Involving your child in decisions can be a powerful way to develop her independence and self-confidence, because it shows her that you—an adult—value her opinion. The following principles should help you maximize your opportunities to let your child help in decision-making.

If your child learns to set goals early in life, he will develop those skills into habits that help him accomplish everything he sets out to do. The key to helping your child learn those skills is to balance his dreams with your wisdom, as the following steps illustrate.

Depending on the way you were raised and on your parenting style, talking about sex with your child can be a very uncomfortable situation. However, the more you talk about it with your child, the more approachable the subject will be, and you will avoid having one big, daunting “sex talk” with your child when she reaches puberty.

Some people are of the opinion that having a father figure is not vital to a child’s social and emotional development.Yet the reality is that every child feels a hole in their heart where the father’s love should be.

Your role in your child’s life can be summed up by whether you’re a father or a daddy. The difference between the two is in the intimacy you share with your child. When is the last time you went to your child’s school event, recital, or sports game?