Hands-on parents are incredibly important in the lives of children. A 1996 Journal of Family Issues article observed that “family disruption and lack of parental involvement during childhood correlated with an increase in lying, cheating, fighting, and criminal activity among youth.” And a study carried out by the Institute for Youth Development reported that hands-on parents raised teens who drank, smoked, and did drugs at much lower rates than the general teen population.
Hands-on parenting always involves spending lots of time with children. In his article “The Parent Trap,” William Mattox Jr. quoted Harvard University child psychiatrist Robert Cole, “The frenzied need of children to have possessions isn’t only a function of the ads they see on TV. It’s a function of their hunger for what they aren’t getting–their parents’ time.” When 1,500 schoolchildren were asked, “What do you think makes a happy family?” the most frequent answer was not money, a nice house, cars, or TVs. The most frequent answer was “doing things together” as a family. So check out the 12-step plan to keep your kids and family on track.
How much time is your family spending together?
Medical information within this site is not intended for use in the diagnosis or treatment of any health condition. Please consult a licensed health care professional for the treatment or diagnosis of any medical condition.
Walt Larimore, M.D. has been called “one of America’s best known family physicians.” He is a nationally-known and nationally sought after speaker and health expert.
