the Family Center
5691 Columbia Pike, Suite 200
Falls Church, VA 22041
 
Phone (703) 998 5606
Fax (703) 998 5608
Reflections on Parenting
Glory Fox Dierker, Ph.D.

      There are many books in the popular press that offer parenting advice. The soundest are those based on research and written by informed individuals who do not have a religious or political agenda. When you hear parenting advice from any source (i.e., books, TV, parents, friends, random strangers) it is vital that you ask yourself, “What is the source of their expertise?". Too often those offering advice have no objective knowledge and have either not raised children of their own, or have done a pretty bad job of it. In parenting, the proof is in the pudding. Generally, troubled children come from homes in which there is poor to abusive parenting. Children are the mirrors of their families. This sounds harsh, but it is not hopeless. As long as there is life, parents and children have opportunities to strengthen their relationships and grow healthier. Continued…