I really truly believe in the power of parents. I wouldn't be doing what I do if I didn't, right? I've written two books about it; I teach classes about it; I lecture about it, preach about it, consult about it. Parents who are deliberate in their parenting--who give thought to and discuss the ways they want to raise their kids--are on the track to raising pretty darn great kids. Yesterday I had one of those belief affirming experiences. I attended the Bat Mitzvah of a now young woman, … [Read more...] about The Proof is in the Pudding
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Attachment, Regardless of Age
I don't know a person in the world whose breath was not taken away by the story of Jaycee Dugard's homecoming. Isn't it every parent's worst nightmare that her child will be stolen from her, never to be seen, hugged, kissed again? It' would be like someone reaching into your chest and pulling out your heart. Of all the press this story has gotten, of all the horror stories that continue to surface, of all the details that are being revealed, of all the insights that mental health workers have … [Read more...] about Attachment, Regardless of Age
Sabotaging September and the Start of School
As much as you looked forward to school being out last June, there is something to be said for school being back in session in September..for kids anyway. You loved the lazy days of summer--the care free schedule, the lack of pressure, the slower pace. And your children did, too. But truth be told most children often do better during the regular school year, having the consistent schedule that necessarily accompanies school. But September can be a challenging month. For children there is so … [Read more...] about Sabotaging September and the Start of School
Taking the plunge
This week, coincidentally, I worked with three different clients who came to me with the same issue regarding their children. Theirs is the child who doesn't like to try, who won't try something new--a new lesson, a new activity, a new game, anything new to him--especially if it means he might not be good or good enough in his estimation. This is also the week, coincidentally, that my new website is launching (note the word new.) I have been planning, designing, working and reworking this … [Read more...] about Taking the plunge
Keeping your child safe while you’re texting.
My seminar, Keeping Your Child Safe, is always a sell out. No surprise there. What could be more important than doing everything within a parent's control to keep her child safe? In the seminar I address the things parents must know about a child's safety -- what the real dangers are "out there," the parent's role, what a parent must teach her child. I teach what children need to be taught about keeping themselves safe, too. What I can't teach, however, is common sense. Unfortuantely, it … [Read more...] about Keeping your child safe while you’re texting.
Cousin Sarah’s kids
The topic for my first blog on my new website had been on my mind when I paid a visit to my cousin Sarah and her boys, ages 5 and 7. After spending the afternoon with them, I knew I had found my topic. Sarah lives in a TV free house. (Okay, her husband, also a professor like Sarah, wrote a book about the effects of television viewing on children and how to make it work for your family.) But here's the thing of it, those little boys don't miss it, and they don't ask for it. What was more … [Read more...] about Cousin Sarah’s kids