Teaching Values to Your Children

Yesterday, my 1st grader came home and told me that a girl at school was being a bully at recess. Of course, I asked a million questions trying to get more details regarding what happened. It seemed to me after talking about it for a long time, that this other 1st grader was trying to tease my daughter because of something that my daughter said. I finally realized that it was mostly innocent child’s play (although a little aggressive), but at the same time, I used it as a teaching opportunity to tell my children again that if they don’t … Continue reading

Supervising Kids While They Are Away From Home

If you’re anything like me you want to know what the level of supervision your kids are receiving while they are away from your home. For example, if our teenager gets into trouble, I as the parent am still legally responsible for him. In other words, if they get arrested for doing something stupid, and have to go to Juvenile Court, you are both legally and financially responsible for your child. You may ask “What could my little angel possibly do to get arrested?” Well, it wasn’t all that long ago – 25 years, but whose counting anyway – when … Continue reading

It is NOT Always the Child’s Fault

I am all for personal responsibility and definitely for children learning how their own behavior choices play out in natural consequences. After all, we do have to prepare our children to live in the real world with real people and real institutions. But, I wrote the yesterday about how our children’s behavior can be different depending on where they are and what they are dealing with and sometimes, there are other elements at play that the child just cannot control. Yes, I believe that our children do need to learn how to cope and deal with all sorts of situations … Continue reading

Don’t Take It Personally

Rule number 853 of parenting: Don’t Take Things Personally! Okay, maybe it should be in the top ten of rules for parents, but learning how to not take the things your child says and does personally is one of the major challenges that I’ve wrestled with over the years. After all, it’s pretty darn hard not to take something like “I hate you!” to heart… The fact is, as soon as children are able to talk, they will start complaining and saying unpleasant things and it often feels like they are taking all of their frustrations out on the closest … Continue reading

Four More Parental Liable Issues

Negligent Supervision is a legal theory where a minor child’s parents are held liable for their child’s negligent acts when parent knows or has a reason to know that it’s necessary to control the child and the parent fails to take actions to do so. Anyone with the custody and control of a child may be held liable including grandparents, guardians, foster parents or other adults with custody and control of a child. In most cases there isn’t a dollar limit for negligent supervision liability claims. In some situations an Insurance Umbrella or Homeowners insurance policy might offer some protection … Continue reading

Parental Liability: When your Child Becomes a Parent.

Every year thousands of teenage girls, many as young as 12 years old, enter United States Welfare system because they become pregnant. Teenage girls are usually eligible for welfare benefits in order to meet the needs of their children. Typically the fathers are non custodial parents with many of them teenagers as well. Teen aged parents still supposed to be attending high school and unable to pay child support because they don’t have jobs. The common name for this situations is a “minor-mother” case. When a teenage girl has a baby it is automatically reported to the state child support … Continue reading

Parental Liability: Civil Behavior and Criminal Children.

Parental liability is the official legal term that defines the parent’s responsibility to pay for any damages caused by negligent, intentional, or the criminal behavior and acts of their child or children. Our children are a risk we as parents are liable while they are in our care. In many states the parents are liable for any malicious or willful property damage their children might cause. Most states start holding parents responsible when their child is between that ages of eight and ten. In every state the lays vary regarding the monetary threshold or limit for damages that may be … Continue reading

Insurance Blog Week In Review January 9-15, 2007

It’s been a busy week for so many people in the United States. The weather has been a huge problem with snow, ice and unusually cold temperatures. Get ready to pay a lot more for Oranges and Avocado’s after the deep freeze in Southern California. Many homeowners have suffered the Midnight Disaster, including my little brother. Caught completely off guard with freezing temperatures and a ruptured pipe in the attic. Thankfully, he was able to Ask Anna (or sissy) for help in this matter! When my brother woke up to find boxes falling out of his attic and water flooding … Continue reading

Holding Parents Responsible For the Actions of Their Children

Parents have always been held liable, to a certain extent for their children’s actions in the United States. Some of the early parental liability statutes provided the juvenile court system jurisdiction over parents who had “contributed to the delinquency of a minor” My father spoke often of the “Truant Officer” who spends the day looking for wayward youth and sent notice of fines to his parents. During the past several years, parental liability laws have become much more popular due to societies fear of juvenile crime. Public support for new laws holding parents responsible for the actions of their dependent … Continue reading

Helping a Traumatized Child Build A Sense of Security and Safety

Trauma creates fear and stress sensitivity in children. Even children adopted at birth, may be more anxious and fearful considering a babies possible prenatal exposure to substances, and other stresses their birthmother may have experienced. Regardless of the age a child is when placed for adoption our primary focus needs to be about building feelings of security and safety so our children learn to establish and build healthy attachments. These are just a few steps we can take to help our children develop a sense of security and feel safe. Establish a strong support system for occasional respite care, discussing … Continue reading