Traditions That Bring Families Closer

Why Do Families Need Rituals?

What's a ritual? It's a routine with meaning. Children love ritual. Repetition, the comfort of belonging, the sense of wonder, magic, and celebration -- all create a bonding experience that nurtures both kids and parents. Rituals hold families together.

New Year's Rituals for Families

“Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one.” - Brad Paisley

Children are fascinated by the passage of time, which seems magical to them. They LOVE the idea of a new year, a new beginning, a celebration of life. And so do adults! We can all use the momentum of a fresh start.

The Secret of Making a New Year's Resolution You Can Keep

Did you make a New Years Resolution to be more patient, or to stop yelling? Surveys show those are the #1 resolutions for parents.

Do you have a New Year's resolution about parenting? Let's do this!

Many people joke about New Year's resolutions as if they're impossible to keep. But there are some people who are able to change their lives in positive ways, using the new year to give them a psychological boost. What do they know that we don't?

10 Simple Ways To Improve Your Parenting, No Resolutions Necessary

Tired of resolutions? Here are 10 Simple Ways To Improve Your Parenting, No Resolutions Necessary. Put these on your fridge and read them daily. (You can download a pdf from the link at the end of the article.) I guarantee you less drama and more love.

5 Resolutions That Will Make You a Better Parent This Year

"Dr. Laura....My new year's resolution is to be more patient. But when I told my family, they reminded me that I made the same resolution last year. I feel like a failure, even though I know I've become a better mother over the past year." -- Christina

100 Ideas for Creating a More Peaceful World

15 Fun Valentines Day Family Traditions

Want some ideas to celebrate Valentines Day, when you're too busy, too broke, and too harried to remember that you adore these people you live with?

My Valentines Wish for You

Love your child back to feeling safe, and you'll find that affection and cooperation return too. Love never fails.

10 Tips to Make This the Best Summer Ever with Your Family

"Summer afternoon... Summer afternoon... the two most beautiful words in the English language."
-Henry James

Celebrating July 4th

Does your little one fall asleep on the way TO the fireworks? Does your other child scream as soon as the loud noises start, cowering against you and refusing even to look? Ah, for the days before you had kids, when you could enjoy the simple pleasure of the fireworks!

A Few Tweaks Can Take Your Summer from Good to Fantastic

How's your summer going? Have you settled into a rhythm that works for you? Or are you wishing your kids were doing less screens and squabbling, and more reading and helping? There's still time to make some tweaks for a memorable, fun summer that brings your whole family closer, without as much screen time and with minimal whining and fighting.

3 Easy Ways to Savor Every Last Drop of Summer

Wherever you live, summer is so fleeting. Whatever happened to those days that seemed endless when we were kids?

Fall is always exciting, and there's lots to do to get organized for it. But the dark, cold days of winter will be here before you know it. If it's summer where you live, why not use these last days of less stress before school starts again to revel in a slower pace, and make some delicious memories with your child?

20 Ways to Celebrate Halloween That Bring Your Family Closer

Halloween is the perfect opportunity to have fun playing with new family traditions.  There can still be costumes and candy, but adding laughter, creativity and time having fun together can shift the heart of the holiday from "trick or treating" to family closeness.  Enjoy working with your child to create some delicious scary family fun!

Eeek! My Kid Wants To Wear an Inappropriate Sexy or Scary Halloween Costume

"My son wants to be the most evil, scary, bloody character this Halloween. I'm uneasy about this."

"My daughter wants to be a sexy witch. She is eleven. My husband says No Way! He thinks that's inappropriate for his little girl."

Eeek! What’s a parent to do?

A Thanksgiving Blessing

"When we experience a sense of gratitude, we give ourselves a dose of mental sunshine. Suddenly the world seems brighter, and we have more options. " -- M.J. Ryan

Thanksgiving Rituals To Teach Gratitude

A whole body of research now confirms that adults, children and adolescents who report feeling gratitude are happier, healthier, more content, more optimistic, and more likely to be helpful to other people in every way. They're also less materialistic, less envious and less likely to become depressed. And what better time to begin than Thanksgiving?

Autumn Holiday Rituals that Nurture Family Connection

Parenting is tough, and often we're just rushing against the clock to get our kids out the door in the morning, pick them up on time, get them through their homework and dinner, into the tub, into bed...so we can get up the next morning and do it all over again.

21 Questions To Ask Your Family for a More Meaningful Thanksgiving

Does your family have wonderful Thanksgiving discussions? One surefire strategy is to ask good questions that get everyone thinking, speaking, connecting about something meaningful. Why not gift each person at your table with the chance to know each other at a deeper level?

Holiday Survival Guide

Disrupted schedules, traveling with little ones, the crash and burn from all the excitement -- Holidays can easily be a recipe for tears and tantrums. Here's a baker's dozen of my top tips to help you manage life during the holidays, so you can minimize the tears and maximize the joy.

50 Meaningful December Traditions for Families

Want more family joy and deeper meaning this holiday season? Experimenting with a new family tradition or two can lift your spirits and bring your family closer.

Make Merry & Make Meaning: Manage Your Own Mood

The days are counting down to the Winter Solstice, and soon after that Hanukkah and Christmas Eve!  We all want to make this holiday season meaningful and happy for our families. So we rush around and get busy, and stressed, and the mood in our home becomes -- well, not what any of us would want it to be. 

Parents' Holiday Survival Skill #1: Manage Yourself

No matter what holiday you celebrate, what's your most important survival skill? In fact, what's the most essential skill for parents, at the holidays and every day? It's to manage yourself, so you can stay calm and loving with your child!

8 Tips To De-Stress Your December

December doesn't have to be stressful, no matter what holiday you celebrate. The increasing dark of the Northern hemisphere can be a signal to turn inward to your family, to create more warmth, light and peace in your home. It can be a time for cozy connection and deep joy, whatever your personal beliefs.

The Gift of a Screen-Free December

Every December, toy companies spend huge budgets marketing to your child. From old-fashioned ads that show a parent and child having fun together with a toy, to product placement on their favorite episodes, screens induce cravings for more, more, more in our children. It’s our job as parents to protect our kids from this assault.

Looking for the perfect present?

"I spent one evening browsing, and my holiday shopping is almost done. So relaxing, no stress, and I stuck to my budget. And now I have the time and energy to do some decorating and crafts with my children!" - Jessie

The Kindness Elf- A Holiday Tradition

When you look back on your family’s holidays, what do you want your children to recall?  Family traditions are the foundation of the holiday season because they create annual rituals that parents and children alike look forward to and delight in.  Are there specific holiday traditions that you want your child to tell their children about someday, and pass along to their own family?

Guaranteed Favorite Toy

"You will always be your child's favorite toy."  -- Vicki Lansky

Easy Homemade Presents to Make With Kids

If it’s the thought that counts, then what matters about a present is the love that goes into it. There's no need to spend a fortune on gifts, whether for grandparents, cousins, friends or teachers. Your kids will love making them, and the recipients will treasure them.

Looking for Love at the Toy Store

Worried that your child seems to get a bit greedy at the holidays? Consider that maybe something deeper is being triggered -- a longing for that happy, perfect life when your child will feel completely enveloped by your love. We adults have the same fantasy, of course. It's part of the wonder of the holidays -- that promise of transformational love.

5 Easy Ways to Find the Spirit of the Season

Five easy ideas for families who aren't exactly religious but want more spiritual meaning in their holidays.

Help Your Child Discover Her Inner Angel

"On Christmas morning, before we could open our Christmas presents, we would go to this stranger's home and bring them presents. I remember helping clean the house up and putting up a tree. My father believed that you have a responsibility to look after everyone else."
-George Clooney

You Don't Have To Make Up for Not Being a Perfect Parent

As we look back on our holidays, is there anything we want to do differently next year, for a little more ease and joy?

The Best Gift You Can Give Your Child

We’re moving into the season where most of us as parents get very invested in finding the perfect presents to light up our child's eyes and and create magical moments. So it's worth reminding ourselves that the real magic is never found in a box—it’s much closer to home. After all, no matter what material gift our child thinks will make them happy, the present they really want is an emotionally generous parent.