Here we have archived all of our popular Parent Newsletters for parents to read and refer to as needed. Monthly Newsletters will cover topics for all ages of children and teens and includes a variety of useful parenting information-parenting tips, discipline techniques, as well as information about upcoming parenting classes offered at Tender Hearts!
If you’re not on our Parent Newsletter list already, just complete the box below and you will be added to our list!
May 2014
Summer is fast approaching and while your children are overjoyed at the prospect of unrestricted time, there is probably a part of you that cringes at the idea. What on earth are you going to do for 3 months to keep your children entertained?!? The maternal and paternal instinct in us desires strongly to keep our children safe, but as Donald Simpson writes in this edition, being an overprotected kid just might do our children more harm than good…
Read the May 2014 Tender Hearts Parent Newsletter.
April 2014
Are you ready?
Spring is finally here! Time to get outside and breathe some fresh air!
But with the coming of Spring, Southeast Missouri also welcomes back severe storms.
So, is your family ready? If you don’t already have an emergency plan in place for your family, then there is no better time to make one than now. Paula Johnston has written an excellent article with suggestions on how to create a family emergency plan and includes the basic elements necessary to have an effective plan in place.
Read the April 2014 Tender Hearts Parent Newsletter.
March 2014
Could it be ADHD?
Everyone has probably been there at one point or another. You come home from a hard day at work. You’re tired. You still have dinner to cook, homework to help with, and laundry to do.
Then your kids burst through the door—jumping on the furniture, shouting at each other, throwing their bags on the floor. You try to get them to sit down to do their homework. They can’t focus. They quickly lose attention. You want to pull your hair out—fighting with them to complete even the simplest of assignments. You secretly curse the teacher for sending home so much homework. You wonder, is this normal? Do my children have ADHD?
Read more by clicking the image below…
February 2014
We know how hard it is to be a parent. And scary. You send your child out to school, out to social activities—out into the world—and know that there are all sorts of people and media influencing your child beyond your control. It’s just plain scary.
The BEST WAY to reduce this “scariness” of the world is EDUCATION!
Read more by clicking the image below…
January 2014
Well, you made it through another holiday season! Were the holidays everything you dreamed they would be? Did you find peace and prosperity this year?
Maybe you didn’t. . .
Maybe you were really excited about the gifts you selected for your children. You read reviews, you picked out the perfect gifts from their lists, you just KNEW your kids would be overjoyed—and then you heard, “I wanted this one in blue, not red”—“This wasn’t as big as I thought it would be”—“Riley got the Deluxe Edition”
Read more by clicking the image below…
December 2013
This issue is packed with great “end of the year” information. If your child is worried about end of the semester finals, check out Melissa’s article on page 5 about Anxiety in Children and Adolescents.
Want more family connectedness this holiday season? Check out Paula’s article with tips on creating family traditions. Paula gives great suggestions for family traditions as well as strategies to make your traditions more successful for years to come.
November 2013
Our first Parenting the Defiant Child Workshop was a huge success! Thank you to all who attended. If you didn’t get the chance to attend, check out the Tender Hearts Happenings section for information regarding our upcoming “Parenting the Defiant Child Webinar Series.”
This month features an article about the true meaning of Thanksgiving. Teri Kluesner writes about how to use the true meaning of Thanksgiving as a means to create thankfulness in your children all year long. In addition to being thankful this month, we’ve included an article about teaching feelings identification. Check out Jody’s article on page 6 to learn why it is important to teach feeling words to your children. To read the November issue of our Monthly Newsletter, just click the image below!
October 2013
In this issue of the Tender Hearts Monthly Newsletter you will find more fun, family friendly events during the month of October, along with two more Feature Articles by two of our staff. Nicole Siman, Practicum Student, has written a great article on Halloween Safety and Donald Simpson, PLPC wrote an educational article about what children need when a parent has a terminal illness. To read the October issue of our Monthly Newsletter, just click the image below!
September 2013
We are excited to roll out the new format for our Tender Hearts Monthly Newsletter! In this issue you will find Feature Articles about Self-Injury and “Power Struggles,” as well as our regular monthly columns Stronger Families Campaign, Tender Hearts Happenings & Family Friendly Events in the area. To read the September issue of our Monthly Newsletter, just click the image below!
July 2013
Improve Your Child’s Social Skills: Play Games!
Do you have a child who has a social skills deficit? Or do you simply want to encourage better social skills with your child? Children with poor social skills often need help in the areas of eye contact, reading other’s emotions, and staying on topic. Eye Contact is a very important social skill because it lets other people know that we are interested in what they have to say. Likewise, it’s important for children to be able to read the emotions of others. Not being able to do so can cause relationship problems with peers. Finally, helping your child learn to stay on topic during a conversation can greatly improve their social skills…
March 2013
Messy Morning Contest
Tender Hearts is a proud sponsor of Messy Morning 2013! We want to encourage as many families as possible to take advantage of this great FREE event in our community. Messy Morning is Saturday, April 6, 2013 from 10am to 1pm at the Show Me Center. We’re going to be making puppets out of brown paper bags. Other activities include face painting, slime play, bubble art, hand and foot print painting, and so much more. Send us a picture of your kids’ creations from Messy Morning and be entered to win a $25 Toys R Us Gift Card.
Click here for full contest rules!
Little Kids, Big Fears: Dealing with Toddler Fears
Fear is fairly common among toddlers. However, as parents, it’s important to know how to properly handle toddler fears so that they don’t become phobias as the child grows older. In order to most effectively deal with toddler fears, it’s important to understand why toddlers develop fears. The toddler years are ones of great change…
February 2013
Allowances: Strategies for a Successful System
Parents often have concerns about offering allowances to their children. On one hand, allowances allow children the opportunity to learn about money management and learn the concept that our individual labor is worth money. On the other hand, it is perfectly reasonable for parents to believe that children should help out with basic household chores as they are members of the family and the family unit needs to work together to accomplish the household tasks…
January 2013
Snowman Family Contest
This month, it’s time to play in the snow! After the next snow storm, create a Snowman Family with your children. Instead of making the standard Snowman, create a Snowman to representeach member of the family. Dress your Snow Family in items that represent each member. Send us a picture of your Snow Family to be entered to win a $25 Toys R Us Gift Card…
Click here for full contest rules!
Teaching Children Financial Responsibility
Time for a “teachable moment”: Financial responsibility. While the debate in Washington continues and the news media throws out the phrase “fiscal cliff” every chance it gets, now is a perfect time to talk to your children about financial responsibility…
October 2012
Leaf Collection Contest
It’s time to get outside and enjoy the Fall weather! Tender Hearts is having a Leaf Collection Contest! Take a stroll through the woods and discover how many different colors of leaves you and your children can find. Collect the coolest ones and send us a picture of your leaf collection and you’ll be entered to win a $25 Toys R Us Gift Card…
Click here for full contest rules!
Bullying: Tips for Parents
We see it in the news all the time, children who take drastic measures because they have been bullied. So what can parents do if they suspect their child is being bullied? The following are practical tips and strategies for parents…
September 2012
Pumpkin Carving Contest
It’s time for the next contest in Tender Hearts’ Stronger Families Campaign! Each month, we will be promoting a different contest that encourages parents and kids to participate in an exciting activity together! We are thrilled to announce the theme of the newest contest- a Pumpkin Carving Contest! With your kids, carve a Pumpkin Family. Have each member of the family carve his/her own pumpkin. Send us a picture of your Pumpkin Family to be entered to win a $25 Toys R Us Gift Card…
Click here for full contest rules!
School Year Afternoon Routines
Now that we’re back in school, it’s probably time to make adjustments to those afternoon and evening routines. Since most families are super busy with after-school activities, it’s easy to get out of daily routines. However, children need routines to feel safe and secure in their environments, and, regardless of how many after-school activities your child participates in, there is one thing that every child needs to have in his or her after-school/evening routine: homework..
August 2012
SEMO District Fair Scavenger Hunt Contest
It’s time for the next contest in Tender Hearts’ Stronger Families Campaign! Each month, we will be promoting a different contest that encourages parents and kids to participate in an exciting activity together! We are excited to announce the theme of the newest contest- the SEMO District Fair Contest! Send your answers to the questions below and be entered to win a $25 Toys R Us Gift Card.
Click here for full contest rules!
School Year Morning Routines
And so we begin another school year. For some of you this may be the first time you’re getting your little one off to school. For others, this may be the last “first day of school” in your household. Many of you are probably somewhere in the middle of these two big events. At any stage of your child’s school years, the morning routine is very important. This article is going to give you some practical suggestions for starting everyone’s school day a little smoother. . .
July 2012
Make Your Own Band Contest
As we announced in our May newsletter, Tender Hearts is now sponsoring our Stronger Families Campaign. Each month, we will be promoting a different contest that encourages parents and kids to participate in an exciting, creative activity together! We are excited to announce the theme of the newest contest- a Make Your Own Band Contest! Listed below are some creative ideas for creating musical instruments from household items. Create some instruments with your children, and get jammin’! Send us a picture of your musical instruments and be entered to win a $25 Toys R Us Gift Card…
Click here for full contest rules!
Handling Tantrums in Public Places
With summer in full swing and children out of school, parents often find themselves out and about trying to keep their kids busy. And the more children are in public, the greater the chance of them having a tantrum with an audience of onlookers. While tantrums at home are surely no fun, a tantrum in a public place is often far worse. What can a parent do to deal with the dreaded tantrum at the grocery store or after sitting down for a meal at their favorite restaurant?…
June 2012
Side Walk Chalk Mural Contest
As we announced in our last newsletter, Tender Hearts is now sponsoring our Stronger Families Campaign. Each month, we will be promoting a different contest that encourages parents and kids to participate in an exciting, creative activity together! We are excited to announce the theme of the newest contest- a Side Walk Chalk Mural Contest! Create a Side Walk Chalk Mural with your kids and send us a picture to be entered to win a $25 Toys R Us Gift Card…
Click here for full contest rules!
Children and Video Games
Parents often have questions and concerns regarding children and video games-especially graphic or violent video games. While some video games certainly have educational content, many revolve around negative aspects of society such as killing people or animals, disrespect for authority and the law, criminal behavior, sexual exploitation of women, and obscenities. There is growing research regarding the effects of violent video games on children…
May 2012
Nature Scavenger Hunt Contest
Now that summer is upon us, it’s time to start coming up with creative ideas to spend quality time with your kids. Tender Hearts is having a Nature Scavenger Hunt Contest! Here is a list of 10 things for you and your child to find outside. Collect these items and create a display with them. Send us a picture of your display and you’ll be entered to win a $25 Toys R Us Gift Card…
Click here for full contest rules!
The Benefits of a Summer Routine
While the summer break is generally an enjoyable time for kids, parents often struggle with activities to keep daily schedules full and prevent boredom.
For nine months of the year, children are accustomed to daily routines-wake up and get ready for school in the morning, a structured day at school, ball practice in the evening, homework time, and so on. But in the summer things change. Pretty soon parents find themselves struggling with things to do to entertain their kids in an attempt to avoid the all too familiar sibling conflicts and defiance that all parents are familiar with…
April 2012
Using Puppets to Interact with Your Children
Puppets are a great way to interact with your children. Puppets can be used in a variety of ways in order to get your children to communicate with you or to learn or practice a new skill. Listed below are some ways to use puppets creatively while interacting with your children…
Helping Your Child Cope with Disappointment
Another of the many jobs parents have is to help their children learn from their mistakes and positively handle disappointments.Children need to learn that mistakes are not bad.Of course, parents must differentiate between mistakes that can be used as learning opportunities and those that could be harmful or dangerous for the child in some way… Click here to read more
March 2012
Strategies to Build a Stronger Family
With so many parents working full time jobs outside of the home and kid’s busy schedules, it’s easy to forget to set aside “family time.” But our families are just like anything else in life. You have to work to make them stronger. Here are some pointers for parents who want to make their family stronger… Click here to read more
Simple Tips for Parents of Children with ADHD
Have a child with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)? Aside from the recommended path of counseling and/or medication, there are some simple things that parents can do at home that can also help improve the child’s attention span if done regularly and consistently over a period of time. Here are a few quick ideas to interact with your child while also helping him or her develop a longer attention span!… Click here to read more
February 2012
Expressing Love to Your Child
With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, love is in the air! While most adults may have a good understanding of the abstract concept of love, children often need more than words to help them understand what it means. Simply saying, “I love you” often isn’t enough for many children, especially since their brains cannot process such abstract concepts. Rather, children understand messages of love through actions… Click here to read more
The “Secret Weapon” of Effective Discipline
What is the number one most important point to remember when disciplining your child? Frustrated parents are often searching for a “secret weapon” or some new parenting strategy that will work like magic and turn a defiant, unruly child into a well-mannered little angel overnight.
Guess what? There is no “secret weapon” or new revolutionary parenting program that works like magic to erase your child’s behavior problems instantly. But there is one very important point to remember if you want any discipline strategy to work… Click here to read more
Effective Communication with Your Teenager
The teenage years are often a rough period for both parents and teens. Parents often get the feeling that no matter what they say, their teenager is not listening or doesn’t care what mom or dad has to say to begin with. From the teen’s perspective, mom and dad are being too overbearing or trying to pry into their personal business and they (mom or dad) just “don’t get it.”
So, how can a parent work on improving open communication with their teenager… Click here to read more
