…For they shall not break in half when they are faced with unexpected change and challenges.

You may be one of many people in this world with some family pain. I don’t mean just some embarrassing moments and childhood challenges.

I found a report today about the connection between marriage and childhood poverty. As you might expect, the report highlighted facts and commentary about how married families experience less poverty.

I get a lot of comments and questions about difficult family situations. One of my first thoughts is “Have they been to a family counselor?” Yes, I have worked as a family counselor, but I’m not just saying this to boost my profession. I’m saying it because good family counseling can really work.

How soon should your child start wearing deodorant?  How often do your kids floss?  And will they ever remember to do this stuff themselves??

Personal hygiene is an important collection of habits.  It can take time to develop routines to the point where things seem more automatic.  (I hope I’m not still reminding my 7-year old to brush her teeth when she’s a senior in high school.)

Certainly, every kid may need a different amount of support for these tasks.  But by mid to late elementary school, you should be able to stay at least somewhat hands-off.