Kasey* was a fifteen-year-old girl who arrived at my adolescent treatment center with a rap sheet and an attitude. She was beautiful, she came from a very wealthy family—and she was way out of control. When we met, I began to lay down the usual ground rules. Kasey, who towered over me, screamed, “F--- you,... Read more »
"It started out with my daughter yelling 'NO' whenever she didn't get her way when she was a toddler. Then when she got into elementary school, she started throwing things and slamming doors any time she didn't get what she wanted. I thought it was just a phase. Over time, it got to a point... Read more »
The documentary “Bully” follows the lives of five children who are the victims of verbal and physical cruelty at the hands of their fellow students—and it’s getting people to sit up and take notice of a problem that just seems to get more pervasive and toxic as the years go by. In spite of all of... Read more »
It’s incredibly frustrating to deal with a child who refuses to take care of himself or herself—a child with bad hygiene. When our kids look bad and smell bad, we often see it as a reflection of our parenting. Indeed, a child's poor hygiene is embarrassing to their parents. We hear from many parents during... Read more »
Recently I met a frazzled mom at a conference about special education. “I’m so worried about my 16-year old daughter,” she confided. “She is defiant, hates school and won’t let the teachers help her. She is really struggling.” As she went on literally wringing her hands, I finally had to ask her, “Does your daughter... Read more »
Do you have a “good” kid who’s starting to act out? All of a sudden, he’s pushing your buttons, failing to comply with rules and his bad attitude has soared through the roof. You start to wonder what happened to your child—and where you went wrong. Your parenting hasn’t changed, so what’s going on? What’s... Read more »
Does it seem like you have a war going on in your family—with you on one side, and your kids on the other? Many parents feel like they live in the middle of a battle zone and that at any given moment they might step on a landmine. Maybe you have a teen who is... Read more »
Do you feel like your teen tunes you out—or just plain ignores you—any time you make a request or try to have a real conversation? If you’re feeling this way, it’s probably not your imagination. This is a weapon adolescents have in their arsenal, and many use it to manipulate their parents passive-aggressively. Keep in... Read more »
Punching holes in the wall. Breaking and throwing things. Smashing your car's windshield. Most of us never expect to face these behaviors from our children, but it happens all too often with defiant children and teens. We see many kids who purposely destroy family property out of anger or for spiteful, vengeful reasons. And when it... Read more »
Does your child's behavior make you feel out of control? Do you find yourself walking on eggshells so that you don’t “set him off?” It might be your five year old who has tantrums and acts out, or perhaps it’s your teenager who fights with you all the time. Your consequences mean nothing to him,... Read more »