John's Articles

Children Help the Family with Chores and Baby-Sitting

Posted on 2/19/2008

HELP CHILD LEARN TO BE GOOD FAMILY CITIZEN Q. My older daughter is 12 years older than her sibling and is now baby-sitting for us. This is infrequent and usually after the baby's bedtime or...

Siblings Sharing Rooms

Posted on 8/28/2007

WANT YOUR KIDS TO GET ALONG? HAVE THEM SHARE A ROOM The question of whether or not children should share rooms came up on my Web site the other day, causing me to realize that in 31-plus...

3-Year-Old Boy Has Fun With Chore

Posted on 8/21/2007

3-year-old has fun with chore Q. I have recently assigned dish washing in the evening to our 3-year-old. He's quite capable of doing the job, the only problem being that he gets easily...

Too Big For Their Britches

Posted on 5/8/2007

HAVE YOU LET YOUR CHILDREN GET TOO BIG FOR THEIR BRITCHES? When I was a child, my parents found frequent reason to tell me that I was a small fish in a big pond. Sometimes, to keep me on my...

Are All Teens Crazy?

Posted on 2/27/2007

Are teenagers basically nuts? Michael J. Bradley thinks so. An educational psychologist and therapist, Bradley's the author of "Yes, Your Teen is Crazy! Loving Your Kid Without Losing Your Mind."...

7- and 9-Year-Old Household Chores

Posted on 7/25/2006

Chores on Sunday Q: My husband and I agree that our two girls, ages 7 and 9, should make their beds and keep their rooms clean, but I am for giving them Sunday off from chores, and he feels...

10 Ways Parents Can Raise Well-Adjusted Kids

Posted on 7/11/2006

How to grow a happy child, part one: If you are married, have a more active relationship with one another than you have with your children. Spend more time in the roles of husband and wife...

Video Game Issue

Posted on 6/6/2006

THINK VIDEO GAMES ARE OK? LISTEN TO THIS MOM'S STORY When video games first came out, I warned my readers that they were not appropriate for children. I maintained they were not games; rather,...

Businesswoman Credits Good Parenting for her Success

Posted on 4/25/2006

'STRICT' PARENTS HONORED BY SUCCESS Readers sometimes share personal stories with me that deserve inclusion in my ever-expanding "Parenting at Its Best" file. They are stories about people...

Child Needs to be Family Team Player

Posted on 12/13/2005

YOUR CHILD'S MOST IMPORTANT 'TEAM' IS THE FAMILY A father recently told me one reason his 10-year-old son was active in a different sport every season was "he needs to learn how to be a...

11- and 14-Year-Old Computer Use

Posted on 9/13/2005

SUPERVISE CHILDREN'S INTERNET USE ESTABLISH FIRM GUIDELINES, AND THAT SHOULD INCLUDE LOOKING AT THEIR E-MAILS Q: My husband and I have allowed our 14-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son...

Paying Children for Chores and Treating Adults with Respect

Posted on 7/19/2005

QUESTION'S RIDICULOUS, BUT I'LL ANSWER IT ANYWAY I LIKE CHILDREN - WHEN THEY BEHAVE AND TREAT ADULTS WITH RESPECT Most Ridiculous Item of the Week: Someone recently asked me if I like...

Parents Should be Leaders, not Pals

Posted on 4/5/2005

PARENTS SHOULD REAR KIDS, NOT BE PALS These days it seems that the more things change in parenting, the more they keep right on changing. For example Today's parents are trying to...

3-Year-Old Wakes Up Grumpy

Posted on 8/3/2004

More Good Ideas Department: The parents of a 3-year-old boy were troubled that their son always woke up sullen and grumpy in the morning - every morning. They tried everything they could think of...

Children Should Fear Mom and Do Chores

Posted on 7/13/2004

DON'T BE YOUR CHILD'S DOORMAT I was just thinking Isn't it ironic? Part One: In my youth, the typical child was afraid of his mother - a mother, furthermore, who might never have spanked or...

8-Year-Old Swimming Lessons

Posted on 3/30/2004

Q: Our 8-year-old son enjoys playing in a pool or in the ocean where he can touch the bottom. Water that's over his head causes him to panic. He hated swimming lessons last year because the...

Disciplining 5-Year-Old Adopted Child

Posted on 11/25/2003

DON'T BE AFRAID TO DISCIPLINE ADOPTED CHILD Q: We recently adopted a 5-year-old girl from China who had spent her early childhood in an orphanage. Before bringing her home, we read several...

5-Year-Old Needs to Occupy Self

Posted on 10/7/2003

SHOW KIDS THEY'RE SMART ENOUGH TO OCCUPY THEMSELVES Q: I'm a single mom who works full-time from home. At noon, I pick up my 5-year-old from her half-day kindergarten program. Unfortunately,...

Toilet Training By Age 2

Posted on 7/15/2003

SHOW RESPECT FOR 2-YEAR-OLD'S INTELLIGENCE Q: I know that you advocate toilet training before the second birthday, but when children grow up too fast as it is, why rush this? A: Toilet...

Rules for Grandparents

Posted on 4/15/2003

RULES FOR GRANDPARENTS EXPAND If my mail is an indication, my recent column on the role grandparents should occupy in their grandchildren's lives - a nonmaterialistic one - made a lot of...

2nd Grader Does Not Do School Work to his Potential

Posted on 3/18/2003

A'S ONLY CODDLE THIS UNDERACHIEVER Q My second-grade son has received straight A's on both report cards this year. He receives only satisfactory marks in effort, however. His teacher recently...

Chidren Will Change When Their Behavior Causes Them to Become Upset (Babysitting Story)

Posted on 2/25/2003

SOMETIMES A 'SHRUG' GETS RESULTS Every so often, I run across a story that qualifies for inclusion in my growing "Parenting at its Best" collection. These "bests" almost always involve...

Top 10 No-No's When Communicating with Your Child

Posted on 4/30/2002

A TOP 10 LIST OF STUPID-PARENT TRICKS Q: Years ago, you ran a column in which you listed the most common mistakes parents make when they give instructions to children. I had it on my...

United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

Posted on 3/12/2002

See my article on the Convention here: http://bit.ly/2ewuzbI In February 1993, President Clinton signed an international treaty known as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of...

Allowances and Alternating Chores

Posted on 7/10/2001

GIVE KIDS CHORES TO LEARN, NOT TO EARN Q. Two questions: In a recent column, you encouraged the practice of children doing chores and advised that parents not pay for this work. Are you...

Parents Disagree on Paying Children for Chores

Posted on 6/26/2001

KIDS SHOULD DO CHORES WITHOUT EXPECTING PAY Q. My husband and I disagree over paying children for chores. He feels that just as we get paid for doing our jobs, children should be paid for...

9- and 12-Year-Old Don't Want to do Chores

Posted on 2/13/2001

NAGGING IS WRONG TACTIC IN CHORE WARS Q. Our 12-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter share animal chores on our family farm in the evenings. Every night we have to remind them, and they always...

13-Year-Old Wants Out of Job Agreement

Posted on 3/7/2000

IF 13-YEAR-OLD WANTS OUT OF JOB AGREEMENT, RELEASE HIM Q. Our 13 year-old son, an only child, is generally well-behaved and does well in school. This past summer, the three of us decided that...

After-School Activities

Posted on 1/25/2000

BEST AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES TAKE PLACE AT HOME Q. I read the recent column in which you called on parents to take their kids out of all after-school activities. I couldn't help but wonder...

Cut Out After-School Activities to Reduce Parenting Stress

Posted on 1/11/2000

CUTTING EXTRAS AFTER SCHOOL COULD CALM THE HOUSEHOLD I asked a recent audience, some 450 strong, "I can virtually guarantee that by making one simple decision, you can reduce parenting stress...

14-Year-Old Always Asking for Money

Posted on 1/19/1999

14-YEAR-OLD NEEDS TO TAKE CONTROL OF HIS OWN MONEY Q. Our 14-year-old son is forever asking us for money. He wants the latest clothes, shoes, CDs. He wants money for movies, video arcades,...

Child-Rearing and Family Life - Part 2

Posted on 1/5/1999

WITHHOLDING DISCIPLINE LETS FRUSTRATION BUILD TO A BOIL More musings on child rearing and family life: * Proverbs says the parent who holds back the rod of discipline hates his child. This...

Paying Children for Chores

Posted on 9/29/1998

ALL CITIZENS' OF THE FAMILY OUGHT TO DO UNPAID CHORES Q. Having read your book, "A Family of Value,'' I must take exception to your recommendation that children not be paid for chores. It...

12-Year-Old Athlete Not Maintaining Good Grades

Posted on 7/21/1998

GRADES SLIPPED; MUST CHILD MISS SOCCER TOURNAMENT? Q. Four years ago, we adopted an 8-year-old girl with multiple developmental and behavior problems. Prior to joining our family, she had been...

ADD is Real

Posted on 6/2/1998

ADD IS REAL, BUT RETHINK CAUSES AND TREATMENT In a May 10 commentary, Andrea Brunais, editorial page editor for The Tallahassee Democrat, says I don't believe in attention deficit disorder. Oh...

Chores Make Child Useful Within the Family

Posted on 1/13/1998

CHORES BUILD YOUR CHILD'S COMPETENCE AND CHARACTER Colonial children were initiated into the adult world early, but not in a hasty or harsh manner. From the age of 3 or so they were given...

Children Should Be Accountable For Their Behavior

Posted on 12/16/1997

WHEN CHILD GETS TO AGE 2, PUSH HIM OUT OF PARADISE In Genesis 2 and 3, Adam and Eve - after being told not to do so - eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. When God discovers what...

Back-To-School Tips

Posted on 9/9/1997

GET YOUR CHILD FOCUSED FIRST ON SCHOOL, RESPONSIBILITY It seems every journalist who has called me lately wants to know if I have any back-to-school tips for parents. Before I share some with...

Today's Teens are More Prone to Serious Problems Than in Years Past

Posted on 5/27/1997

TEENS AND PARENTS AREN'T WHAT THEY ONCE WERE Q. Every week it seems, I hear yet another horror story about a teen-ager who's gone "off the deep end.'' In many cases, these are kids whose...

Good Parenting Requires Sacrifice

Posted on 3/13/1997

I'M A LOVING DISCIPLINARIAN, NOT A NAZI I've noticed that journalists often conceal an inability to think dispassionately about a given subject by engaging in prose that is "cute.'' Such...

Today's Parents Constantly Serve Their Children

Posted on 2/13/1997

PUBLIC SERVICE STARTS WITH SERVICE TO YOUR FAMILY Alexis de Tocqueville, the author of "Democracy in America,'' defined the genius of our democracy as the willingness, even eagerness, of the...

How To Make Children Do Chores

Posted on 11/21/1996

This is the absolutely true story of how Willie and I took two children who "would not lift a finger around the house'' and removed them from Family Welfare: When our children, Eric and...

Parents, not Teachers, are the Reason for Decline in Education

Posted on 10/17/1996

THE PROBLEM WITH SCHOOLS? PARENTS Richard Louv, a columnist for The San Diego Union-Tribune, began a recent column as follows: "At the beginning of the school year, it's good to remember the...

Understanding and Successfully Managing Your Teen-Ager - Part 4

Posted on 5/2/1996

MUZZLING THE EFFECTS OF PEER PRESSURE EDITOR'S NOTE: Fourth in a series on teen-agers. Q. Every week, it seems, I hear another horror story about a teen-ager who's gone "off the deep...

8- and 10-Year-Old Forgetting Chores

Posted on 1/18/1996

TO HELP KIDS REMEMBER TO DO CHORES, POST THEM ON A SCHEDULE Q. We've tried various forms of punishment to get our children, ages 10 and 8, to remember their chores. But nothing works. We find...

Laid-Back Moms Of the Year

Posted on 12/1/1995

THE RIGHT STUFF, NO GUFF: THAT'S LAID-BACK MOM Back in September, I announced Rosemond's Laid-back Mom of the Year Awards as follows: "Entrants must describe in 250 words or less how they...

5-Year-Old Temper Tantrums

Posted on 7/28/1995

CONFINEMENT AND CONSEQUENCES CALM A WILD CHILD Q. We have three children, ages 7, 5, and nearly 2. The 5-year-old, our only boy, has always thrown wild temper tantrums whenever we don't let...

Problem Children: Emphasis Should be on Solution, not Understanding

Posted on 3/10/1995

Thomas Sowell - author, columnist, economist and brilliant social analyst - says that the problem with America's social policy is the replacement, in one generation, of what worked (and still...

Respect is a Two-Way Street

Posted on 2/24/1995

Q. You emphasize the importance of children having respect for adults. I'm a teenager, and it seems to me that some adults have little respect for children. Isn't respect a two-way street?...

First Grandchild

Posted on 1/13/1995

NOT TO BRAG, BUT LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT MY NEW GRANDSON My grandson, John McHenry Rosemond, was born at 7 a.m. on New Year's Day. I know all grandparents - especially those who, like my wife...

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