Parenting as a Christian Single Dad

Has your daily "to-do" list gotten so long that it no longer fits on a single piece of paper? Or do you have so much to do that you don't even have time to make a to-do list? You're not alone. Parents today are working longer hours and commuting greater distances to and from work. Their days don't slow down when they get home. Kids' after-school schedules can be jam-packed, making life busy-and often stressful-for parents. Why is there so much parental stress? There is no single answer to this complex question. Many things contribute to stress among parents, including: Having good childcare and knowing that their kids are safe during the hours when parents are away from them. Facing major life events such as a divorce, death, and midlife crisis. Having financial worries-from paying monthly bills to saving for a child's college education to giving financial help to aging parents. Being unemployed or fearful of being laid off from work. Facing naggi...

Even the best behaved toddler has an occasional temper tantrum. A tantrum can range from whining and crying to screaming, kicking, hitting, and breath holding. They're equally common in boys and girls and usually occur from age 1 to age 3. Some children may experience regular tantrums, whereas for other children, tantrums may be rare. Some kids are more prone to throwing a temper tantrum than others. Toddlers are trying to master the world and when they aren't able to accomplish a task, they often use one of the only tools at their disposal for venting frustration - a tantrum. There are several basic causes of tantrums that are familiar to parents everywhere: The child is seeking attention or is tired, hungry, or uncomfortable. In addition, tantrums are often the result of children's frustration with the world. Frustration is an unavoidable part of kids' lives as they learn how people, objects, and their own bodies work. Tantrums are common during the second year o...

A couple nights ago Madalyn and I were sitting around playing Connect 4 . As I was out smarting her at every turn she calmly said, "Daddy, I don't have any friends at school and no one wants to play with me."  This coming from a Kindergartner!  She didn't look at me, her tone was soft, and I sensed the sadness.  My heart was breaking inside me and I did not know what to do or say.  How could this be?  What have I done wrong?  Haven't I shown her how to make friends?  The questions kept on popping into my head and I did not have the answers to any of them.  As we talked she started to change her story a bit and eventually had 2 - 3 friends... okay now I am feeling a little better.  I had to remember that she was at a completely new school and it would take time for her to get to the point she was at the previous daycare.  I still worry a bit but I think we are going to be okay.  I know she is going to have a lot of great friends, I...

As a parent, it's important for you to be involved in your child's education, and one way to do that is to help your child with homework. This may seem easier said than done...especially when your child would rather watch TV than do homework or if your child's math homework is too difficult for you to understand. However, helping your child with homework can teach him the most critical lesson of all—that learning is valuable and interesting and can be fun. What's the best way to help your child with her homework? You can encourage good study habits and model a positive attitude toward learning and problem solving for your child, even if you're not a whiz at history or science. Set a schedule. Help your child choose a regular time for doing homework every night. When choosing a time, think about your child's after-school activities, your family's dinnertime, the time of day that your child is most alert and ready to work, etc.1 Also, make sure your chil...

This year has been an expensive year on medical for Madalyn and I. She had to have a tube removed from her ear which required “surgery” which of course really wasn’t. Still once you pay for all parties involved for the 5 minute procedure it cost nearly $1,500 out of pocket. Then I broke my collar bone which cost several more hundred dollars. The straw that broke the camels back in this case was the fact that several weeks ago I went to the dentist and I recently found out that I overpaid. I called them and asked when they were going to generate me a reimbursement check and their response was that they don’t issue checks unless the client requests it. WELL THEN I AM REQUESTING IT! When I asked if this was ethical it didn't matter it was policy. I just get outraged that business’ will do anything to get their money from you but by chance you over paid they turn a blind eye to it and keep it. You know they see it on their screen, you know they balance their books, and now y...

Relationships of all kinds are often perceived as very delicate things, that require extra effort to maintain. However, a relationship can also be something that can provide security and can also be long lasting despite many trials. Building an effective and lasting relationships is a necessity for several reasons. For example in a group or organization, the well being of the people depends on how efficient and effective that group or organization works. The group or organization is also dependent on how the members work well with the management. An ineffective group or organization can really be very frustrating. An effective group or organization can also ask so much on their members, that sometimes the members would be having no life outside the walls of the area where they work or sacrifice the other aspects of their life just to meet deadlines. For an organization or group with this kind of scenario, relationships can be stressed or suffer from breakdown. People or other e...

Last week I was spent some time with a friend of mine whom is a dentist and we were discussing how children these days seem to see the dentist for the first time in the hospital. These are children, typically under the age of 5, that have not been taught to properly take care of their teeth. Of course their diet plays a large role in tooth decay as well. YOu can't let your kids sip on soda pop all day without problems. Your teeth are meant to last a lifetime! Tooth decay, or cavities, and periodontal disease, also known as gum disease, can be avoided or reduced by the daily removal of plaque. Plaque is made up of germs that live on your teeth all the time. It is important to remove this plaque daily to prevent these germs from making acid and other products that can cause cavities and harm your gums and the bone around your teeth. If you spend less than three minutes brushing your teeth, all the plaque is probably not being removed. Also, a toothbrush with worn-out bristles...