Taking action by introspectively evaluating your grade as a parent; and then understanding primary need to spend time over and above everything else including income, is a needful first step.

Moreover, when this evaluation is done, next step would be a committed implementation regimen.

Scale back hours at work specifically to spend more time with your kids. Make a time or date as many days a week to spend together as a family and do whatever, but spend time.

It could easily be argued that time is much more important than money, especially to a child. From age 0 to 18, you have them to shelter, love, and care for but if you blink, they might just be at high school graduation and heading for dorms.

The most important gift a kid can receive from a parent is quality time spent not another twenty dollar bill and a send off to mall. This mindset is just that, a way to set your mind!

Resolving to spend more time with your children can and will be most important parts of your life, and theirs, because when they look back on their healthy childhood, you will definitely be in picture.

--by Brian Maloney-ValuePrep.com Want to improve your personal values? Get high-quality relationship advice from a 'Logical' standpoint. Visit ValuePrep - Relationship Advice

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PARENTS TEND TO CHOOSE SOFTER, LIGHTER-SOUNDING NAMES FOR THEIR DAUGHTERS, LIKE EMILY AND EMMA (#1 and #2 top female names) AND NAMES THAT BEGIN WITH CONSONANTS, LIKE JACOB AND JOSHUA (#1 AND #3 top male names) FOR THEIR SONS

The softer sound of feminine names has to do with vowel sounds and softer-sounding consonants, like "S" "L" and "M". Consonants with a harder sound we relate to strength and masculinity. Like Rex. Or Nathan, Patrick, and Trevor versus Abra, Elena, Ava. The girls' names sound more fluid, less confrontational. Also, male names tend to be shorter which gives them added energy, And a stressed first syllable, common to male names, also makes them sound strong. Final vowel sounds, especially long "E" sound also mean that female names sound diminutive and child-like. Melanie, Natalie, Phoebe, Kayley -- and you could easily come up with a dozen more.

PARENTS TEND TO CHOOSE NAMES FOR THEIR SONS THAT CONNOTE STRENGTH OR LEADERSHIP LIKE ANDREW (#5 top male name), AND NAMES LIKE HANNAH AND OLIVIA (#4 AND #5 top female names) THAT CONNOTE MORE FEMININE CHARACTERISTICS, LIKE GOODNESS, FOR THEIR DAUGHTERS.

Andrew means manly, courageous. Damian means tamer (of people). Occupation names are generally masculine too -- Tanner, Carter, Fletcher, Warren, Hunter.

Hannah on other hand means gracious, full of mercy. Olivia is an elaborated form of Olive which is associated with peace and kindness. Also, favorite girls' names often reflect appearance and traditionally feminine characteristics. Linda is Spanish for beautiful, as is Arabic Leila (dark beauty).

It would seem that girls lose out by being given less "serious" names or lighter, less substantive, weaker sounding names than boys. Parents might worry that a feminine-sounding name like Lucinda will cause her to be passed over in favor of Christopher for job promotions, all things being equal. But before we all try to level playing field by joining boys' club and naming our daughters Christopher or Michael, it might be worthwhile to consider that creativity, individuality, kindness and gentleness are also positive characteristics. They have a quiet power in their own right, and those qualities are just as desirable as courage and strength.