10 Talents of Parenting

A 10-part Series by Lawrence J. Cohen, Ph.D.

For some people, parenting seems to come easily. They play, respond to children’s needs, understand children’s feelings and trust themselves. The rest of us need to work at it a bit more. But that’s OK, we don’t have to all be naturals. Each of us can develop those traits that will make us the parents we want to be.

The Importance of Playfulness

For some people, parenting seems to come easily. They play, respond to children's needs, understand children's feelings and trust themselves. The rest of us need to work at it a bit more. But that's OK, we don't have to all be naturals. Each of us can develop those traits that will make us the parents we want to be.

Responsiveness: Recognizing and Responding to your Child's Needs

The key to providing security to children is recognizing and meeting their needs. It isn't always easy. Babies' needs are pretty obvious: feed them when they're hungry, change them when they're wet, hold them when they want to be close, show them the world when they are curious. But as children grow up, their needs become more complex.

Finding Emotional Balance

Finding emotional balance is hard when we are filled with our own anger, frustration, anxiety or resentment. These feelings knock us off balance, and parenting is already challenging enough when we aren't wobbling - or falling all the way over!

Understanding and Empathy

If we look under the surface of our children's behavior, at how they might be feeling, we are often in a better position to get things back on track. How have you nurtured that talent of looking deep inside, understanding where a child's behavior is coming from and seeing the pain behind the problems?

Reflection: Why and How to Reflect on Being a Parent

Reflecting on parenthood – stepping back to think, write or talk about what life is really like for us – is worth the time, because it helps us become better parents.