Guide the Conversation

Think about what you want to say. It's OK to practice in your head, to a mirror or with another adult. Some advanced planning may make the discussion easier. You won't have to think about it off the top of your head.

Find a quiet moment. Perhaps this is after dinner or while making the next day's lunch. This is a time and place where your children can be center of your attention.

Find out what they know. For example, there was a shooting at school or a bomb set off in…

For working parents, September signifies a shift in the structure of life. Vacations are coming to end, summer routines and activities are dwindling and children are going back to school (or starting college). Both employees and their managers can take steps to ensure that the stress of "back-to-school" time is managed in a way that minimizes stress and promotes work performance.

"Back to school" time can breed higher levels of stress, as parents grapple with a number of realities:

1.…

One in three children in the United States is overweight or obese, and childhood obesity has tripled in Canada. Mexico leads the world in this health care epidemic. Childhood obesity puts kids at risk for health problems like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Don't badger. Instead, start making healthy changes in your family to help your child. Habits come in fits and starts, so keep at it and you are more likely to develop values for positive health habits. Walk around…

Research shows between 12 percent and 32 percent of college freshmen and sophomores own fake IDs. Those with Greek membership have the highest use of fake IDs. A direct correlation exists between young adults with fake IDs and the likelihood of binge drinking and getting arrested. If you are a parent offering guidance to your student heading off to college, these tips on a firm discussion centered on disapproval may be helpful: 1) Read the sourced information below. Links to similar studies are…

Your life will happen one way or another, so it's a good idea to take charge of its direction, and a life plan is the way to do it. Thousands of books discuss how to create a life plan. No matter your age, the purpose of a life plan is to capitalize on opportunities and avoid regrets. A life plan can be written for a month at a time or drafted to incorporate many years. Life plans help you maximize and prioritize possibilities, and they separate the possible from the improbable. (You probably…

Are you facing the loss of a close relationship, deciding it's not time to let go and end the pain and conflict associated with it? You may want to consider counseling support for this journey. The challenge of ending an unhealthy or toxic relationship often includes a cycle of holding on, letting go, retrieval, and the hope of one last try, followed by an even bigger letdown. You may face grief-life reactions such as denial, anger, and depression before acceptance. Counseling can help you…

Getting kids back to school and on a new schedule can be a tug of war without a little preparation. Here are some tips that stand the test of time:

• For the nervous youngster facing a new school or grade, walk through the schedule one week before school begins, visit classrooms, and get a lay of the land to reduce anxiety.
• If the school offers a pre-start, back-to-school night, attend it.
• Beginning a week before the start of school, test sleeping routines by having everyone in the family…

Everyone procrastinates at times, but if another nail-biter of a deadline looms, and you swore never again, here are a few intervention ideas. First, realize that procrastination is a natural occurrence. Your brain is designed to avoid pain, and work registers in your brain as pain. You might initially motivate yourself with anticipated positive feelings of completing your project early, but your brain is more conditioned to appreciate rewards that are right here and now. Hence, you…

Lonely? Overcome loneliness by asking whether its cause is temporary or it's lingering too long. Taking action is the best path to overcoming loneliness -- don't dismiss getting a short-term assessment by a professional counselor (through your Employee Assistance Program) for guidance and tips and to rule out depression, especially if you feel lethargic about creating change. Loneliness has two parts: the negative state of mind it produces and the circumstances you identify as the cause…