Clearly the parent is supposed to be in charge, and I’m not suggesting otherwise. In fact statistics even show us that well-defined boundaries result in the best outcome for raising children. However, both my clinical and personal experiences show that being willing to give a little sometimes can have a tremendous impact on your relationship with your children.
The Growing Parent: Anger & Listening
Make a point to listen to your child’s side of the story. This can often be extremely challenging for some parents, particularly when your child is clearly in the wrong. Nonetheless, it is extremely important for our children to feel confident that we are listening to them and understanding what they are trying to say.
How to be Like Iron Man
The character of Iron Man intrigues me. He is a combination superhero and rapscallion with a smidgen of chivalry thrown in to endear him to the hearts of many people. Beneath his modern day suit of armor, he shines as any Knight of the Roundtable, albeit more like a Monty Python character than the classic versions of knights like Arthur.
The Growing Parent: Performance Night- A Way to Connect with Your Kids
“My job keeps me so busy that I feel like I have no clue what is going on in my daughter’s life. How can I reconnect with her to feel like I know who she is anymore?”
The Growing Parent: Dating
“My 14-year-old son just asked me if he can take his girlfriend to the school dance this weekend and I’m afraid to let him go because of what he may do with her afterwards. Should I let him go?”
A Lesson in Breaking Through
The markings were evident: the imprint of a bird’s body, wings spread, in flight, trying to find a way through. It happens every year at that same window. Once, I witnessed a bird hit the window, very hard, only to go back and try again. And again. It hit the window so many times, and with such force that it knocked itself out and lay there on the ground as I watched and wondered at its persistence in trying to break through a way that gave the appearance of one thing, but was not what it seemed.
Everyone doesn’t get a trophy
Have you noticed that in our culture these days, everyone get a trophy? Kids are not told that failure is an option. Instead, they are given an award for the hardest worker or most determined. It turns out that this might not be the best approach… Children may perform better in … Read More
Picture Perfect People
I was traveling recently and while waiting for a connecting flight, I stepped into a store to make a purchase. One entire wall was covered completely in magazines. I stepped back for a moment to view the wall as one entity and what I noticed was that every cover (for … Read More
Cycles of life
Isn’t it amazing how fast we see our life go by? It’s often referred to as “the cycle of life.” We can see it very clearly in those around us who have been on this earth for many years. How do you envision yourself handling the time when your parents … Read More
Foundations for Friendship
Who is a true friend? What does it take to maintain friendships? Whom do you want as your friends? These are, or should be, some of the questions we ask ourselves to really know who our friends are. We often experience life with many people around us. We choose certain … Read More
