We always want the best for our children. And part of my philosophy in life is to recognize that all we can do for our children is to provide the conditions and context for them to grow and face the challenges that they came into this world with.

By remembering what it was like to be a child, she just never seemed to age. My nana made me realize that we are not just parenting our children, we are raising future parents, and the example that we set in the way that we live and parent today will have a lasting impact on future generations.

They say that those who fight the hardest are those who are the most alike, so perhaps it shouldn't have surprised me that when it comes to parenting, the English and the French have quite a bit in common.

It is hard to understand how Boston bomber suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev could go from terrorist to teen heartthrob. So why have some teens taken to social networking channels with #freejahar? (Wrong spelling, but we get the point.)

Persistent criticism breeds resentment and defiance, and undermines a child's initiative, self-confidence and sense of purpose. We need to prevent the buildup of these unhealthy attitudes in the minds of our children.

How do you really tell your children that one of the most important people in their lives has cancer?

As a parent, this story is just another reminder that the world in which we live can be cruel and scary. We will all certainly want to hold our children just a little bit closer, hug them just a little harder.

Though parents around the world have the same goals, American parents like me (despite our very best intentions) have gotten it all backwards.

Raising my children to be safe and secure in their world includes many things, like how to cross the streets, how to protect their bodies from strangers, how to use digital media responsibly. It also means educating them about the world's realities, one of which is violence.

If something's not working, you can ditch it. Pitch it. Without ruining your baby or yourself or your mind. If something's not working, you can do something else. You can, if you want. You can.

It's so easy to take things personally. Instead, the next time you notice yourself feeling defensive or like you're a failure or that you're not good enough, practice using a buffer phrase.

Normally, when thinking about communication, we think about verbal communication or some kind of physical communication. However, sometimes the best communication skill is to know when to take a time out.

Children make messes. They move from one activity or outfit to another, rarely considering that by returning whatever they were playing with or wearing to its shelf or drawer, they could easily keep their rooms clean. "Later" becomes their motto.

There's been waaaaaaay too much talk of bad dudes in the news lately. It's got me thinking about what goes into making a perfect person, about what ingredients we need to have in our parental pantries, if you will, to help us raise a great child.