Teaching Kids Respect

There is a big question making the rounds among the parents at my daughter’s class. Should the kids refer to the parents’ friends as “Mr. Jones” or “Mrs. Smith”, rather than using their first names? I was quite shocked, having come from a home where it would have been unheard of to refer to one [...]

Power Struggles: Who is Misbehaving?

The most common question among parents is how to cope with the ongoing power struggles between parents and kids…bedtime, cleaning their rooms, cooperation in the morning, it goes on and on. These are the common complaints of misbehavior. I remember so clearly the struggles with my firstborn daughter when I decided to nurse her. There [...]

Choosing Safe Activities for Teens Online

According to Department of Labor statistics from 2002, mothers stay home while fathers go to work in 23.2 percent of American families. Only about a quarter of those mothers who stay home while the father works have children between the ages of 14 and 17. Yet there is a growing amount of research that children [...]

Helping Teens with Homework: When to Step In

I have two teenage daughter who make everyday a magical experience. Yes there are the normal issues revolving around raising teenagers…hormones, the growing need for independence, and other typical teen issues. However, the area we struggle with the most is homework. Its hard to know when to step in and when to let them accept [...]