Rethinking Parenting: How Stepping Back Could Help Kids Step Up
In today’s hectic world, parents may feel a need to immediately intervene and help their child with tasks the child may find challenging but could probably manage independently. Parents may step in to protect the child, facilitate the child’s achievements, or expedite the task. This behavior is called overparenting. Parents who use this approach are …
Secure Attachments and Co-Parenting
Relationships that parents establish between each other and with their children can have lasting effects throughout their children’s lives. A study conducted by the Department of Human Development and Family Studies found that there may be a connection between the quality of coparenting that exists between two parents and the level of strength found within …
Nourish to Flourish: Building Lifelong Healthy Eating Habits
As parents, we want the best for our children. However, when we think about healthy eating, and what that really means, we might feel overwhelmed because conflicting advice, picky eaters, busy schedules, and easy access to convenience foods are abundant. The good news? You and your family can develop and maintain healthy eating habits, and …
How to Talk to Your Child about Bullying
Talking to children about bullying can be difficult for parents and children alike. While children may want to discuss bullying with their parents, they may struggle to find the words to start the conversation. Some children might fear they will get “in trouble” for what they’ve done, seen, or experienced. Others may feel embarrassed or …
Supporting Your Child During Divorce
Making the decision to divorce is likely difficult, especially for parents who are concerned about the impact the process and subsequent changes will have on their children. While children of divorced parents may face a higher risk of emotional difficulties, academic struggles, and relationship challenges compared to those from intact families, when parents remain in …
Navigating AI as a Parent: How to Support Your Child’s Digital Well-being
Artificial intelligence (AI) is used ubiquitously today—from helping children complete their homework, to curating social media feeds, to suggesting what individuals should watch next on television. While AI can be a useful tool, have you ever wondered how it might influence your thoughts or feelings? More importantly, have you considered how being exposed to and …
Finding Credible Information
Originally posted May 15, 2023: https://thrive.psu.edu/blog/finding-credible-information/ Parents make multiple daily decisions that impact themselves and their family members. As a parent, you will likely want to use sound judgment and consider relevant and up-to-date information as you make positive and meaningful decisions for your family. However, the amount of information that is available through websites …
The Benefits of Positive Sleep Behaviors
Getting a suitable amount of sleep is an important part of everyone’s health. When you ensure your child is getting enough sleep, you are helping them to potentially better regulate their behaviors and emotions (Dadzie et al., 2024). Sleep-related behaviors, or actions and activities involved around sleep, can promote or inhibit sleep health (Meltzer et …
