Busy, overloaded days often make us unaware that family communication is suffering. Congratulations to those parents who take notice and want to improve the situation. However maybe it is more the âwhatâ than the âhowâ thatâs the problem. For example, if you ask parents to list what they talk with their school aged children or […]
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Does your teenage son want a summer job? Are you wondering how to convince him that he needs to start doing something about it right now? Teens looking for summer work should start serious job hunting tactics no later than March 1. If he doesnât believe you, there are some good resource books in your
Spanking teaches the use of fear and power over someone more vulnerable than yourself. Is this what you really want your child to learn and to practice when she is an adult? You say “it seems to work”. Well, I believe what’s happening is that she is simply repressing her anger at being spanked. She
This is the season for graduation parties, and we all know that some teen graduates will drink, drive, and die during these celebrations. Sometimes parents just assume that their teens know how they feel about drinking and driving, or about saying no to alcohol. However, many studies of teens prove that if kids do not
I believe in being the wall against which kids must push up against and that parenting is not a popularity contest. I think it’s usually safe to talk to one’s feelings ( i.e., “I need to talk about our confrontation. It really scared me. It must not happen again because that behavior is just not
Inhalants are a group of volatile (breathable) substances abused by sniffing/inhaling. These are legal substances, most of which are found in everyday household products; not normally thought of as drugs, they have drug-like effects on users. Regulation for misuse is difficult, and the best prevention is educating children about the lethal effects of misuse. Inhalants
Q — After eight years of living with his mother, my 16-year- old son has decided to move in with me. Sharing my apartment with him and his belongings is a shock! I feel guilty about resenting him for intruding. He’s my son and I love him. But our fairly close relationship is being jeopardized
It is normal for a male to experience pain with an erection. Often this pain is related to having an erection that is prolonged in time. That is an erection that might last 20 or 30 minutes can be painful. The reason for this is that an erection is the pooling of blood or accumulation
Many parents are concerned about driving safety and their children. This concern arises not only for teens but for others who encounter the new drivers on the road. Statistics prove that new, inexperienced drivers are at the highest risk for accidents, which is why insurance rates for 16- to 20-year-olds are so high. The time
A letter I received from a mother in Pennsylvania told the tale of her 15-year-old daughter who, she explained punctuates all her conversations with finger pokes and punches, and she leans into the mother or pulls on me whenever she wants to say something. Most of the time the daughter tries to pass this off
Until 18 months of age most children are agreeable, even easy. From 18 months until four years of age, many of them become stubborn and resistant. We call this the “terrible twos”. What happens to toddlers at 18 months? They discover that they are individuals who have the power to refuse us or even to
We are a greatly overmedicated society both with prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Some people believe that every symptom needs a drug; I disagree. ⢠First, let’s set the record straight about antibiotics. Antibiotics only kill bacteria; they have no effect on viruses. Antibiotics can neither reduce symptoms nor shorten the course of viral illnesses. Since
Toddlers often become upset when other children play with their toys. They see possession as ownership. They don’t understand the concept of sharing until three or four years of age. But you can plant the idea with statements, such as “If you share with them, they’ll share with you.” Try this approach: • First, if
Slowpoke eaters are usually not hungry. A few are just being negative. A good rule for these kids is, “That the meal was over when everyone else is done eating.” Then it’s time to clean up, clear away your child’s plate and put her down. Don’t keep her sitting at the table longer than other
During the early months of self-feeding, many children will make a mess of their high chair and of themselves. If they mix their food with their hands or feed themselves that way, children should not be criticized or punished. This is a normal part of learning how to feed themselves, but when it comes to
Some children drop whatever they’re doing as soon as their parent picks up the telephone. Avoid part of this problem by making most of your calls during naptime or after bedtime. However, that won’t help you with incoming calls. Try this approach. • First, have a rule,”Don’t interrupt me while I’m on the telephone” and
Your response to biting should leave no question but that you mean business. Make the rule absolutely clear, “Don’t bite. It hurts. We don’t bite people.” • First, give your child verbal disapproval in a sharp voice. Say, “No biting.” It’s fine to startle your child for this type of behavior. • Second, put him
Some children are ready to be toilet trained by 18 months of age, and many, by 24. Toilet training is a gradual process that takes from two weeks to two months. In general, it involves about four steps. First, purchase a potty chair and make it clear that this is your child’s special chair. Put
Toddlers can learn a lot by going shopping with you. They can also get into trouble at the supermarket, so here are some tips. • First, to prevent grabbing food off the shelves, distract your child. On arrival, give her a snack such as animal crackers. Keep her sitting in the grocery cart seat and
I’ve heard a lot of “Old Wives’ Tales” about kids, and here are some: 1. “A child who is not toilet trained on time is emotionally insecure, or just nasty and stubborn.” Neither is true. There is no relationship between the time a child toilet trains and his emotional security or personality. 2. “Fever convulsions,
