With a soon-to-be 13 year old in the house, there have started to be some discussions about bedtimes.  On school nights, bedtime doesn’t tend to be an issue.  He is in bed at 8:30 but can read until 9:00, or later if he can’t sleep.  The 8-1/2 to 9 hours of sleep he receives seems to be enough, as he is ready to go in the morning, and he doesn’t mind this time.

However, the discussions have been based on weekend bedtimes.  With younger siblings, bedtimes are extended, and all are sent to bed at a later than school night bedtime. …

The ability to share does not come innately to every child. To some children the act of sharing can be a big challenge. Sharing is a very important skill that can be learned from parents. You can help your child learn to share by creating as many opportunities for him to learn to play with others successfully.

My three year old son’s playmates often come to our house to play with him. I learned that one way to help avoid having fights is to have enough toys for everyone. My wife also sets up play activities that don’t depend…

Observing other kids has helped me better understand the personality of my son. I have learned that little children have rather strong and pronounced personalities; it is not only my son, it is in almost every child. As a parent, the ability to read your child’s character is a must, you need it so that you can react in ways that would best suit your child’s personality.

There are at least three kinds of personalities I have observed in children. There are children who are flexible. They can adjust easily to changes and can keep fairly regular schedules. There are children…

The Doubly Good December Contest has ended after an extension due to a tie for the most commented article.  Without further ado, prizes were awarded to:

Gumer Liston for most commented article

• “Books, Pictures, Stories, and Your Child” on Your Parenting Info

Sharyn Essman of FeeFiFoto Blog for randomly chosen comment on

• “What Did You Say You Wanted?” on Go Shopping Info

Congratulations to both!…

As most of you who are parents of college students know, it’s that time of year–FAFSA time. It is one of the most enjoyable times of the year; a time when you get to fill out tedious amounts of online paperwork, look over those taxes from the previous year (numbers that many of you probably never want to see) and actually start thinking about this year’s income and taxes. Well, maybe that’s a good thing–this will force you to start more than a few days before April 15th.

For those of you who do not know what this dreadful five letter…