Posts by Alice Heinzen
Connect as a Family
In 2003, the Institute for American Families published a report called Hardwired to Connect. This study was filed by the Commission on Children at Risk – a team of 33 medical doctors, research scientists and mental health and youth services professionals. The group concluded that the rising rate of mental problems and emotional distress among…
Read MoreThe Dimensions of Maturity
I’m sure that you know that your child’s physical development and their level of maturity are not on the same track. Just because children grow physically does not guarantee that they are becoming more mature. Your child is an integration of a body and soul. Because the soul animates the physical body, you need to…
Read MoreSeven Facts About Adolescence & Seven Strategies
The demeanor of almost every youth going through puberty often appears to border on schizophrenia. One moment they are rational and calm – the next they are unreasonable and emotional. One day there are compliant and able to listen. The next they are lost in a space of their own. One week they want you…
Read MoreThe Stair-Step Approach to Human Sexuality Education
Did you learn the facts of life from your parents or did you learn them from someone outside of the home? If you are like most parents, you probably learned most of what you know from someone other than your parents. Your information may have come from a class or from something you read about…
Read MoreSharing Concern: Using “I” Messages
When you are concerned about a behavior, it is important to use a method of communication that attacks the behavior in question and not the dignity or self worth of the other. Parents can share their concerns positively as well as work towards a solution using this simple six-step process. Here is an overview of…
Read MoreUnderstanding the Media
Media has both an upside and a downside. Understanding these five facts about media is the first place to start. Media Fact 1: All media educate Children learn about the world and how to behave in it from their every experience – including their experience of media. Today’s media provide powerful messages that influence large…
Read MoreHelpful Media Practices
There are three critical elements to which parents must attend when it comes to media; Time limits Content (what is being used) Context (how it is being used) How to Set Time Limits The American Academy of Pediatricians recommend that children under the age of two have NO screen time at all. Children over two…
Read MoreGeneral Tips for Parents and Guardians to Help Keep Children Safe
While many parents and guardians feel they are faced with new and unprecedented challenges when trying to keep their children safe in today’s fast-paced and increasingly global society, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children ® offers these common sense, general safety tips to help families put these challenges into perspective. Make sure you…
Read MoreA Gift to You Courtesy of Covid-19
The January 2020 TWL newsletter challenged families to do a gut check on what they value. Three questions were given to help readers determine what they deem important and necessary. When the article was posted, none of us knew how quickly life would be changed by the pandemic. No one saw the turmoil, anxiety and…
Read MoreWith God’s Help, Face and Resolve Conflict Just like Mary, Joseph and Jesus Did
The Holy Family is the model of holy family life. God created marriage and family life to be a “school of love” that teaches its members how to give themselves to each other in The Holy Family is the model of holy family life. God created marriage and family life to be a “school of…
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