such as Breanna and Kyla while boys are being called Dusty and Cameron, cute yet charming....

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Before my daughter was born my house was so tidy and immaculate that you could eat off the floor! Dishes were done immediately (no dishwasher here!), the toilet was cleaned every morning and the house was dusted and vacuumed quite frequently. Today? The dishes sit o­n the counter till the next day when I tip-toe to the kitchen before the baby wakes so I can get it cleaned and put away, the house is vacuumed just when it looks like it needs it and the dust sits even now several inches thick upon all my furniture....

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I was in the life insurance sales industry for over 8 years. One of best teaching that I have learned from the industry and found in all top sales professionals and successful individuals is: "All super successful individuals love people more than they love money." And it is their love for people that make them wealthy and rich. I share this same teaching with my children since young. I truly believe that it will be the most important factors to help them become more successful in life. We learn to love others by serving them and the love is unconditional....

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How often do you think of family life as an adventure or delightful experience? If you and your children are having a good day, then you might buy into this idea. However, many of you are probably laughing hysterically now. What is delightful about the children fighting for the umpteenth time today? Sometimes I bet your family life feels like a jungle with screeching and swinging monkeys. It can be all too easy to get caught up in trying to control what is happening in the home instead of enjoying what is....

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(Isaiah 11:6 KJV) The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. If ever there was a time for youth leadership development for our future, then that time is now. Homeschooling our children to give them a better education is the goal of every homeschooling parent and an additional goal should also underly your convictions - that your child be trained to lead others to follow in the right way....

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1. Tell me something you like about yourself? Help your child to focus on her many strengths. 2. Reinforce the positives. Give praise, recognition, a special privilege or increasedresponsibility for a job well done. 3. Define limits and rules clearly. A family council is an excellent place to discuss, explainand get a sense of ownership to the rules. Discuss what consequences will follow if therules are not followed. Don't have a lot of rules, maybe four or five, but be consistent atfollowing them....

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One of the most powerful tools that parents have for raising their children is the natural emotional bond that exists between them and their child. Children who feel close to their parents will have a strong desire to obey them. No child with this type of connection to his parents will want to risk hurting that connection by disobeying them. When such a relationship exists, the mere look of dissatisfaction on the face of a parent will usually be enough to curb inappropriate behavior. This bond is so strong and so potent that it lasts even through adolescence when most of the disciplinary tools at our disposal are ineffective....

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Maintain Communication Even though teens need to separate from their parents during adolescence, they also need to know that the safety net of home and family is always there for them. If the lines of communication are shut down, they are not yet capable of surviving emotionally; they need support and input. Let's take a look at a few guidelines for keeping the lines of communication open between parents and teenagers. 1. Pay attention to the small things along with the significant things. If you are generally a good listener, your teen will be more likely to talk to you....

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