In my Internet travels, I've come across quite a few parents' goals for 2011. They run the gamut from health and wellness-related, to financial responsibility, and between practising selflessness, to intentional selfishness.They're all valid. I've also seen a huge amount of parents resolving to do better in their parenting this year: to be more present, active, and supportive. To listen more and lecture or yell, less. And to simply take time out from the business of daily must-dos, to get in more why-not-dos.
Underneath all of these parents' (and my own, related) resolutions, I see a theme: we want to make our children feel special, loved, well cared for and about, and we, as parents, want to shape and empower our kids to be people who not only thrive in the world, but also help others to. We want them to be creative and to be empathetic, to give and be thankful for what they receive. We want them to be the change, yes?
Maybe we need to do more to help our children learn about why they are frustrated, saving both of us from the negative consequences of unacknowledged emotions. According to Dr. Jim Taylor, a clinical associate professor at the University of Denver and a specialist in the psychology of sports and parenting, parents need to help their children identify frustration and head it off at the pass before it begins a negative chain of emotional events. Easier said than done, right? Dr. 
What is the Family Stress Theory?
Other parents, determined to raise independent children, encourage their children to fly solo and not rely on friends. Maybe you’re like me and in the middle – striving to raise independent children who have strong relationships and friendships with varieties of people. Not always an easy task!
“Scheduling can be a challenge if both parents work full-time. You have to make your child's social life a priority”, stresses author and parent Ann Douglas. She is Mom to four children aged 13 through 22 and has seen it all. Douglas has also penned a parenting bible of sorts called
While I'm not a medical expert, I've noticed a few things that seem to be consistent in families where children are able to clearly express themselves at an early age. Here are a few tips that can help your child become more articulate.
Help your kids connect what they are learning in school to the real world. 
In the short term empowerment plants the seeds for developing an “I can do it” attitude. In the long term, empowerment helps children become capable and develop high self-esteem in their teen and adult lives.
Many women have the opportunity to work within miles of their home. When that advantage teams up with hour-long lunch breaks, crock-pots, ovens that automatically turn on and off, and washers and dryers in your home, you have opportunities galore for cutting time into your weekends. Each day an activity can be assigned or a meal can be prepared at lunch to cook while you’re at work or both to make your evening less stressful and your weekends more full of family activities.
In retrospect, the birthday party incident should not have been a surprise. It began when one of the twenty children attending couldn't sit still during a magic show. He began elbowing the other children on either side of him. Since the child's parents were not around, the host asked him to sit quietly. Five minutes later, the child's elbows were flying again.