Take a close look at your child’s class picture. If there’s 25 cute, smiling faces in that group, statistically about seven of those kids are being raised by single parents. Maybe more depending on where you live.

Of the 30-40 million homes in the United States with children under the age of 18, about 30% of them are led by single parents. Mostly moms. But the population of single dads raising kids alone is rising.

That makes for a lot of kids being raised by single parents.

And according to the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia, those children born or raised outside of marriage are more likely to suffer from a range of emotional and social problems – including drug use, depression, attempted suicide and dropping out of high school – compared to children in intact, married families.

“We still find that happy marriage has some benefits,” says UVa psychology professor Robert Emery in a recent article in The Daily Progress. “But the ‘happy’ part is important. Children raised in relatively happy, well-functioning single-parent families will do better than children with unhappily married parents.”

As a single parent raising three kids myself, that’s good to hear.

So how do us single parents make sure we’re running a “relatively happy, well-functioning” family?

Dr. Wendy Rice of Rice Psychology Group in the Tampa Bay area offered these five tips:  

1. Be aware that you are under a lot of stress and be careful to support yourself. Think of the analogy of putting on an oxygen mask on an airplane. You have to put on your own before you can help someone else, even your child. Taking care of yourself will help you to be a better single parent. Every method we use to combat our stress is technically a coping mechanism; however, some are adaptive or good while others are maladaptive or bad. Stress prevention strategies include having a regular daily routine for predictability, finding ways in your day to get up and move and be active, and simplifying necessary activities such as making lunches the night before a busy school morning.

2. Say what you mean and mean what you say. When you’re a single parent, if you don’t follow through on your word, your child will quickly learn to push for you to give in. And you can’t afford that when you don’t have someone to partner with you on a regular basis on parenting responsibilities. Set clear rules and expectations and be careful to enforce them.

3. Teach your children independence and responsibility. Your child should understand that your family is a team by designating age-appropriate responsibilities such as cleaning up their toys, pick out their own clothes, and clean their room.

4. Seek help! Maintain a social support network so that you have a few caring adults in you and your child’s life that you can call on when you need help with childcare or unexpected situations. Offer to trade with neighbors or your child’s friend’s parents for babysitting and childcare.

5. Share information with teachers and caregivers. You need these people to be familiar with your family situation so that they can be ready to handle it in a sensitive manner. Make sure your children’s teachers and coaches know important facts, particularly if a parent has passed.

This show is packed with valuable information. I hope you'll stick around!

References from this Podcast:

Dr. Rice's website

Today’s show is sure to do two things: Make you laugh. And make you think about laughing!

We’re talking about the importance of laughing with Dr. Anthony DeBenedet, author of The Art of Roughhousing.

Current research confirms that there are numerous health benefits attributed to laughing including lower blood pressure, increased tolerance to pain and – most importantly – a reduction in stress. As parents, a better understanding of the value of laughing – for ourselves and with our children – can be one more tool to living a happy, healthier life.

Children laugh a lot. About 300 to 400 times a day! The average adult laughs about 20 times a day! We’ll talk about the causes and implications of that dramatic reduction over a typical life. We’ll also discuss:

So stick around. This promises to be a fun time!

References from this Podcast:

Dr. DeBenedet's website

Here’s a show for all us parents who go bonkers with kids who fight, bicker, argue, and cause constant chaos within our family unit.

We’re joined by Dr. Eileen Kennedy-Moore, a psychologist, speaker and mom of four! In today’s show, Dr. Kennedy-Moore shares some of the wisdom found in her award-winning (and fun!) book, What About Me? 12 Ways to Get Your Parents Attention Without Hitting Your Sister.

You’ll walk away from today’s show with an abundance of practical knowledge that will help you navigate your role as mom, dad (coach and referee!) including:

So tell the kids to quite down. Here’s 30 minutes of wisdom just for you.

References from this Podcast:

Dr. Eileen Kennedy-Moore’s website

Dr. Kennedy-Moore’s book

More resources regarding kids who fight

This show will make you think about how you parent.

Lenore Skenazy became a media sensation a few years ago when she published a column describing how she allowed her nine-year old child to ride the New York subway system. Alone. Overnight she became a topic of discussion on television shows, radio call-ins, and parent play groups everywhere. Some viewed her as the World’s Worst Mom. Others viewed her as simply parenting with practical wisdom.  And, thus, Lenore’s “Free-Range Kids” platform was born.

Join in the conversation today as Lenore shares thoughts on what exactly it means to raise “Free-range” kids. She shares insights about just how safe kids really are today (a lot safer than kids were when we were all growing up!), why failure is a good thing, and why it’s critically important for a child to experience their own world without Mom or Dad constantly hovering over them.  Lenore Skenazy and host Jim Higley ask:  How were you brought up?  What kind of supervision did you have?  (What about your parents before you?)  How does your own upbringing differ from that of your children or your parents?

“If we only think of childhood in terms of risk, we’re only thinking about half of the equation, ” explains Skenazy. “You have to think in terms of risk/benefit.” She further shares compelling wisdom about what a child actually loses when a parent places rigid boundaries around their world.  Have you been placing these detrimental types of boundaries on your child?

“Our children are safer and more competent than pop culture wants us to believe,” says Lenore Skenazy.  Are you afraid of your child being abducted?  Of their grades falling behind?  Of them failing in every conceivable way without your constant guidance?  Listen in and hear what Lenore has to say. Even if you don’t agree with everything she has to say, her perspective on parenting will get you thinking!

References from this Podcast:

Free-Range Kids Website

Mike Adamick wants you to have some fun with your kids.

Because fun - and connecting with your kids - is awesome!

Mike stops by Bobblehead Dad Parenting today to talk about his new book, "Dad's Book of Awesome Science Experiments," a collection of 30 fun experients you can do with your kids using inexpensive supplies. 

Why science experiments?

There's real benefits to helping your kids explore the world around them - which Mike breaks into five areas including chemistry, biology, physics, planet earth and the human body. He also offers easy-to-understand explanations for how things work and  what's important to know.

But perhaps more than anything, he reminds us all of the importance of letting kids get their hands dirty, dig into things and - yes - screw up and try again.

Stick around. Science has never been so insightful.

References from this Podcast:

Mike's Website

Mike's Book

Fact: 1% of kids in our country save money.

Now that we’ve let that statistic settle in, I’m happy to tell you that there’s hope for all of us who struggle with effective ways to teach our kids about money. As with most things involving kids and lessons, it starts when they are young. And today, we’re going to give parents some terrific advice for helping children have healthy understandings about savings, spending, and charity.

We’re joined by Bill Dwight, founder of FamZoo - an online virtual bank that helps parents teach kids about good personal finance. Bill’s a dad of five kids and, like me, has had plenty of successes and failures when it comes to teaching lessons to kids.

We’ll explore a number of topics that will help all parents develop plans that are best for their family:

• Allowances? The pros and cons.• Paying for chores?• Is it more important to understand “real” money or electronic money• The importance of constraints as it pertains to financial issues• Teaching kids about charity

This is a fun show. You’ll learn a lot. And the real winners will be your kids who will benefit from your insight into teaching them about personal money management!

References from this Podcast:

FamZoo website

Author Whit Honea has something to share with you. He wants you to stop and think about the way you communicate with your kids. The way you teach them about the world and each other. Bottom line, he wants to remind you about the importance of raising kids who understand human connection -  and empathy. 

Whit joins me today to talk about his new book, The Parents' Phrase Book, a sometimes humorous, often-times touching book of essays covering a variety of situations every parent will find themselves in during the course of a lifetime. 

Whit calls it a collection of situations and phrases. I call it a book that will make you think about the potential value of everyday life situations.

You'll like Whit. You'll like his voice and approach. And you'll like his good old-fashioned wisdom.

I hope you join in! 

References from this Podcast:

Whit's website

Whit's book

Did you know that 160,000 kids skip school every day for fear of being a victim of bullying? Did you know that bullying has three players? And did you know that your child will likely play one of those three roles sometime in the course of their youth?

Today, we're joing by an international exper on the subject of bullying, Dr. Michele Borba. Dr. Borba is a widely recognized author, speaker and educator on the subject of bullying and shares with us numberous valuable tips including:

All these topics and so much more! So stick around!

References from this Podcast:

Michele Borba's website.

Success in high school starts years earlier - so this is a show for parents with kids of all ages.

Kids often tell their parent that life is so much more stressful today than in the past. And  you know what? There's some truth to their feelings! The reality is that kids today have different stresses. And the stakes that are involved are much, much highter.

In today’s show, we explore the world of today’s high school teenager with “Dr. G” – Dr. Deborah Gilboa, a board certified family physician, mom of four and professional parenting speaker.

Dr. G. helps us understand some of the critical roles parents still need to be providing children during the high school years. She talks about how many parents feel of loss of “empowerment” and what can be done about it! She provides practical advice on giving children more privileges as they take on obligations and demonstrate maturity.

And most importantly, she talks about the importance of communication and respect during the high school years – and why it’s so much easier to have strong communication when parents build respectful communication with their children when they are younger.

This show is full of great, practical advice for parents of kids from tots to tweens.

Join in. Class is in session!

References from this Podcast:

Deborah Gilboa's Website

Today we're talking with Jeff Bogle, dad of two daughters and one of the best writers (Out With the Kids) out there. 

In a recent story in Huffington Post celebrating Jeff's oldest daughter's 10th birthday, Jeff shared his sentiments about what it means to him to be a dad:

"We like to think of ourselves, us parents, as the sculptors, but really, it's our children who are molding us, accentuating our strengths and forcing us to reckon with our shortcomings. If we are open to the experience, we will become better people as we parent. This is exactly the gift my first daughter gave, and continues to give, to me..."  

As a dad of a daughter myself, I invited Jeff stop by and get some "raising a daughter" talk going - so today we're covering a lot of ground:

Stick around, you're going to like this show. 

References from this Podcast:

Jeff Bogle's Website

Jeff's story in Huffington Post regarding his daughter turning 10

Jeff's Facebook Page

The book, William's Doll

Jim's story about his daughter - "Gasp!"

Jeff's thoughts on #BanBossy

Tiffany Reese's Response letter to Matt Walsh re: My Little Pny

The book, William's Doll

Good Men Project: "Rules for Dads Raising Daughters"

Story in www.joekelly.org about dads having a stronger decrease in Gender Sterotyping

Purity Balls