With the holidays rapidly approaching, I find myself wondering how many parents are saying to themselves things like: “We spent big money just last year on a new PlayStation and now my son says he wants an Xbox! Why can’t he be happy with what he has?” “My daughter wants the new iPhone. I can’t... Read more »
Sometimes we parents don’t think we are anxious because we are not trembling in our boots. Often there is no visible sign of how anxious we are. Yet when we look inside our heads, we notice that we spend a lot of time thinking about our kids—sometimes scary thoughts about things that haven’t even happened.... Read more »
As parents, we know the importance of parenting from our principles, things like teaching our children to own up to their actions and face the fallout when they make poor choices. At Empowering Parents, our parenting programs stress the importance of using effective consequences as opposed to using punishments. But what, exactly, is the difference... Read more »
We all know that kids can act in many disrespectful and rude ways to parents: they can slam doors, roll their eyes, and tell you they hate you, to name a few. It’s natural to get very worried and frustrated and wonder if these types of behaviors constitute out-and-out abuse, or just “rudeness and mild... Read more »
“When I was young, my mom and dad sent us out to play in the morning in our neighborhood, and we didn’t come home until dinner time,” a friend said to me recently. “But times have changed. I feel like I have to keep constant tabs on my kids. I wish they could have the... Read more »
Do your kids drive you crazy? If you were asked to describe them, after saying, "He's a good kid, but..." would you use words like “defiant,” “whiny,” “unmotivated,” “disrespectful,” “angry,” or “demanding,” with a few positives sprinkled in? If the negatives loom larger in your mind than the positives, the first thing to realize is... Read more »
Have you been looking back on the last year, reflecting on how things went with your child? If so, perhaps you feel frustrated when you think about his or her behavior—and your reaction to it. Maybe you feel like no matter what you do as a parent, nothing changes. But understand that positive change can... Read more »
Your 10-year-old son begs you to buy him the newest video game. He cries, "All my friends have it. Why can't you be like all the other parents? They buy their kids the stuff they want!" Or, your 16-year-old daughter is annoyed that she has to drive the old beat-up car to school. "I don't... Read more »
"My kids are driving me crazy! They are so manipulative I can't stand it!" Does this sound familiar? Or how about these: "My middle schooler blackmails me emotionally – he cries that I don't care about him and that I love his brother more when I ask him to stop playing video games. He's more... Read more »
Raising kids in a single-parent home has its own unique set of challenges that require confidence, resilience, and courage. It's hard enough to raise kids with a partner, but it's a different matter altogether when you're alone, overburdened, and under-supported. I was talking with a single mom recently who described her day like this: "I rush... Read more »