Parents often ask me if I think a specific consequence is appropriate for a given situation with their kids. They wonder if it is too harsh or too lenient or tied enough to the offense. Inevitably the conversation transpires into the “rules” that have been established and why they are there. The question I typically ask […]
This is a hard post to write. As I sit here contemplating what to say to those of you who are at a place where you think it is time to kick your kid out because of behavior issues, I hope you’ll read last week’s blog before this one. My prayer is that if there […]
My heart breaks for parents who are struggling with their teens. Most have us have had those fleeting thoughts of “I just wish they would move out”, but we quickly come to our senses. Sometimes we think that it would be easier if they were gone, but we know deep down that they aren’t ready […]
Whether or not to make a teen clean their room is a topic that almost always comes to the surface whenever I lead parenting groups. There are usually parents in both camps–‘it’s not a hill worth dying on’ versus the ‘I can’t stand the mess’ moms. Do you just close the door and hope that […]
Dare 18 in With All Due Respect seems to be a favorite among many of the women who read the book. Every time I’ve led a group, as soon as moms read it they immediately want to talk about it. We laugh because that is the mom we want to be. Why? Most tell me […]
A very wise counselor said to me one time, “If it isn’t a matter of life and death, it doesn’t need to be fixed right now.” Oh, I wish I had heard those words years before and really grasped the true meaning. The most common thing I hear from parents is that a kid knows the consequence […]