General

As your child grows and spends more time out of your sight, you need to teach them to protect themselves. Child abuse and assault (both by strangers and by people known to the child) are very real dangers in all countries and in every socio-economic group. It is important to discuss with your children (both boys and girls) the potential risks.

Remember that if you are tired, fatigued or stressed, you may react by lashing out at your child. It happens to most parents at some point or another. Fortunately, there are steps parents can take to minimize or avoid the likelihood of over-reacting and remain in control when stress is high.

Someone once said: "Any man can be a father. It takes someone special to be a dad." It is just not enough to ensure food on the table and a roof overhead. Fathers play an important part in the lives of their children. There's more to being a father than just "fathering" the child.

Working mothers face quite a few challenges both at home and the workplace. Ask any working mom what she finds most difficult and the top answer would be guilt. The time spent away from her children and the home is something that all working mothers deal with. While some may enjoy pursuing a career, others work out of necessity. In either case, the emotions that all mothers go through are the same. Here we take a look at how to work through these challenges and deal with the emotions.

Self-esteem is a set of perceptions and feelings that we have about ourselves and these patterns are formed in early childhood. The way your child values herself/himself is a factor that affects the choices they make as well as their behavior. Children with low self-esteem grow up to be insecure adults, have trouble making friends, are more vulnerable to substance abuse, bullying, eating disorders and suicidal tendencies.

Extensive research conducted on the topic of parenting suggests a significant correlation between parenting style and the development of a child's attitude, personality, and behavior, all the way into adulthood.

In today's connected world, inter-cultural marriages are common. Many families have a cross-cultural or inter-faith marriage and while this is a phenomenon to be welcomed, it does bring with it a host of new challenges for young parents. This union can be very enriching for the children as their world view widens with their exposure to varied food, culture and language. The flip side is that it could lead to cultural clashes about how the child should be raised.

Separation or divorce is traumatic not only for the concerned adults, but also for the children caught between their parents. Whether the separation has been messy or amicable, it does result in a lot of change for the family. Sometimes one parent has sole custody with visitation rights for the non-custodial parent. Other times, custody is shared. 

The process of adoption requires a lot of thought on the part of the prospective adoptive family. When it comes to the choice of adopting an older child, it does require some amount of preparation. If you are considering adopting a child older than 2 to 3 years you could face a unique set of challenges and issues. Adopting older children is rewarding, but it comes with its own set of considerations. 

Adoptive parents face several unique parenting situations and challenges. One of them is the all-important question about how and when to tell your child that she or he is adopted. Knowing the truth about where we come from is an important part of our identity. This article gives you guidelines as to how to go about telling your child that they are adopted.