Parenting Archives - The Art of Better

5 Ways to do Back to School for Less

by jenn | Aug 19, 2016 | Parenting | 4 |

Summer is coming to an end. Sad but true. It’s time for most parents to start thinking about...

The Most Genius Way to Keep Kids Outside This Summer

by jenn | Jul 18, 2016 | Family, Parenting | 2 |

Don’t we all want to keep kids outside as much as possible? I mean, why not? Sunlight, dirt, exercise, self-reliance… it’s all so good for them. Well, if you family is anything like ours, it can be a daily struggle to keep the kidlet off the screens in the summer or over the weekends.

Cell Phone Rules for Kids That Keep Them Out of Trouble

by jenn | Jul 12, 2016 | Family, Parenting | 0 |

Cell phone rules for kids are essential to their safety & wellbeing. If you’ve spent any length of time around a kid between the ages of about 8 – 17, you know as well as I do that they are practically attached to their phone (or iPod) 24 hours a day.

Look Closer: The Sneaky Warning Signs of OTC Medicine Abuse

by jenn | May 31, 2016 | Family, Health, Parenting | 0 |

Teen OTC medicine abuse is something all parents hope to never have to contend with but it’s better to have the information & not have to use it than to be caught unaware. An expert helps us navigate the sneaky warning signs.

Wouldn’t It Be Nice to Have a Doctor in Your Back Pocket?

by jenn | May 5, 2016 | Health, Parenting | 2 |

Well, I’ve found a way to achieve that, and I wanted to share it with you! First, the backstory. I woke up last week with an angry red lump on the underside of my upper arm. It got progressively larger over the next few days, and it hurt.

Why Trying to Build Your Kid’s Self-Esteem is a Waste of Time

by jenn | Feb 5, 2016 | Family, Parenting | 1 |

As parents, we want to believe that we are all-powerful when it comes to shaping our children. Although that is true in many aspects, a parent cannot build their child’s self-esteem in a real way.

5 Easy Ways to Connect with Your Kid on a School Break

by jenn | Nov 23, 2015 | Family, Parenting | 0 |

As the holidays approach, parents are thinking about their kid’s upcoming week long breaks from school and many are panicking. What do you do with a kid when they’re off for an entire week or more? There are the usual things like playing with friends, movies, etc… but wouldn’t it be nice to actually connect with your kid?

How To Respond When Your Tween Tests Boundaries

by jenn | Nov 6, 2015 | Family, Parenting | 11 |

Pre-teens, or “tweens” as my twelve year old prefers, seem to only exist to test us. Test our patience, test our commitment, test our sanity. Use these 3 easy tips to learn how to respond when your tween tests boundaries.

6 Ways To Redefine Your Parenting As Your Kid Enters Middle School

by jenn | Aug 14, 2015 | Family, Parenting | 3 |

Middle school is where your child needs to start learning responsibility and independence if they haven’t already. Middle school is a testing ground and trial run for high school. Kids will never go through the natural process of learning to be self-reliant if mom and dad keep treating them like they did in grade school.