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Lisa C. Smith's picture

Sending your child off to college: Preparation for their first year

Lisa C. Smith
Professor
Mary Jo Rapini's picture

Make your divorce easier on kids by divorcing only your spouse

Mary Jo Rapini LPC
Licensed Professional Counselor
Roger Landry's picture

How to help and support your aging parents as they grow older

Dr. Roger Landry
MD, MPH
John DeGarmo's picture

Successfully age out of foster care and begin life on your own

Dr. John DeGarmo
Leading expert in the foster care system
John DeGarmo's picture

Be a foster parent and have a great marriage

Dr. John DeGarmo
Leading expert in the foster care system
John DeGarmo's picture

Don’t let being a foster parent strain or ruin your marriage

Dr. John DeGarmo
Leading expert in the foster care system
Lori Barkus's picture

Figuring out extracurricular activities and costs with your ex

Lori Barkus
Family Law Attorney
John DeGarmo's picture

Create a great relationship with your foster child’s caseworker

Dr. John DeGarmo
Leading expert in the foster care system
Craig Bryan's picture

How can I support a service member or veteran with PTSD?

Craig J. Bryan, PsyD, ABPP
Executive Director, National Center for Veterans Studies Assistant Professor, The University of Utah
John DeGarmo's picture

How can foster parents and birth parents successfully co-parent?

Dr. John DeGarmo
Leading expert in the foster care system
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Family and Parenting

Let’s face it—parenting is the most difficult job you’ll ever have. Not only is it 24/7, but it seems to have a never-ending learning curve with no clear-cut answers. While there’s no guidebook for parenting, there is ExpertBeacon. Our experts—pediatricians, social workers, family therapists and specialists—offer advice on every stage of family life from pregnancy to grandparenting. We provide tips, answers and support to keep you informed and prepared as you navigate raising your babies, toddlers, adolescents, teens and young adults.

Adoption and Foster Care »

Successfully age out of foster care and begin life on your own
John DeGarmo

Each year, between 20,000 to 25,000 foster children age out of the system and attempt to begin life on their own. For many foster...

Be a foster parent and have a great marriage
John DeGarmo

Marriage can be tough. Every marriage is going to experience challenges from time to time. It is only normal. Foster parenting can...

Don’t let being a foster parent strain or ruin your marriage
John DeGarmo

 Marriage can be tough. Every marriage is going to experience challenges from time to time. It is only normal. Foster parenting can...

Create a great relationship with your foster child’s caseworker
John DeGarmo

In order to be a truly successful foster parent, you will need to work closely with your foster child’s caseworker and your child...

More...

Parenting Skills and Advice »

Help children develop their talents and creativity via play
Dona Matthews

Over the past few decades, there has been a rise in the number of children experiencing social, emotional and attentional problems...

Advice for preventing loneliness and isolation after having a baby
Julia Kristina Mah

Parenting is the most challenging, as well as the most rewarding, job. And nothing can prepare you for becoming a first-time parent...

Expert advice for explaining learning differences to your children
Jim Forgan

Did you just learn your child has reading, writing or attention difficulties? Because young kids enjoy being read to--and relate...

Manage the balance between technology and activity for children
Cris Rowan

Children now spend an average of 7.5 hours per day plugged into some form of technology. While technology holds promise, there are...

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Caring for Aging Parents »

How to help and support your aging parents as they grow older
Roger Landry

We want what’s best for our parents, in the same way that they have always looked out for our best interests. As our parents age,...

Helping family members work out conlfict when caring for aging parents
Kurt Kazanowski

Our parents took care of us when we were younger, but now unfortunately our parents may need us to take care of them in their...

Safety and home healthcare tips for elderly parents in the winter
Craig Hood

Caregivers face a number of challenges. They must juggle their time, balance a number of responsibilities, deal with extra costs,...

Keep your aging parent active and happy by encouraging bowling
Tom Winkel

Bowling can be a whole-family sport with benefits for young kids and teenagers as well. For seniors particularly, bowling is good...

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Raising Kids with Special Needs »

Using service dogs to help kids with autism spectrum disorder
Melissa Yetter

Children with disabilities present a unique challenge to parents. And kids with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) present even more...

Beyond scratchy tags: Managing kid’s sensory processing differences
Nancy Peske

Kids and teens with clothing sensitivities due to autism and/or sensory processing differences often struggle to tolerate different...

Help parents target childhood stuttering through early identification
Brooke Leiman

There are more than 3 million people in the United States who stutter. Pediatricians and teachers are often the first professionals...

Students with disabilities must prep for a transition to college
Elizabeth Hamblet

Students with disabilities and their parents may wonder whether the special education services students utilize in high school will...

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Caring for Teens and Adults with Disabilities »

How can young adults on the autism spectrum find employment?
Ernst VanBergeijk

The unemployment numbers for individuals on the autism spectrum are frightening. At best, some reports indicate that the...

How can parents help youth with special needs to become adults?
Jonah Berger

There comes a time in the path of raising a child when parents must consider letting go. This is a process every parent goes...

Explore postsecondary options for students with learning differences
Kelly Imperial

Many parents become anxious when students begin considering next steps after high school. For parents of students with learning...

Person-directed planning can empower individuals with autism
Ve Duong

For individuals living with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), making choices in day-to-day activities and life, such as where to live...

More...

Military Families »

How can I support a service member or veteran with PTSD?
Craig Bryan

Rates of posttraumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, have increased among military personnel and veterans over the past decade....

How can veterans help other veterans transition back into society?
Robert Dingman

Veterans are members of a specific subcultural group. Like other groups, veterans report greater comfort speaking with others whom...

How can military families cope with the deployment of loved ones?
Robert Dingman

When we hear the word “deployment,” we think of the military servicemen and servicewomen bravely fighting overseas. We imagine...

How can I support a service member or veteran at risk for suicide?
Craig Bryan

Over the past decade, increased attention has focused on the mental health needs of military personnel and veterans, to include...

More...

Families in Divorce »

Make your divorce easier on kids by divorcing only your spouse
Mary Jo Rapini

Getting a divorce is traumatic and nowhere do we see the effects of a divorce more than the children. The family is the life center...

Figuring out extracurricular activities and costs with your ex
Lori Barkus

Learning how to co-parent with someone similar to your parenting style can be challenging just as it is. But it may seem impossible...

Keep divorce from ruining the children’s (and parent's) holidays
Brad M. Micklin

Divorce is difficult and around the holidays, it seems particularly complicated. Think about it, the holidays are tough even for...

Ensure a happy and healthy future for kids by divorcing with dignity
Robin Siebold

For conscientious parents who are facing divorce, one of the first questions they ask is how do we tell our children and how should...

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Raising Kids »

Newborn sleep: How to get it
Eileen Henry

It is hard to know what is normal sleep for a newborn and what is simply asking too much. If you compare your sleep situation to...

Car seat safety tips for children during the winter
Jennifer Hoekstra

Cold weather brings new challenges for parents of children in car seats. While car seats and seat belts are very effective at...

Help gifted children learn to form strong social relationships
Maureen Neihart

Most gifted children have good peer relations. Their advanced cognitive ability enables them to understand social situations and...

What should I do if I suspect my teenager has an eating disorder?
Renae Norton

Eating disorders are proliferating in the United States, affecting younger children, older women and more men than ever before....

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Raising Teens »

Sending your child off to college: Preparation for their first year
Lisa C. Smith

Sending your 18 year old off to college can be a daunting experience for both the parent and the child. All parents want to have...

Writing promotes well-being and problem solving skills for teens
Rachel Kitson

During the teenage years, the brain is undergoing rapid and significant transformation. As the frontal lobe develops, it provides...

Raise happy, healthy teens by teaching confidence, hope and worth
Tom Krause

What messages are today’s teenagers hearing? Are they messages of support and encouragement from adults--or threats from society?...

Expert advice on communicating with your teenagers about drug abuse
Josephine Healy

Many parents avoid talking to their teenagers about drug use and abuse because they fear an awkward conversation or don’t know the...

More...