The Institute for Confident Parenting

21/06/2024

And finally, new research confirms what we've known for years...exercise benefits more than our physical health. In fact, physical activity definitively helps kids build resilience to stress.

With mental health problems on the rise, this one solution is easy...get your child moving more. That's right. In the study, when faced with stressful environments, kids who exercised more were better equipped to handle stressful tasks and build resilience toward that stress compared to those who exercised less.

If you do one thing to help your child's mental health...this is it! Check this out!

A new study shows that children who got more daily exercise had important differences in stress hormone activity when facing unsettling situations.

19/06/2024

When it comes to building resilience in kids, it's not as hard as you might expect. In other words, the sheer volume of kids struggling in today's world is not indicative of the level of difficulty we must overcome teaching kids to face adversity.

What we've found is...

We just need to do the things that build strong kids...and NOT do the things that mess with the acquisition of strong mental health.

So, here is sound advice of one way to prevent poor mental health in kids. In fact, parents who raise the strongest and most resilient kids create an environment that does THIS one thing!

17/06/2024

Life is tough. Especially for kids, who need our help building resilience to the world's challenges.

Aside from the challenges of being an adult, kids too do and should face challenges to build the mental muscles necessary to face them as they mature.

In fact, adults who struggle with mental health often can trace their inability to handle it well back to childhood stressors and traumas, and the lack of support getting through them. So...

Let's take a look at how we can do a better job of raising mentally tough, resilient kids who can face the worlds challenges with courage and resilience.

Studies show that childhood isn’t as worry-free as we'd like it to be. These four strategies help you raise mentally strong kids who can deal with anything!

16/06/2024

Happy Father's Day to all our ICP dads! Hoping you continue to enjoy the many blessings of fathering and caring for kids!

14/06/2024

Leading up to Father's Day weekend, we thought it wise to honor the significance of dads in the lives of today's kids. Of course, we're not talking about dads being perfect fathers, nor perfect people.

Mostly, we want to recognize dads who show up in their child's life and try to be the best dad they can be.

Every hug...every kind word...every moment you spend with your kid(s) is key to their happiness and success. Keep it up...we are all better WITH you present in their lives.

Recent research backs up what every child knows about just how important Dads are. More research is coming out every day supporting the role of dads.

12/06/2024

Throughout history, the role of dads in families has pretty much remained constant. Until the 1970s. And the trend of dads becoming more involved in raising kids continues to this day.

Let's make no mistake...this is a good thing. Dads who can and are willing to help with the mundane chores of raising kids AND connecting emotionally with kids helps both moms and kids.

See for yourself why this stigma of moms raising kids and dads working outside the home continues to wane. And for those families embracing this concept of more involved dads, we commend your desire and commitment to building better kids!

Being a parent is a 24-hour role, and a lifetime commitment that has historically fallen to women. As men have started to take on more domestic work, what it means to be a father has started to shift.

10/06/2024

In this week leading up to Father's Day, let's take a look at the significant role dads have in the development of today's kids. It's been long asserted that families without dads struggle more, especially kids. And we agree...every kid should grow up with a caring, supportive father.

So what make a good dad? Glad you asked.

When dads present desirable character traits, they help build empathy, confidence, emotional regulation, communication skills, good habits, and more in their kids. See for yourself what traits are a good sign a man will make an excellent dad!

I recently watched NYU professor and author Scott Galloway’s interview on the Rich Roll podcast, and it got me thinking.  While the lengthy talk covered many topics, one they touched […] More

09/06/2024

SUNDAY SPOTLIGHT:

Today, we highlight an example of how kids teach us important character traits like self sacrifice. This essential life lesson comes courtesy of a young teen who paid the ultimate price to protect his mom and unborn sibling.

See, kids of all ages are gifted with this unique and precious gift of teaching us lessons...or should we say, re-teaching us important life lessons that can grow our own character.

While this ultimate self sacrifice is truly sad, this boy's legacy will not go unnoticed and will stay with so many who stand witness to his essential life lesson.

Classmates and teachers have nothing but loving words and fond memories of the boy who died protecting his mom and unborn sibling from harm.

07/06/2024

We continue to make the case that kid...young kids in particular...spend too much time alone with devices. In fact, in one new study, the more time toddlers spend on devices, the less they learn to use the kind of words adults use in spoken language.

See, kids need to learn an entire language within the first few years of their lives. And language, spoken language in particular, is the key to building language skills, relationship competency, and everything that goes along with interacting with other humans.

See here more evidence that we must get more serious about keeping very young kids off devices and interacting through spoken language in the real world with other humans. Check this out!

Scientists found that young children's exposure to screen time is interfering with their opportunities to talk and interact with grownups in their home environment.

05/06/2024

It isn't just psychological well-being that drops drastically when very young kids spend too much time engaging with the digital world.

Another recent study warns of the danger to kids for diminished sensory-processing ability. That is, kids spending greater time watching TV or on other devices were shown to either display a heightened response to intense sensations...or avoid them altogether.

See, screen time tempts kids away from physical activity and imaginative play, even prevents them from developing emotional self-regulation. And now, science proves their ability to process environmental sensations is thrown out of whack too! Check this out.

Screens can seem like a cheat code for parenting, offering a brief respite from shrill noises and surrealist mischief long enough to do something indulgent like wash dishes or make lunch.

03/06/2024

Screen time isn't any different than many other habits we build in our kids. There are often pros and cons. We cannot argue that our future will be largely dependent on our ability to understand and navigate the digital world.

However...it means we MUST help kids manage both known and unknown consequences of our activities in this digital arena, especially social media. And the evidence couldn't be more clear. Kids are spending too much time on social media, and on screens in general.

The hard truth is, many of us are failing our kids with regard to screen time, and their mental health is suffering greatly. Here's just one of many studies warning parents to limit...severely limit...screen time for our youngest kids. Check this out!

TUESDAY, March 12, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Among U.S. preschoolers, two hours or more of daily screen time are associated with lower psychological well-being,

02/06/2024

SUNDAY SPOTLIGHT:

So many examples where our kids teach us essential life lessons, like this teen who gives up something dear to them just to help another teen through a significant life struggle.

See, life is hard without those extra BIG tragedies. And too often, we get caught up in our own little world and forget to think of the struggles others are going through. That's why reminders of big life lessons like compassion are so important and welcome from our own kids.

Make one wonder who's really the teacher here, right?

Nyla Covington, a senior at Mississippi's Forrest County Agricultural High School, was voted Homecoming Queen by her fellow students and was celebrated for her beauty and grace that day. But to everyone's surprise, she gave her crown to Brittany Walters, one of the competitors. Brittany had made a p...

31/05/2024

So, your child won't stop arguing with you. Trust me when I say you're not alone. See, kids want to understand, sort of, but they don't necessarily want to agree with you.

Maybe a better way of looking at it is...

Kids want YOU to understand them. That's why we say, listen to how they feel about something as a precursor to getting them to do what you want. But listening to them doesn't mean you have to cave in to what they want.

Remember, kids will always see things from their own vantage point, and seldom from yours. But you're the captain of this ship you call family. That's why most times, your most effective way to stop all the pushback is to simply explain yourself once and move on. Here's how!

Here’s a piece of coaching advice I often find myself giving to parents: Explain yourself once to your child and then move on.

29/05/2024

Most parents seem to understand that kids have a natural inclination for arguing. Regardless if it's a push for independence...or they are just being a contrarian, it's frustrating...exhausting...and time-sucking to be in this constant battle with them.

So...

What can you do? Be the adult and stop arguing with them. Easier said than done, right? Wrong! Here's how you stop arguing with your kids, once and for all. You can do this!

How do you stop arguing with your child? The best approach to stop arguing is to refuse to take part in arguments in the first place. Here's how.

27/05/2024

From our ICP family to yours, have a Blessed and Happy Memorial Day celebration!

24/05/2024

Even science proves that caregiver-to-child play time is a fertile time for significant growth.

It has to do with the human brain. See, mood enhancing chemicals are released that boost relationship building among friends...reinforces to kids how fun the activity is...and support learning and memory.

In fact, free play does all kinds of good things to the development of the brain in a child. Sadly, the opposite it true. Less free play time hinders the development of a child's brain power. Check this out!

Play is a crucial time for the child brain to produce feel-good chemicals, put synapses in place and overall create a foundation for learning in the short-term and life-long time periods. Here are five phenomenon that happen when you take time to play with your child.

22/05/2024

While any play is good for kids, we are seeing how risky play can, well, 'play' a significant role in building independence and crucial problem solving skills.

See, play is hard-wired into kids. It teaches them to take action...socialize with friends...and solve great challenges in life.

And what do you know, it tones down stress and anxiety...helping kids to have more robust mental health! See for yourself.

The Canadian Paediatric Society has declared that children need more free, unsupervised, risky play for their physical and mental health.

20/05/2024

This week is all about 'play.' Free play CANNOT be overstated as a significant contributor to the mental health and intellectual growth of kids.

But you must start young. That bears repeating. You must start young.

See, not only will free play build better kids through creativity and discovery, but it can help YOU better manage their screen time throughout the day. While play was a normal, everyday activity for kids in past generations, we have somehow seemed to have skipped town on this one when raising kids today.

Let's get back to giving kids plenty of free play time...and do our kids and us a huge favor. Here's how...check this out!

Getting kids to play outside can be hard -- but not if you try these tips from a mom whose kids love the outside as much as their phones!

19/05/2024

SUNDAY SPOTLIGHT:

Today we are highlighting how one friend stepped in during an emotional time period in his friends life, sharing HIS mom with his friend.

See, often times we can be stingy with our own relationships. Not including others out of convenience or pure selfishness. Yet here...

This friend offered up his mom to help this teen out with an important event, during a critical phase of life.

How neat we get to witness this type of kindness.

It's prom season, which means it's time to go prom dress shopping. Many are searching for that perfect outfit.

17/05/2024

Don't let the title here fool you. This is about better mental health for your child. There is a theme revealed that we subscribe to fully. And that is...

We adults need to do a better job of getting out of the way of our kids and let them largely direct their own lives. Why you ask? Because too often we bring undue stress and pressure and other adult drama...i.e., our own mental illness...into our kids' lives.

Of course, the premise here is that kids are often the better influencer of other kids. However, two things to attend to as parents and teachers. First, observation and guidance are necessary, of course. And second, when kids learn from interaction with other kids, they feel better about themselves and their prospects for success.

In other words, we need to stop driving our kids nuts with all our excessive and unnecessary adult drama. We've said it before, and we'll say it often...a good rule of thumb is to 'mostly' get out of your kids' way if we want better mental health for them. Check this out!

In today’s world, democratic schools are among the few settings where kids can actually be kids and learn in the ways that they are biologically designed to learn.

15/05/2024

Perhaps the simplest way to improve anyone's mental health is through practicing kindness. That's right!

Practicing kindness boasts a wide range of benefits to humans. From remedying depression, anxiety, and loneliness...to improving heart health, body aches and pains, and overall life satisfaction.

See for yourself how helping kids do random acts of kindness weekly can boost their mental health quickly!

Showing kindness to others can boost your social wellbeing more than therapy, studies show. With National Random Acts of Kindness Day coming up, here’s how to practice kindness with your family. Category : Parenting, Relationships

13/05/2024

This week we'll take a look at a few strategies to help ensure stronger mental health for your kids.

In today's world, there are so many assaults on kids' mental health. From poor mentoring of broken families...to online bullying...to eating and anxiety disorders...and more, we can give our kids a fighting chance by implementing sound parenting strategies proven by science and tested in the real world.

For starters, here is a report showing conservative parenting significantly lowers the risk for mental health issues in kids. Check this out!

Children raised by conservative parents are significantly more likely to have a stronger relationship with their parents.

12/05/2024

To all moms...grandmothers, mothers, foster mothers, and others who fill in as a mother figure to the world's children...

Happy Mother's Day!

10/05/2024

And of course, perhaps the most effective way to show consistency in parenting is by providing kids daily routines. In fact, inherent with routines is the ability to give kids a sense of security and grow their self-discipline.

Think of it this way...

Like every other human, kids fear the unknown. While we do consider introducing an unknown from time to time as an opportunity to grow, it is still stressful. And it's clear that providing routines in the daily life of kids buffers them from the constant barrage of change...and thus, overwhelming stress and anxiety...in their lives.

Discover how daily routines help kids predict and prepare for stressful events in their lives, and thus, help them better manage themselves and their environments, Check this out!

Children handle change best if it is expected and occurs in the context of a familiar routine. A routine allows children to feel safe and develop a sense of mastery in handling life.

08/05/2024

To be sure, being consistent with kids can be challenging for most parents and other adults. But kids need consistency to thrive. In fact, their behavior will look as different as night and day to the degree we are consistent with implementing rules and consequences in their daily routine.

So...

If your child consistently behaves in ways less than desirable, consider whether or not you are being consistent with them in your parenting. This could be the game changer you've been waiting for...here's how to unlock this little known secret!

Consistent parenting is the hardest thing for many parents. It is easy to lay down a rule and then let it slide when you are tired or in a hurry. Learn effective child discipline methods and advice in this article.

06/05/2024

When it comes to behavior, kids do significantly better when we are consistent with expectations, guidance, and consequences. This of course should be nothing new, right?

Because everything in the natural world thrives on consistency.

So with kids, the more consistent we are with rules...reinforcement...and holding them accountable to their behavior and choices, the quicker they learn to make better decisions.

Discover a better way to parent kids...where kids do what their asked without all the arm-twisting! Check it out!

Any effort toward being consistent with limits, boundaries, and routines will seriously improve kids' behavior and cooperation. It will also help them feel comforted and loved.

05/05/2024

SUNDAY SPOTLIGHT:

Today, a little girl shows us an essential life lesson for the ages. This video showcases one of life's principles of raising kids...that our kids reflect back to us what we have taught them.

This girl is totally hooked on her daddy, making it clear that her daddy is totally hooked on her. A telling lesson that whatever we want our kids to be...either by default or intention...we need to be that first.

See for yourself how it looks in real time...when kids become a reflection of who we are!

In the tender moment captured on video, a little girl passionately argues about her love for her father. Her voice, filled with unwavering conviction, carries a deep, childlike longing to keep her dad close. "Amaya's baby," she proclaims with love, declaring her father as not just her baby but also....

03/05/2024

While kids enjoy many benefits from having a pet in the home, parents often side against getting a pet for all the wrong reasons. In fact...

There are some common misconceptions about kids and pet care that most parents are unaware of. And it keeps them from helping their child reap the amazing benefits pets provide.

Discover what these misconceptions are...so your child...and by default, you!...can enjoy the many benefits of having a pet in the home. Check it out!

We've debunked three common misconceptions on children and pet care, with a particular focus on children with special needs and mental health challenges.

01/05/2024

Pets, and dogs in particular, have shown significant benefits to military vets and others struggling with PTSD. And studies keep validating these benefits in the mental health of kids who have a dog in the home.

Of course, the benefits of pets in families goes way beyond just improved mental health. Things like social development, encouraging physical activity, and promoting responsibility and routine are among many other benefits of owning a pet with kids in the home.

While we strongly suggest the mental health benefits for kids alone are worth every dollar and every minute spent on dog ownership, see for yourself other ways your child...and you...will benefit from owning a pet!

Your child was right. Owning a pet can be good for them: socially and emotionally.

29/04/2024

We talk a lot about declining mental health in kids. And we believe parents can take strategic, effective steps to help their kids boost their mental health. One way is...

Having a pet in the house.

Now, instead of looking at owning pets as just another thing to manage, it's important to see it as a tool to raise kids better. In fact, pets provide many benefits to aid parents in building better kids.

See for yourself how pets aid child development and why it may be time to add a pet to your family and home.

Choosing to have a pet in your home is a decision that has many benefits for your children's development, far beyond the simple pleasure of having company