Topics

Welcome to Family Topics. Please check this site time from time. I will be exploring problems, challenges, issues, skills etc that may be of use to parents trying to do their best.

Please feel free to send requests for topics you would like to see addressed.


My central assumption about parenting is this; "Parents are doing the best they can." Closely following this assumption is that parents are the ultimate pragmatists and are constantly looking for ideas and skills that may improve their child-raising abilities and their own growth and fulfillment as parents.

Philosophically when it comes to parenting I am a dedicated pragmatist. If it works do it more, if it doesn't work do it less. Some things work well for some and not so well for others. There is no cookie cutter approach that will always get the results sought. 'Parenting' is challenging, exhausting, exasperating, frustrating, rewarding, surprising, crazy but not profoundly difficult. Billions of folks do it good enough to produce fairly decent human beings day in and day out. No degree required.



Some topics that will be explored on this site include: Consistency v. Constancy, Communication Skills, Mindfulness in Parenting, Spirituality and Parenting, Discipline, Parent Alignment, Coping Skills for Parents, Control v. Neglect, the Circle of Decision Making, Encouraging critical thinking and decision making in your children, Dealing with other peoples children, Super-Parent v. Good-Enough Parent, Mental Health/Illness topics--eg. adolescent self harming behaviors, oppositional defiance, depression, drug abuse, school problems, negative peers etc.

Please let us know if you find these topics useful.


Peace