Joint Custody: How to Answer Your Child's Questions about Parental Conflict...
Most children of divorce are well aware when conflict is going on between their co-parents, even if they have no idea what it's about and you've taken great pains to protect them from witnessing or...
View ArticleHow do I instill a strong work ethic in my teenage son?
My 13 year old son was given the opportunity to make some extra cash this summer by doing yardwork and other small projects for friends and neighbors, but because he often decides not to put out much...
View ArticleHow do I help my teenage daughter deal with mean girls?
When I hear about some of the things these girls are doing and saying to each other, my blood just boils! I know I can't call their mothers or confront them myself, but what am I supposed to do when my...
View ArticleHow can I make my daughter's father see that he is hurting her feelings?
I am so worried about my 18 year old daughter. Her dad and I split up when she was a toddler, and she does not have a good relationship with him at all. He criticizes her often, and leaves her out of...
View ArticleWhat NOT to say if your elementary-age child experiments with stealing (and...
Your child stole something and you found out. You are simultaneously embarrassed, shocked, and worried that you've failed to install a sense of morality in your child. It seems like it's time for a...
View Articlesix powerful words for parents
this article really gets it right: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rachel-macy-stafford/six-words-you-should-say-today_b_3863643.html For more information about Karen's parenting or interpersonal...
View ArticleMy child is hyper and revved up in the evenings. How do I get him to settle...
My son gets so squirrelly in the evenings that he just can't seem to settle down at bedtime. We've tried music, stories, warm baths with lavender, massage, calming teas, and every other soothing aid we...
View ArticleWhat's wrong with tickling my child, and what should I do instead?
You said in your last post not to tickle. Why? I tickle my child just a little bit and she seems to like it -- she even asks for it! There are lots of different lines of thought about tickling, of...
View Articleyour baby cries in order to communicate - please don't ignore her
I would love to see this article by a psychology professor at Notre Dame given to every new parent -- will you help me pass it along? There's a biological reason why crying is so physically aversive...
View Articlegreat article about weight issues in preteen girls
by Dr. Laura Markam at www.ahaparenting.com http://www.ahaparenting.com/ask-the-doctor-1/weight-issues-in-pre-teen-girls For more information about Karen's parenting or interpersonal communication...
View Articlethe lastest science about the teenage brain
Dan Siegel, author of the excellent parenting book Parenting from the Inside Out, has recently published a new book about the teenage brain: Brainstorm. I just listened to him being interviewed by Dr....
View Articletip for divorce/joint custody mediation
During high conflict mediations, it can be tempting to point out how unreasonable, wrong, misguided or irrational the other party is being. The risk of doing so is two-fold: One, the mediator (who in...
View Articlewhat kids really need from their parents after a divorce
spoiler alert: It's NOT an exact 50/50 split of overnights I witness many parents fighting tooth and nail for 50/50 parenting time; investing tremendous amounts of time, energy and money into ensuring...
View ArticleAssume that helping your child with his homework improves his grades? Think...
Just read a fascinating article in the New York Times about parental involvement. You might think it's a no-brainer that the more involved the parent, the better the kid's school performance. But that...
View ArticleNothing we do makes a dent in these troubling behaviors of our three year old
Here are some of the troubling behaviors of our three year old son: - head butts walls and anything hard - eats weird things like fluff and string - steals lighters and sets fires in his room- turns...
View ArticleThe Trouble with Time Out
Before I begin, please understand that I believe time out is a major improvement over spanking and physical punishment. There's much to celebrate when a culture stops intentionally inflicting pain...
View ArticleWhat teachers know but can't say ...
A touching perspective from a teacher about THAT kid -- the one your child talks about every day after school who smells bad or pushes other kids or is disruptive in class: I want to talk about THAT...
View ArticleJoint Custody: When Your Ex Talks Unfairly About You To Others
Dear Karen - My ex tells our daughter's teacher, doctor and her friends' parents things that aren't true about me. How and at what point should I defend myself against these false characterizations?...
View ArticleJoint Custody: When your child is upset about something at their other...
Dear Karen, My six year old daughter told me that her father locked her in her room with no breakfast, lunch or dinner. She tells the same story over and over again like it happened yesterday. Her dad...
View ArticleWhat Works Better Than Punishment?
I teach a parenting class at a jail. Today I was saddened to hear that every single one of the inmates in my class, without exception, was punished, often quite severely, for expressing anger as a...
View Articlewhat kids tell a divorce lawyer
sharing this great article for divorced/divorcing parents: http://www.biffresponse.com/blog/what-children-tell-a-divorce-lawyer/ the food concern was one I had not heard before. For more information...
View Articleit's not always about the teenage brain
I think it's unfortunate that popular culture in the US places the blame squarely on the teenager when power struggles erupt between parents and their offspring.It's not always about the teenage brain!...
View Articlelink to insightful article about parents, teens, and social media use
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/parenting/wp/2018/01/09/what-teens-wish-their-parents-knew-about-social-media/?tid=hybrid_popularity_challenger_1_na&utm_term=.4e3571b0bb9a For more information...
View ArticlePodcast Interview
I was recently interviewed on the Parenting Well podcast. Listen here:...
View Article
