I’m reading a marvelous book for parents of teens titled 7 Things Your Teenager Won’t Tell You — And How to Talk About them Anyway by Jenifer Lippincott and Robin Deutsch, Ph.D. The first fundamental principle to to make a promise to keep the conversation going. I have been talking about this for years. I…
Children always need unconditional love. They especially need to feel this from adults when they are judging themselves so fiercely during the middle school years. The middle school years were a pivotal time for my daughter and me. What my daughter needed from me was unconditional love. She was experiencing the developmentally appropriate inner turmoil…
Today, the webinar participants and myself had a great time learning 3 Key Points for building greater cooperation with teens. One mom said the webinar was “a fantastic and powerful talk today.” Soon the 45 minute webinar with power point slides will be available. The 3 Points I covered were: 1. Develop a vision of…
Emotional Changes for Children Ages 11 – 13 Source: Your Child’s Emotional Health, Philadelphia Child Guidance Center © 1993 Fears Failure in school, sports or social popularity Looking and acting “strange” Death or life-threatening illness or disease Sex (attracting others, repelling other, being attacked) Being fooled or “brainwashed” Losing possessions, being robbed Sexuality Increased capacity…
Co-written by: Jennifer Klein (during her teen years, circa 2004) Back in 2004, when I was teaching a parenting class focused on teenagers, I asked my daughter what she felt were the essential needs of a teenager. She was 16 at the time. I believe her wisdom is timeless. #1: Support Anything from going to…
Jane Nelsen, PhD. has written numerous parenting books that are based on positive discipline. She says that for discipline to be effective; it needs to contain these four qualities. . Maintains a sense of connection Is effective long term Respectful Teaches social and life skills which develop good character. Here are examples of parenting strategies…
My daughter is now 24. The only way I could survive the teenage years and have some happy moments is through approaching parenting as an opportunity for personal growth. I would learn how to change through the experience of having a teenage girl that was doing some risky behaviors. I worked at staying connected to…
In my earlier article, I showed how often parents use communication blocks without even realizing it. A communication block is a remark or response to your kid’s statement that ends up feeling hurtful to them. Often our thoughts are just, I’m just trying to help, and instead our kids get mad at us. I suggest…
At Mid-Peninsula High School, well meaning parents discovered that words they thought were helpful were actually blocking communication. Their words had underlying hurtful messages. Responding with truly empathetic comments when your teen is struggling is quite challenging. Here are some common ways parents respond to teenagers that actually shuts down communication. Learn why well meaning…
My son was only fourteen when he told me he had been contemplating suicide. And although that day and the ones to follow were some of the most difficult and darkest days of my life—I am so grateful it happened. As a result of this, I tried to figure out how I could create an…
Terms of Use: The articles in my blog are a matter of my opinion and perspective, offered to help stimulate parents' thinking about their child raising and common concerns, conflicts, and changes that typically occur. They are meant to be educational only. Because they are general in nature, they should NOT be used as a substitute for getting qualified professional psychological, medical, or legal help should serious need arise. The resources I recommend are mostly consistent with my parenting approach. Use them at your own discretion as you would my articles. The parents’ success stories are particular to their family situation. This does not mean that you would get the same results. They are to be used for inspiration that by you changing first, you have the greatest chance of creating a positive change in your family.