Parenting could be a tight rope between being parents and friends of our children. Should I be a friend? Will I lose control? Will my kids take advantage of me if I get too close??

Parenting is a wonderful experience with many challenges, even more so if you have a special kid. Many couples struggle with parenting but it is much harder to raise a special child. With special needs children, one needs to think about various aspects that could impact the lives of the parents as well as the child. Many parents go through phases of asking themselves, "Why me?" and feelings of hopelessness. They will also go through stressful days with additional work load, the stress of childcare, when they see other kids do better than their child, etc. This article looks at ways parents can cope as they raise their special child.

As your child grows and spends more time out of your sight, you need to teach them to protect themselves. Child abuse and assault (both by strangers and by people known to the child) are very real dangers in all countries and in every socio-economic group. It is important to discuss with your children (both boys and girls) the potential risks.

Remember that if you are tired, fatigued or stressed, you may react by lashing out at your child. It happens to most parents at some point or another. Fortunately, there are steps parents can take to minimize or avoid the likelihood of over-reacting and remain in control when stress is high.

Someone once said: "Any man can be a father. It takes someone special to be a dad." It is just not enough to ensure food on the table and a roof overhead. Fathers play an important part in the lives of their children. There's more to being a father than just "fathering" the child.

Working mothers face quite a few challenges both at home and the workplace. Ask any working mom what she finds most difficult and the top answer would be guilt. The time spent away from her children and the home is something that all working mothers deal with. While some may enjoy pursuing a career, others work out of necessity. In either case, the emotions that all mothers go through are the same. Here we take a look at how to work through these challenges and deal with the emotions.

Self-esteem is a set of perceptions and feelings that we have about ourselves and these patterns are formed in early childhood. The way your child values herself/himself is a factor that affects the choices they make as well as their behavior. Children with low self-esteem grow up to be insecure adults, have trouble making friends, are more vulnerable to substance abuse, bullying, eating disorders and suicidal tendencies.

Extensive research conducted on the topic of parenting suggests a significant correlation between parenting style and the development of a child's attitude, personality, and behavior, all the way into adulthood.

In today's connected world, inter-cultural marriages are common. Many families have a cross-cultural or inter-faith marriage and while this is a phenomenon to be welcomed, it does bring with it a host of new challenges for young parents. This union can be very enriching for the children as their world view widens with their exposure to varied food, culture and language. The flip side is that it could lead to cultural clashes about how the child should be raised.

Separation or divorce is traumatic not only for the concerned adults, but also for the children caught between their parents. Whether the separation has been messy or amicable, it does result in a lot of change for the family. Sometimes one parent has sole custody with visitation rights for the non-custodial parent. Other times, custody is shared.