As much as we watch to see what our children do with their lives, they are watching us to see what we do with ours.  I can’t tell my children to reach for the sun.  All I can do is reach for it, myself.  ~Joyce Maynard For many of us, becoming a parent is our introduction to unselfish love. For the first time in our life, a helpless, vulnerable person is completely dependent on us. They rely on us to feed them, clothe them, care for them and all the while, we are teaching them to care for themselves so that they can ultimately be independent of us. This would surely be spoken of as a selfless act. While loving and nurturing your children is necessary to their successful growth, giving... read more ...

by Debra Kessler Psy.D. As loving parents, we want the best for our kids. If we can afford it, we take our children to the orthodontist to correct their teeth, so they have a beautiful smile and keep their teeth to old age. I find this to be a helpful metaphor for learning challenges. Learning challenges are unseen “misalignments” that can derail our children’s school experience, hijack their sense of self and limit them from reaching their academic, emotional and career best. While teeth are visible to all, learning challenges are not readily evident and therefore can unfortunately go unidentified. This is a professional and personal issue for me. Our darling daughter was a delight,... read more ...

In the ideal family, the basic respect that is extended to adults is also extended to children. Each child is viewed as a unique person in his/her own right; separate from other children, adults, parents and family members. There is an interest in this new individual who is at the beginning of life, and is developing and unfolding as a person. The parents are aware of the value they can have to their children during the early, developmental years. They consider it their responsibility to offer their guidance and support as their children make the journey through childhood, starting out as dependent infants and emerging as independent, autonomous adults. Your Kids’ Journey For this reason,... read more ...