“My boss yelled at me for missing my third day of work in two weeks, but I had to go help Dad. What choice did I have? His dementia is getting worse and he keeps forgetting to take his medication. Last night the neighbors found him wandering around in his pajamas. Two hours after I... Read more »
These days, we’re bombarded with mixed messages about how to parent “the right way.” It’s easy to buy into advice from the media, relatives, and other parents and start to worry that we’re doing something wrong. We’re often comparing ourselves to others—and feeling judged and criticized by them. One of the most important ways to... Read more »
A recent viral video of a group of pre-teen kids bullying and berating an elderly bus monitor showed us just how pervasive it is in society for children and teens to be rude and disrespectful to adults. Sadly, this kind of behavior from kids is everywhere, and it only seems to be getting worse. Parenting is... Read more »
When someone has Oppositional Defiant Disorder, age is irrelevant. The sibling roles, even as adults, are ingrained after a lifetime of training. Both of my children are back home now -- my daughter having graduated from college and now working to pay off student loans, and my son working his way through school to avoid... Read more »
"My 13-year-old daughter's bedroom is a complete mess. It looks like a tornado just ripped through it. And when I ask her politely to clean it up, she either ignores me or throws a fit!" If this sounds like your child, you're not alone. Many parents who use the Empowering Parents coaching service complain about... Read more »
This is the story of James Lehman, my husband, and my partner in changing the lives of thousands of parents and kids worldwide through The Total Transformation® program. His story is both incredible and common. It's a story of struggle, triumph and always looking forward to doing the next thing right. It's a story of hope. Imagine... Read more »
When I answered the phone, I heard the shrieks immediately. It was obvious that a child was having a nuclear meltdown on the other end of the line and the mother, exhausted and frantic, was calling parent coaching for help. As the mother tried to explain what was going on, I struggled to hear her... Read more »
“That’s just the Terrible Two’s.” “He's just being a brat. All he needs is a good attitude adjustment.” “She needs to know that you’re in control. Be consistent.” If your young child is behaving in a way that is oppositional or defiant, you’ve probably heard one or more of these phrases from family, friends, teachers or the lady... Read more »
Picture this scene: Your teen’s curfew is 11:30 p.m. and you stay up waiting for her. When she doesn’t come home on time, you pace and worry, your mood alternating between fear and anger. When your daughter finally waltzes in well past midnight, she disrupts everyone in the house and makes excuses when you ask,... Read more »
Over the years, as technology has evolved and material things have become more readily available, our society has developed a strong sense of “the wants.” In this modern world, we don’t like to wait for things like computers, cars and houses—delayed gratification is a thing of the past. Our children have embraced this sense of... Read more »