|
|
|
| |
|

EmpoweringParents.com
Recognized as One of the
Best Parenting Sites on the Web |
| |
|
|
|
Parenting Articles About Anger & Defiance |
|
|
|
|
Running Away Part II: "Mom, I Want to Come Home." When Your Child is on the Streets
 |
|
For kids, running away is like taking a long, dangerous timeout. They may use it to avoid some difficulty at home, or to hide from something that’s embarrassing to them. You can also look at running away as a power struggle, because kids will often run instead of taking responsibility for their actions or complying with house rules. Above all, as a parent, what you don't want to do is give it power. That's the cardinal rule: do not give this behavior power. |
|
|
|
|
|
Running Away Part I: Why Kids Do It and How to Stop Them
 |
|
It’s every parent’s worst nightmare—you go to check on your child in the middle of the night, and he’s not there. Your heart starts pounding and you fly into panic mode, calling his friends, your relatives, and the police. Whether or not your child has run away or threatened to do so—or you fear that he might—it’s vital that you read this article. James Lehman has worked with runaway youth for many years, and in this new EP series he explains why kids run away, ways you can stop them, and how to handle their behavior when they come home. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Are You Afraid of Your Acting-Out Child? Part I: Why Giving in is a Dead End
 |
|
Do you walk on eggshells around your child, afraid of doing anything to set him off? Do you appease him when you notice he’s winding up to throw a tantrum? In part one of a two-part series, James Lehman, MSW explains how fear of acting-out behavior sets up a dangerous pattern for your child—and the whole family. |
|
|
|
|
|
Does Your Child Have "Toxic" Friends? 6 Ways to Deal with the Wrong Crowd
 |
|
I've worked with a lot of children and teens with behavior problems over the years—and believe me, very few of their parents liked their friends. It's like the national anthem of parents: “It's not my child; it’s those kids he hangs out with!” When I hear that, I always say, “Maybe that's so, but the reason he hangs out with that group is because he's similar to them. And just like you're saying, ‘It's those other kids he hangs out with,’ those other kids’ parents are saying it's your kid who’s the problem.” |
|
|
|
|
|
Acting Out in School: When Your Child is the Class Troublemaker
 |
|
Every parent of an acting-out child knows that once your kid has a reputation for being a troublemaker at school, it's very difficult to undo that label. That’s because your child becomes the label; when the teacher looks at him, she often just sees a troublemaker. Sadly, it's very hard to change that image, because even when your child tries harder, the label is reinforced when he slips up. And then he's really got problems, because not only is he still a troublemaker—now he's seen as a manipulator, too. |
|
|
|
|
|
A Day in the Mind of Your Defiant Child
 |
|
If you’re the parent of a defiant child, you’ve probably wondered what makes him so angry at life—and angry at you. With the school year approaching, are you gearing up for another difficult year with your child, just hoping that he’ll make it through—and that you’ll be able to manage without falling apart? Realize that it doesn’t have to be a daily battle of wills once you understand what’s actually going on in your child’s head.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Motivating Underachievers Part I: When Your Child Says "I Don't Care"
 |
|
Are you facing the new school year with dread because you have an unmotivated or underachieving teen or pre-teen? Is your child’s answer to everything, “I don’t care” or “It doesn’t matter?” In Part I of this two-part series, James Lehman, MSW explains why your child does have motivation—and how you can coach them to better behavior. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Trapped in a Screaming Match with Your Child? 5 Ways to Get Out Now
 |
|
If yelling worked, parenting would be easy, wouldn't it? We’d simply shout, “Do it!” and our kids would comply. But here’s the truth: it doesn't work. I've told parents, “Look, if screaming at our kids was effective, I'd be out of business. You'd just be able to yell at your child and he'd change. Or you'd bring your child to my office, I'd shout at him and call him names for 45 minutes, and then he'd go home and be nice for a week.” |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Power Struggles Part I: Are You at War with a Defiant Child?
 |
|
Do you ever feel as if your relationship with your child has become one long, drawn-out (and exhausting) power struggle? If you're in this situation, it probably seems like you simply progress from nagging your child over dirty laundry on the floor in the morning to arguing over bedtime at night. As they get older, power struggles get more entrenched as your child pushes against the rules: they start asking for things like the keys to the car and permission to go to all-night parties, “because all their friends’ parents said ‘yes.’” |
|
|
|
|
|
"I'm Right and You're Wrong!" Is Your Child a Know-it-all?
 |
|
Does your child always insist that they’re right and everyone else is wrong? Some kids have a bad habit of asserting their opinions by drowning out everyone else in the room—regardless of whether or not they know what they’re talking about. Understandably, this overbearing behavior is very annoying and frustrating for both parents and family members alike. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NEWSLETTER SIGNUP
|
|
Free Weekly Newsletter
Enter your email address to receive our weekly newsletter |
|
|
View Email Archive
|
|
|
|
| |
|
SPONSORED LINKS
|
 |
|
| |
|
|