Age - Teens, Age - Toddlers, Age - Tweens, grandparenting, Intentional Parenting
Dana Hirt
How to Teach the Value of Diversity to Your Kids

Saying “please” and “thank-you.” Learning how to share. Apologizing for hurting someone’s feelings.

The values behind these actions that most parents start teaching their kids early on – civility, collaboration, consideration of others – are a few of the primary values psychologists say your child should learn from you by the time they are 5 years old.  

But two studies published early this year make it plain that in addition to those values, parents need to put special attention on modeling and teaching even their very young children the notion that all people have equal value – including those who have a different skin color, gender or speak differently – than your kids.

How to Teach the Value of Diversity to Your Kids
Intentional Parenting
Dana Hirt
How To Turn Our 'National Conversation' Into A ...

Toss the phrase “national conversation” into the ether these days and it’s abundantly clear you’re referring to the explosion of sexual harassment and sexual assault claims in entertainment, media, politics, and beyond. While the daily reveal of perpetrators has abated somewhat, what hasn’t stopped is the energy driving the conversation, as well as the analyses and proposed remedies by lots of folks.

As a parenting coach and champion of children, however, my interest is singular: How do we turn this national conversation into teachable moments for our kids?

How To Turn Our 'National Conversation' Into A 'Teachable Moment'
Intentional Parenting, Tech and Parenting
Dana Hirt
4 Keys to Intentional Millennial Parenting

An intentional millenial parent is an empowered one. The four keys to becoming an empowered parent can be found here.

4 Keys to Intentional Millennial Parenting

co-parenting

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Kids’ Needs Supersede Parents’ During and After Divorce

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Kids’ Needs Supersede Parents’ During and After Divorce

The magnitude of the impact of divorce on children is well documented.  Not only do kids often believe (and internalize) that they are the reason their parents are divorcing, but they also worry that if parents can stop loving each other…then mommy and daddy might stop loving them too.

Try to imagine the emotional minefield kids must navigate, given they have zero control and even less emotional resources and reasoning skills. Uncertainty and even fear can be present for kids – especially during the first year or so as everyone adjusts to the new family reality.

That’s precisely why divorcing parents need to agree to prioritize the needs and best interests of the children. As divorcing parents, we need to be constantly aware of how our decisions will affect our children. While it’s impossible to shield children entirely from the impact, it is possible to minimize it by avoiding certain pitfalls and following good parenting practices.

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Communication is Key to Sharing the Parenting Load

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Communication is Key to Sharing the Parenting Load

As I shared in last month’s post, there probably is not enough overt discussion between parents about how to divvy up the voluminous responsibilities of parenting and maintaining a household. Even if the everyday jobs of cooking, cleaning, carpooling and child-care are equally shared (or outsourced), parenting requires a huge amount of thinking, planning and strategizing that’s well-supported by research evidence.

No parent configuration is immune.  Disparity can occur whether you’re in a hetero, same-sex or other family configuration. The answer to finding equilibrium – like most problems between parents – is communication.