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 [...]
How do we teach compassion, in a genuine way, to our children? This has been an ongoing theme in my practice over the course of the past year or two. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions I'm asked, and a few thoughts: - With so many people suffering around us, why is [...]
Going through airport security this past Friday en route to San Francisco, my wife, son and I finally reached the agent for the last of several ID verification checks. The agent scanned and closely eyeballed the picture ID’s for Julie and I, and then asked George his name. As we were packing up the paperwork, [...]
A piece Tuesday morning on "Good Morning America" suggests, correctly, that sexting is on the rise among teenagers. They also note that, with the advent of smart phones that can make video segments, sexting of racy video is increasingly insidious. The host of the piece, Elizabeth Hasselbeck, suggests that parents "keep the conversation going" with [...]
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 [...]
We spend so much of our lives pushing, don't we, striving to attain some status, acquire some thing, know some important person, or earn some amount of money? We errantly believe that once we make that first million, or drive that Mercedes, or hob-nob with those Joneses, then we will have arrived. But as anyone [...]
Stuff. It's so deceptive, you know? A few years ago, I was eyeing the newest, hottest Mac laptop computer. Sleek, steely, wildly hip. Believed that once I had that, well, then all the pieces will finally have fallen into place for me. I will compose great works, write ground-breaking music, edit bitchin' video footage. I [...]
Over the past few months, I've noticed something interesting about teen relationships. They seem to have become, well, relationships again. Over the past several years, there has been a trend toward hanging out in packs, with allowances for occasional "hook-ups" within the group - typically not very serious stuff. In the past few months, however, [...]