I have to admit that I didn’t fully appreciate my parents when I was a teen. It wasn’t until moving out of the house for the first time that I realized just how much I really needed them! When I burned French toast and set off the fire alarm, I called home. When I […]
When kids are young (and even when they’re older!), it can seem like the best way to teach good behavior is by setting lots of rules and limits. And of course, children do need some limits set with love. But as parenting expert Alfie Kohn explains in his book Unconditional Parenting, kids need “to […]
“Aaron!” she yells out to her son. No response. “Aaaaaarooooooonnnn!” Her voice gets louder and angrier. I try not to listen, but I can’t help but overhear as my neighbor’s shouts leak through our apparently too thin walls. While I’ve seen some great moments of love and parenting from this woman, […]
It’s the third time you’ve asked today, and Suzie still won’t take five minutes to sweep the kitchen. Jimmy has been playing video games for hours, but he refuses to stop and vacuum the living room. Natalie is dragging her feet yet again and still hasn’t fed the dog. Sound familiar? After constantly nagging your […]
Teachers talk to each other about that “problem child” in their class. Parents worry because their son is hyperactive, or their daughter is shy. As adults, we often label children based on their behaviors or traits. How do these labels affect children? Here are a few reasons that adults should be cautious about labeling children. […]
It’s an American tradition to make resolutions for the new year. But sometimes these resolutions are so lofty, people don’t keep up with them. This year, keep it simple. Instead of making a whole list of complicated goals for the year that are way too specific, make some general decisions that apply to the whole […]
Some of my favorite memories growing up are from family game nights. My oldest sister would be making cool creations with the game pieces, my dad would be trying his best to win, and the rest of us would gang up against my dad. There was always plenty of laughter, joking, and all-around fun. While […]
Checking blood sugar, counting carbs, injecting shots of insulin — all this and more are just another part of living with diabetes. And it’s not just a few people who have to constantly worry about keeping their blood sugar levels just right. In fact, over 30 million people in the US have diabetes, or about […]
Ever feel like sometimes you find yourself telling your children “no” a lot? The habit of making “no” your automatic response sometimes just seems easier, because a child’s requests might seem likely to cause more of a mess, stress, or complications to deal with. A clarifying new outlook can be found from taking the challenge […]
Research shows that teens are now more stressed than adults and are overdosing on drugs and committing suicide at higher rates. In Part 1: How American Teens are Hurting Themselves, we saw from a pediatrician’s perspective how stressed and depressed teens are abusing drugs and alcohol, committing suicide and even finding new ways–like extreme “fad” diets […]
