A parent’s frequent and prolonged absences due to business travel can put enormous strain on a marriage and family unit as a whole.

What does it take to raise a successful child and adult with good character? A think-tank study reveals the secret: tough love is made of three ingredients: confident parent(s), warmth and consistent discipline.

Situation: We’re about to take a long car trip. If history repeats itself, the kids will fight, bicker and whine, and I’ll be the one asking, “Are we there yet?”

One of my worst parenting days was when I was still sitting at my computer in pajamas and my husband walked through the front door. I thought that he had forgotten his laptop at home again and returned to get it so that he could go back to work and get started on his day. When he didn’t seem to want to leave again, I realized that it was suppertime and that I had succumbed to spending the whole day in the black hole of the Internet and social media. Where had the time gone? My kids had spent the day at home watching movies and eating sugary cereal for breakfast, lunch and a snack.