When one of Brandi Frank’s second grade students was expelled for punching another teacher in the stomach, Brandi was ready for his return to her classroom six weeks later. “I sat down in community circle in the morning and talked with the other students and explained that this boy, *Kyle, was coming back to the... Read more »
“I’ve told you to clean your room 1,000 times!” Why nagging your child, yelling and repeating yourself don’t work—and how to talk to your kids so they will listen. Here’s the truth: nagging and arguing with your child doesn’t work. We parents often get in a rut—out of stress, frustration or just not knowing any other... Read more »
As an advisor to parent coaching, I frequently hear calls involving sibling rivalry conflicts. An important thing to remember is that sibling rivalry is a normal emotional state in children. Children compete with each other for their parent’s approval and affection. In fact, adult children still can feel competitive about their parents’ attention. One of... Read more »
Why are our kids often at each other’s throats in the summer? The biggest cause of fighting during the long summer break is the fact that you’re spending a whole lot of time together. If external stresses increase—if there’s trouble at work, a bad break–up for one of your teens, or you’re caring for a... Read more »
At times, children will verbally draw a line in the sand, stare you in the eye and say “You can’t make me.” When they say this, what they’re looking for is a fight, and it’s important not to give them one. By responding with “Oh yes I can,” there’s a threat implied, and it’s only... Read more »
It’s hard to get most adolescents to comply, but when you’re dealing with a hostile teen, it can be almost impossible. In part two of this series on anger and hostility in kids, James Lehman discusses concrete ways for you to break through your child’s force field of anger and defuse his hostility. Don’t give... Read more »
Florida teens indicted for cheerleader beating From the violence of 6 Florida cheerleaders to three young girls on a playground in Pennsylvania, last week the issue of “Girl Bullying” hit the news in full force Last week, two devastating stories about girls hit the national press. In one, a ten-year-old girl was yanked off of the monkey... Read more »
When you have an oversensitive child with a hair-trigger temper, it really puts you—and other family members—on edge. You begin to tip toe around him or her; you feel like you can’t be direct for fear of causing an angry, explosive response. You also start to feel responsible for your kid’s behavior and “take the... Read more »
Does Your Child Say This? "I hate you." Of all the weapons in your child’s arsenal, the words “I hate you” can have the power to reduce any parent to tears or anger. Children know that saying this can paralyze a parent during a fight, which is why they use this tactic to get what they... Read more »
Imagine a child born to alcoholic parents who abandoned him when he was still a baby, leaving him in his crib wearing nothing but a diaper. Miraculously, the child was discovered by the landlord, but was so sick he nearly died. The landlord’s son and his wife decided to adopt him and raise him as... Read more »
