Permanent Changes of Station (PCS) move your family forward—but they also move your children into new classrooms, new routines, and new communities. Every relocation brings both opportunity and stress. This guide walks through how to keep your child’s development steady during transitions—with steps for finding child care, enrolling in school, protecting services like special education, and tapping into military-specific supports that smooth the path. At Nurturing Parenting, we teach families and professionals how to strengthen empathy, communication, and consistency—skills that are essential when change becomes part of life. Our evidence-based programs are used worldwide to help parents maintain stability and connection through deployments, reunions, and relocations. The same nurturing principles[…]
Teen Pregnancy Resources: Building Confidence and Nurturing Skills
Finding out you’re pregnant as a teen can bring a mix of emotions—uncertainty, excitement, and concern about what comes next. You might be thinking about your health, your education, your future, and what life will look like with a baby. These questions are real—and so is your ability to build a nurturing, stable future for yourself and your child. At Nurturing Parenting, we believe that every parent, regardless of age, deserves to be supported with empathy, respect, and the chance to learn positive parenting skills. Our evidence-based programs are used by schools, social service agencies, and community organizations across the country to help young parents strengthen self-worth, communication, and discipline[…]
Rural vs. Urban Family Resource Gaps: What Families Can Do When Services Are Far Away
Living far from large cities can mean quieter streets and closer-knit communities—but it can also mean longer drives to the clinic, fewer child-care options, and unreliable internet. If that sounds familiar, you’re not imagining it. Rural families truly do face different access challenges than families in suburbs and cities, from provider shortages to broadband gaps and transportation hurdles. Today, we’ll break down what these gaps look like and—most importantly—what you can do, step by step, to get the support your family needs, no matter your ZIP code. At Nurturing Parenting, we partner with families and the professionals who serve them to build strong, nurturing skills through evidence-based programs recognized by[…]
Adapting Nurturing Family Practices During the Teen Years: What Changes, What Stays the Same
The teen years can feel like someone picked up your family’s playbook and rewrote half the rules overnight. Sleep schedules shift, emotions intensify, privacy matters more, and independence becomes a daily negotiation. Today, we’ll walk you through how to keep the heart of Nurturing Parenting intact—empathy, dignity, appropriate expectations, healthy roles—while adjusting your strategies for a young person who’s rapidly becoming an adult. At Nurturing Parenting, we focus on a non-violent, dignity-centered philosophy that develops empathy, self-worth, self-awareness, empowerment, appropriate family roles, and age-appropriate expectations—offered in flexible group-based, home-based, or blended formats to meet families where they are. Our programs are widely used by agencies across the country and recognized[…]
How to Nurture Sibling Relationships: Tips for Fostering Empathy and Cooperation
When kids share a home, they also share space, attention, and emotions. That mix can create some of the sweetest friendships—and some of the loudest disagreements. Today, we’ll show you how to strengthen the skills that make sibling bonds durable: empathy, cooperation, problem-solving, and repair. You’ll leave with clear scripts, age-specific ideas, and a simple weekly plan you can start using right away. At Nurturing Parenting, we focus on non-violent, dignity-centered parenting that grows empathy, self-worth, appropriate expectations, and healthy family roles. Those core values shape the practical tools below. First, a quick reframe: Rivalry is normal—and coachable If your children bicker, you’re not doing anything wrong. Sibling rivalry shows[…]
Breaking Generational Cycles: Using Nurturing Parenting to Rewrite Family Narratives
1. Opening – Why Family Stories Matter Every family carries a story—spoken or unspoken—about what love looks like, how conflict is handled, and who gets heard. When those stories nurture growth, they become cherished traditions. But when they are rooted in punitive discipline, emotional distance, or neglect, they can repeat across generations. Today, we’ll explore how the Nurturing Parenting® approach empowers you to break unhealthy cycles and create a legacy your children will be proud to carry forward. 2. What Are Generational Cycles? Generational cycles are parenting patterns passed down from grandparents to parents to children. Researchers refer to this as the “intergenerational transmission of parenting.” Long-term studies confirm that[…]
Nurturing Fathers: Redefining the Father’s Role in Emotional Development
1. A New Chapter for Fatherhood Decades ago, fatherhood often meant providing, protecting, and maybe playing catch on weekends. Today, fathers are also coaches of emotion, models of vulnerability, and guides through complex emotional landscapes. It’s a tall order—but one that pays lifelong dividends for your children and for you. 2. From Breadwinner to Emotional Mentor Sociologists observe a significant shift: fathers who engage deeply in daily caregiving support stronger social skills, fewer behavioral problems, and higher self-esteem in their children. A meta‑analysis spanning 40 years found that when father involvement—both in quantity and quality—is high, early childhood emotional regulation improves significantly (PMC). In other words, tuning into feelings matters[…]
Emotional Resilience in Children: Lessons from the Nurturing Parenting Philosophy
1. Why Emotional Resilience Matters Now From playground scuffles to global newsfeeds, children encounter stress earlier and more often than ever. Emotional resilience—the ability to recover from setbacks, adapt to change, and pursue goals—functions like an internal shock absorber. Research links resilience to stronger friendships, better academic focus, and lower rates of anxiety and depression in later life (PMC). The best part? Resilience is a skill you can help your child learn—and as their parent, you’re the guiding star. 2. What Science Says About Resilience in Childhood Research from diverse cultures highlights three foundational ingredients: These principles align beautifully with the Nurturing Parenting® approach we’ve championed for over 40 years.[…]
Beyond Time-Outs: Innovative Alternatives Inspired by the Nurturing Parenting Model
Why Time-Outs Feel Stale Time-outs exploded in popularity during the 1990s as a “kinder” alternative to spanking. Yet many parents now report the technique leads to more meltdowns, not fewer. Isolation alone rarely teaches children how to manage big feelings; it simply removes them from view. The goal of discipline is guidance—helping kids learn self-control, empathy, and responsibility. That’s where the Nurturing Parenting® approach shines. For over 40 years, our evidence-based, family-centered programs have offered practical tools that replace power struggles with cooperation and growth. A Fresh Lens from Nurturing Parenting The Nurturing Parenting Programs were created in 1983 by Dr. Stephen J. Bavolek and are recognized by the Substance[…]
The Art of Gentle Discipline: How Nurturing Parenting Helps Avoid Power Struggles
A Calmer Way Forward Power struggles over bedtime, homework, or getting out the door can leave everyone frustrated. Gentle discipline offers another path—one that guides children toward better choices without anger or threats. At Nurturing Parenting®, we’ve spent more than four decades helping families master this art, and we’re ready to help you do the same. What Gentle Discipline Really Means Gentle discipline is not permissiveness. Instead, it is an intentional approach that When discipline feels like teamwork rather than combat, cooperation rises and conflict falls. Why Power Struggles Erupt Children push back for predictable reasons: Gentle discipline addresses each factor by combining firmness with warmth. The Nurturing Parenting Philosophy[…]