Most kids I know, professionally or personally, have too much stuff.

The degree of appreciation that anyone has for their possessions goes down as the number of those possessions increases.  We say that we want our children to be appreciative, but then we violate this basic principle, thereby...

Upon hearing these words, some parents freak out.  They think their children are considering suicide.  They have concerns about their child's mental and emotional stability.  They worry that their children are unhappy.

It's probably true that the child is unhappy.  This unhappinesss in not a...

Margaret, fifteen years old, smokes cigarettes.  Her mother, obviously, would like her to quit.  When she discovers that Margaret is smoking or has cigarettes in her possession, she punishes her.  With each discovery, the punishment increases in severity or duration. 

Margaret continues to...

Many parents enjoy coaching their children in organized sports.  Some see this activity as the most positive way they can be actively involved in with their kids.  While this may be the case, there are some additional considerations to keep in mind.

There are many benefits of participation in...

In well-functioning families, there is an intact generational boundary.

What does this mean?  Between the children and the adults in the family, there is an unseen dividing line.  This lines acts more as a semi-permeable membrane than a brick walI.  It means that some information passes...

I have a simple rule for dealing with the children in my life:  I never, ever, (shall I say ever once more, for effect?) do what a child demands of me.

Some children have such a sense of entitlement that they view their parents as servants or hand-maidens.  They state rather than request what...

If some self-esteem is good, isn't more better?

All parents say they want their kids to have high self-esteem, but is this what we should want for our children--to have high self-regard no matter what?

Self-esteem should be connected to performance--not just in the classroom or on the athletic...

Many parents despair that they need to be more consistent in their dealings with their children.  But sometimes this very consistency can be a problem.

Let's say you have just announced to your child, in a fit of frustration over some unpleasant conduct, that he will be grounded for the next...

Parents concerned about angry children typically see two solutions:  1) emotional expression of the anger or 2) counseling to get at its "roots".  Each of these approaches is misguided and usually produces little progress.  Sometimes, they make things even worse.  Let's look of some of the...

When I do presentations to groups of parents, I commonly ask "How many of you have kids that you would describe as argumentative?"  Typically, more than two-thirds of the audience raise their hand (and I assume that there are others who are reluctant to acknowledge the problem publicly). ...