We often forget that children aren't born with a built-in sense of respect for others. Our children need to be taught to be respectful. Think about it, babies are born having to manipulate their world to get their needs met, and they do this primarily by crying. Crying is natural and appropriate for babies—it's how... Read more »
“My 17 year old son lies all the time,” a mother said to me recently. “He lies about his schoolwork, what he ate for lunch and whether or not he’s brushed his teeth. He also exaggerates to make his stories more dramatic or to make himself sound bigger. It’s come to the point where I... Read more »
Why do so many kids act entitled? No matter what they get—clothes, sneakers, toys, gadgets—they seem to want more and don't understand why they can't have it immediately. It can be incredibly frustrating when your child reacts with a bad attitude or acting-out behavior when you say 'no' to a request. You think to yourself:... Read more »
Why is it so hard to motivate kids? As parents, we often have a funny, inaccurate belief that our children won’t care unless we twist their arms. But the simple truth is that your attempts to motivate your child are probably working against you. You can’t make your child care just because you do—in fact, you... Read more »
Parents often feel it's their job to get their kids to do well in school. Naturally, you might get anxious about this responsibility as a parent. You might also get nervous about your kids succeeding in life—and homework often becomes the focus of that concern. But when parents feel it's their responsibility to get their... Read more »
Verbal abuse and intimidation by children and teens isn't just a phase that goes away—it doesn't just happen. It often has deep roots that begin early in a child's development. And it often begins as a way for kids to try to get power through controlling their parents. In this article, I'm going to show... Read more »
Kids thrive on the connection they have with you, and if a child is always negative, they will usually get a reaction from their parents. As odd as it sounds, sometimes the negativity spewing from your child's lips is not meant to sound as bad as it does. They may simply want contact with you,... Read more »
It’s every parent’s worst nightmare—you go to check on your child in the middle of the night, and she’s not there. Your heart starts pounding and you fly into panic mode, calling her friends, your relatives, and the police. Whether or not your child has run away or threatened to do so—or you fear that she... Read more »
For many parents, every conversation with their kids seems to turn into an argument. The parents I have worked with get completely frustrated and then don’t know how to make it stop. Whether it’s during a difficult time (like adolescence) or over several years, arguing can seem like the only form of communication that parents... Read more »
Q: When your child lies to you, it hurts. As parents, it makes us angry and we take it personally. We feel like we can never trust our child again. Why does lying cause such anger, pain and worry for parents? James: Parents are understandably very afraid of their children getting hurt and getting into trouble,... Read more »
