Coach Bill / Dad, Entrepreneur Special Educator, American Political Scientist, Writer, Musician.

In today's society, it is my opinion that the cohesiveness, the unity of the traditional family is being threatened by outside competing interests. The family time together loses out routinely to members watching tv, socializing on the computer, talking on the phone, playing video games, overwork, partying, etc. Father figures who make great efforts to be present more often are needed. Boundaries and parameters need to be drawn by which children are shown right ways of living from wrong ways of living. It is always good to monitor the state of your connection to the family, if your a Father. Aside from being the traditional bread winner, how do you contribute to the family cohesiveness? Caring Fathers who work with mothers as a team are actively role modeling the very duties the children will hopefully one day do. Likewise, Fathers who make extra efforts to work issues and problems out in a way that is loving, caring, and not demeaning teach their kids the value of not ...

A strong family unit is essential in helping children, especially those with special needs, learn essential life skills. In a traditional two parent home, it is imperative that parents get rest and relaxation, yet this has become more of a luxury these days, especially in the fast-paced urban life. I believe that parents should look to ensure that they are able to decompress an unwind daily. This makes them better parents, which makes for a stronger family dynamic where the children get the best of their parents. Achieving this balance is not hard at all, and can be done, and needs to be done. Some ways parents can rest are by taking an epsom salt bath. Put two cups of the magnesium salt into a warm bath tub and soak for 20-25 minutes. Your muscles, bones, and joints will feel refreshed, the skin gets cleansed, and any kind of bodily inflammation is soothed. Last of all, it enhances mood.  Another self-regulation tool parents can make part of their weekly routine is to ...

How much time does your child sit in front of the television, or on the computer? What kind of shows do they watch? What kind of games does your child play on the computer? What kind of images do the children see on the video games? When the kids go to the movie theater, what are they being told is a cool way of living? How does that correlate with the values you try to instill? To take a page from 'Tiger Mom's' example, it matters greatly what our kids see and hear, and what they are exposed to. Maintaining family cohesiveness today requires alert parents. In a world were there are competing interests in gaining our children's attention, what do we allow to impact/ influence them? Likewise, what is most important in our lives will be evidenced by what we most focus on. We are role models. It is up to us parents, Educators, and the community to be the gatekeepers to the minds and hearts of our children. This is a tremendously hard task as children get older, yet setti...