I write this from the road, literally. I am in the midst of a good old-fashioned family road trip. Now, the nature of my work dictates that I spend a lot of time thinking about the ways in which families work, those things that create a cohesive unit. And I'm suddenly thinking that we may, [...]
In my clinical practice, I see frequent referrals in which parents are deeply concerned with their teen's overuse of electronics. They cite myriad fears and concerns, including stress, lack of attention to schoolwork, too little face-to-face contact with others, a decrease in social skills, and brain damage. Their concerns are not unfounded. In fact, I [...]
Yeah, you've probably envisioned the perfect morning. Cup of coffee out on the deck at sunrise, perhaps. Deep-breathing and yoga stretches? A gentle jog through the woods? When you're a parent, those ideal mornings tend to fall away for an hour or two that tends to be a bit more, say, chaotic. More like a [...]
I've come across the issue of how teens handle, or mis-handle, money many, many times. This is a truly tricky topic. By and large, parents I work with want their teens to be able to date, provided they are mature enough for that type of relationship. In the same breath, parents also want their children [...]
I've been fielding a lot of questions lately from parents concerned about sibling rivalry amongst their teens and tweens. So, here are a few notes on sibling strife: - Blatant favoritism by a parent drives a lot of sibling strife. It is critical that parents show positive regard to all siblings. This is most difficult [...]
Here are a few thoughts on children and gender roles: I encourage parents to follow and support their childrens' interests, independent of expected gender roles. There is a greater likelihood, in my experience, that a child will thrive in an area that interests him or her, than if they are pushed into roles solely because [...]
My wife and I met more than twenty years ago in an improv class at Chicago's famed Second City. So it's fun when we head down there to take in the latest show, which we did a couple weeks ago. Three guys took the stage, bare as usual save for three small chairs. And these [...]
As his parent, you provide all of the context for the life of your young child. You are his life. You decide what he does, and when. Every person and situation he is exposed to falls within your purview. Everything that comes through his senses to his mind – every bit of it is provided [...]
"What do I do if I can't stand my kid?" This question was posed to me by the father of a teenage boy recently. His son is all "punked-out", as this dad put it. He doesn't really try very hard in school. There's the skateboarding and the earrings. His clothes are too big. And for [...]
Frank is a cabbie. His large frame fits awkwardly in the well-worn driver's seat of the old Caprice. My guess is they've both seen better days. Frank tells me he's forty-five. Yet he seems more than a decade older, world-weary, worn and tired. You can see it in his hands, hear it in his voice. [...]