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Oct
07
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 The issues teens struggle with have not changed in several hundred years; these days, they are just broadcast to everyone through text messaging, cell phones, and Facebook. Most of the struggles I see teens talking about can be categorized into two themes: fitting in socially and making sense of the world. Their social life is second to nothing — “confusion” may be an over simplistic word describing what teens feel as they work to bring into alignment their perception of things with the messages they get from TV, the internet, and caring adults. | |||
Archive for the ‘Communication’ Category
Blog Posts by Dale Sadler
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Oct
05
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One way I’ve always viewed parenting is through the eyes of mutual respect. It seems to me there is a lot of talk about controlling behavior, and less RESPECT when it comes to the parent/child relationship. Almost like an authority type relationship. You might be thinking, “WELL Yeah, I do have authority over my child, I am the adult here!” And that is obviously true. But that is not ALL there is, right? | |||
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Sep
01
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Actually, the slogan on the JC Penney T-shirt, marketed to girls age 7 to 16, reads, “I’m too pretty to do homework, so my brother has to do it for me.” That’s right, you read those words correctly. The description for the shirt on their site? | |||
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Aug
29
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Just this past May, in the weeks before my daughter was to graduate from 5th grade, I was at my childrenās school and I ran into their Art teacher. She was one of the teachers who participated in filling out the ADHD testing forms back in 1st grade when the doctor suspected my daughter had it.Ā Ā Looking back on her answers, she definitely put a lot of thought and energy to this evaluation. I remember that this teacher spoke kindly and with understanding as I was going through some real struggles. | |||
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Jun
22
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One of the hardest lessons Iāve had to learn as a Mom is this one:Ā Itās not personal. Meaning, I canāt take things personally in regard to my teenager. A lot of what we go through with them will feel like its personal, or maybe Iām just more sensitive! Iāve come a long way with not taking things personally, but it still creeps in now and againāIām only human, right?! | |||
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Jun
03
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It all began spontaneously last week while slicing a 15-pound watermelon. I wasnāt prepared for āthe talk,ā but the date was fast approaching that the school would be administering the county-sponsored āAids and Human Sexualityā program. So it was fortuitous when my ten-year-old daughter gave me the opening and almost on cue, I went for it. And miraculously, ad lib, the words came down from the heavens and flowed through me effortlessly. | |||
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Mar
16
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āCould a Tsunami ever happen here?ā This was said by my 8-year-old son as I was making dinner the other night. Why do kids seem to ask the toughest questions when you least expect them to? āNo, Honey. I donāt think that could ever happen where we live.ā (Thinking to myself, could that ever happen here in Maine?) āWhat was it like when you were in the earthquake in Japan?ā | |||
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Mar
03
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āWe donāt get out much,ā I confessed, winking at the cashier as the girls enthusiastically pulled at both my upper limbs. We were ordering donuts and they were overwhelmed with choices, paralyzed with excitement, and couldnāt decide. A routine run for many families, perhaps, but a big deal for the three of us. We were having a blast. I took my two eldest, girls ages 9 and 7, to grab some donuts and catch a movie whileĀ our three younger kids and my husband stayed home. It was Girls Night Out. | |||
