Countless parents write to Empowering Parents and say, "I don't know how to make my child behave. He's out of control, and people blame me for his behavior. I feel guilty and ashamed most of the time and very alone. It's the worst feeling in the world." The truth is, you're not supposed to know... Read more »
I’ve talked with a lot of parents who feel out of control in the face of their child’s anger and aggression. In fact, I can’t tell you how many moms and dads have said, “I feel like I’m failing at parenting." In my opinion, it’s not so important why you as a parent aren’t effective... Read more »
"It's not my fault. That's not fair!" How many times has your child shouted this when she’s upset? Although it’s often difficult to know how to respond to this as a parent, understand that it’s normal for children and teens to feel this way from time to time. Kids have keener “fairness detectors” than we... Read more »
Screaming fights. Destructive behavior. Volatile moods. Do your child's anger and rage make you feel exhausted and out of control? In an Empowering Parents poll, Angie S. made the following comment: "I walk on eggshells around my 15-year-old son. It's embarrassing to admit, but I'm afraid of his explosive temper." In that same poll, more than... Read more »
Do you feel like your child has messed up so badly that you might never be able to trust him again? Has he wrecked the car, been caught drinking or using drugs, stolen something from school, or gotten involved in vandalism? As a parent, you are probably feeling hurt, embarrassed, and disappointed—and you wonder, “Will... Read more »
Does your child ignore your requests to clean his room? Does he seem unable or unwilling to do even the simplest household chores? How do you teach a child to be responsible without nagging and screaming? In addition to being a mom herself, Janet Lehman, MSW, is a social worker who successfully ran residential treatment... Read more »
If you're a parent, you've probably been there: your child says or does something that pushes your buttons, and the next thing you know, you're yelling and screaming at the top of your lungs. And they're responding in kind. Afterward, you feel drained, upset, and frustrated. You wonder why it always has to come down... Read more »
As we all know too well, name–calling, cruel taunts, cyberbullying, and physical bullying happen every day to kids across the country. When your child is being bullied, it’s hard to concentrate on anything else—all you want to do is make it stop immediately. At some point, your child will be picked on or will have... Read more »
When you catch your child in a lie, it's natural to feel betrayed, hurt, angry, and frustrated. But here's the truth: lying is a normal child behavior problem. It needs to be addressed, but for most kids, it's not a character flaw, and it's not an issue of morality. Instead, lying is the immature and ineffective... Read more »
Have you gotten "the call" from your child's school? Janet Lehman, MSW talks frankly about how she and her husband James handled things when their son had trouble at school. During our son’s third-grade year, we received a phone call from his teacher saying that she was concerned about our child’s chances of passing that year.... Read more »