By Cynthia Amodeo, Director of Family Services, Barrier Free Living’s Freedom House Emergency Shelter.

July was Purposeful Parenting month, which led to a flurry of articles, Facebook posts and twitter bites regarding the concept.  In general, Purposeful Parenting aims to build healthy relationships with children, to understand a child’s development and to help them grow in a way that emphasizes their potential.  Being “purposeful” in parenting can include meeting a child’s essential needs (bathing, feeding) or involve more complicated issues of socialization, discipline, and communication.

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