Parenting

If you want to bring out the very best in your children and your partner, then discover the power of encouragement. It should never be insincere, but it can be given for small things.

Affirmation can become an attitude. I sometimes see families that are being slowly destroyed by negative or sarcastic speech. I watch as husbands humiliate their wives in public with jokes over cooking or weight and hear partners trash in front of friends what the men in their lives have achieved.

Social networking sites such as Facebook, Bebo and FriendFeed are often an area of teenage life that for many parents and teachers is hazy to say the least – and sometimes a complete mystery. They are somewhere where teenagers can swap ideas, gossip and photographs, and drool over their pop idols away from the prying eyes of adults.

The sites are all different, but the first step is to register your name, address, email and phone number. You then design a personal profile or homepage in your own style, which may cover things like your favourite music, bands, films, photographs and artwork. You can choose to make this profile available only to invited friends, but if you make this page public the information is open to any other registered user.

Most grandparents desperately want to be involved in their grandchildren's lives. And in a world where so many people - especially young people - feel insecure and somewhat disconnected, children need their grandparents.

February 2010 sees the publication of Rob Parsons' new book, The Sixty Minute Family.

In it, you'll discover ten lessons for a strong family life, drawn from Rob's own experiences and from encounters with people he's met along the way; people who know the joys and heartache that come from being a part of a family.

"Reading this could be the best 60 minutes you ever spend." Suzie Hayman, BBC radio agony aunt and author

Research done during National Family Week seems to show that many of us want to spend more time with our families. Over 3,000 parents and children took part in the survey, with 62% of children saying they spend less than 45 minutes a day doing things as a family - less than five hours a week, including weekends.

When it comes to leisure, only 5% of families say they play sports together, 3% say they read together, and just 2% of parents say they help their children with homework. More than a quarter of all children (28%) and half of all parents (55%) say they want to spend more time with their family.