Do you ever wonder if you're giving the right consequences? Perhaps you don't feel like it's having an effect on your child's behavior. And are natural consequences for children always the best thing? Parenting strategies that explain the right way to give consequences to your child and teen—and the importance of giving rewards.
The alarm goes off and the morning battle begins: you knock on your child’s bedroom door to wake him, but you have to go back time and again to make sure he’s actually up, your voice rising with each “wake-up call.” As the minutes tick by and he still hasn’t gotten out of bed, you... Read more »
If you’re having trouble giving effective consequences to your teen, know that you are not alone. Many parents tell me that nothing seems to work, and that coming up with the right thing for their child can seem like an impossible task. If you’re the parent of an adolescent, you may have grounded your child,... Read more »
Summertime is on the way. While many parents look forward to a more leisurely pace, others dread the season because the structure in their kids’ schedules breaks down. It’s important to begin as early as possible to help your children plan their time—and that includes establishing their curfew. Establishing curfew times—and holding your children to it—can often... Read more »
When your child acts out or breaks the rules, it’s normal to feel your authority as a parent slipping away. If you’re like most parents, you’ve tried everything: you’ve taken the car away, locked the video games in a cabinet, and have even considered cancelling Christmas or a birthday party. You’ve probably... Read more »
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 »
Maybe you started out the school year on the right foot. All those late summer discussions about your kids getting organized, laying their clothes out the night before, getting out of bed on time, fixing their own breakfast, getting through the morning without arguments—you really thought you got through to them. And maybe things went relatively... Read more »
Do these situations sound familiar? Your 10-year-old won’t listen to you when you tell her to come inside for dinner. You rack your brain for a way to change this behavior so that in the future she will do as you ask. Your teenager breaks curfew – again. You thought you had addressed this with... Read more »
Many parents are at a loss for what to do with their older children during the summer months – they may get the summer off, but you probably don’t. That leaves a whole chunk of time to fill each day. How do you know if your child is responsible enough to be left home alone?... Read more »
“Have you ever wondered what’s going on inside your teenager’s head?” What was she thinking when she made that choice? Why won’t he listen to what I’m telling him? It can seem as if an adolescent is completely wrapped up in a separate world, feet planted firmly in the air instead of on... 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 »