PARENTING YOUR CHILD

IDEAS TO HELP OUR CHILDREN THRIVE

Dear reader,

Much of my life's work, both in writing books and creating this family web site, has been directed toward helping strengthen families and giving children more power in expressing themselves. This is important to me because I grew up in a family that began to break apart when I was just a boy, and as a child I felt an overwhelming sense of powerlessness to stop my family's disintegration. But even back then, I knew that one day I would build my own family and do my best to make things good for a child of my own. I deeply wanted to form a strong family.

The parenting essays that follow reflect some of what I have learned in helping raise my daughter and the knowledge I acquired growing up amid family strife. Why do I offer them here as part of MakeBeliefsComix.com, a comic-making site? Because ours is a place which many parents visit and use with their children to have fun and learn. My goal, in creating this web resource, has always been to provide constructive, imaginative activities for parents and children to enjoy together and, in so doing, to draw closer and strengthen their family bonds.

I hope that these essays will be useful to you in your own efforts to raise children who feel loved and who greet life confidently and positively. I don't have all the answers and I am sure neither do you, but the writings and activities offered in this section are a start to help us think about how we can build stronger families and happier kids. As always, your own thoughts and feedback are very much welcome. Please join in the conversation.

Sincerely,
Bill Zimmerman
Creator, MakeBeliefsComix.com Email: billz@makebeliefscomix.com

P.S. If you like the essays in this 4Parents section please share them with other parents and groups you belong to.

WRITING TO CHILDREN

LEARNING TO QUESTION

ENCOURAGING READING

FATHERS AND SONS

BEING A LOVING PARENT

LEGACY LETTERS

DEAR TEACHERS AND PARENTS, BECOME A PATRON-SUPPORTER OF MAKEBELIEFSCOMIX!
Why do I look worried?...I’m trying to raise development funds for MakeBeliefsComix and I could use some help. MakeBeliefsComix, a free site, is a labor of love for me and financed largely from my personal savings as a journalist/author/educator. While income from ads helps cover some costs, it is never enough -- every cent earned is plowed right back into improving our free educational website. Modest contributions from users like you would help us cover the cost of making improvements which many of you suggested. These include providing users with the ability to save their comics and continue working on their comic strips whenever they wish. Also we will be adding additional characters, objects and backgrounds for you to use in your storytelling. We need funds to help cover our development expenses. If you have benefited from MakeBeliefsComix in your life and work, please consider sending a contribution by clicking the adjacent "DONATE" button.Thank you.
Bill Zimmerman, Creator of MakeBeliefsComix.com

Please send your own creative ideas and comics to billz@makebeliefscomix.com - View our Comix Gallery