Posted on 12/4/2019
Q: Our 15-year-old daughter is very demanding and, to be honest, self-centered. One of the things she does is ask one of us for something and demand an instant decision, as in, “Can I go to the...
Read MorePosted on 2/21/2018
Q: When our daughter, an only child, turned thirteen and entered the 8th grade, it was like a switch was flipped. Almost overnight, she went from being a sweet, respectful and obedient child who...
Read MorePosted on 9/6/2017
Responding to my recent columns on video games and smart phones, a reader asks what the problem is, thus proving that these devices can and do cause serious harm to one’s cognitive hardware. He,...
Read MorePosted on 8/9/2017
When I was a child, a popular comic strip was "There Oughta Be a Law." It ran in the paper that came to our doorstep every morning and was one of the first things I went to when it was my turn to...
Read MorePosted on 7/26/2017
Have you ever heard of an addict who was cured of his or her addiction because someone limited, but did not eliminate, their access to the substance or behavior in question? No, you have not. Is...
Read MorePosted on 2/7/2017
As regular readers of this column already know, I am completely, one hundred percent opposed to children, including teenagers still living at home, being in possession of smart phones. No parent...
Read MorePosted on 6/21/2016
Q: Our 12-year-old has a smart phone. I know you don’t approve, but all—and I do mean all—of his friends have them and texting is how they communicate. I don’t think, under the circumstances, that...
Read MorePosted on 2/10/2016
A 4-year-old boy informed his preschool teacher—a friend of mine—that he’d broken his iPad. “Oh!” my friend said. “What a shame. Did you drop it?” “No,” the boy said,...
Read MorePosted on 2/2/2016
<b>Q: We would like to limit our 16-year-old son’s video game and cell phone time. We think homework should come first and then free time. He wants to relax with his video game and phone after...
Read MorePosted on 4/22/2014
The Wall Street Journal says there’s no difference between a child whose primary interest is reading and a child who uses social media obsessively. In WSJ’s March 22-23 “Mind and Matter” column,...
Read MorePosted on 10/24/2018
15 year old daughter confessed to me last night that she went to the park before school and had sex with a boy a few weeks ago. She has had her period, so she doesn't believe she is pregnant. She...
Read MorePosted on 10/15/2018
What is your opinion on a 13 year old having an Instagram account? My son has promised he will keep his account private, share his password with me and only follow people he knows personally if I...
Read MorePosted on 9/12/2018
I am currently reading John's book Teen Proofing. In chapter 3 he discusses the six C-words, curfew, cash, car, cohorts, conflict, and consequences. He gives detailed explanations of how he and...
Read MorePosted on 9/10/2018
HI, My husband and I have been married 2 years. I have 2 boys, 15 and 17, who live with us half the time. He has 2 boys, 23 and 20, who are rarely at our house because they are in college. All 4...
Read MorePosted on 8/28/2018
I'm having a technology issue with my almost 13 year old. We have placed guidelines and restrictions on her computer use but she continues to abuse her privileges. She went all summer with no...
Read MorePosted on 8/13/2018
I am at my wits end with screen time and Fort Night. I try and stay by a limited number of minutes and it’s never enough and always ends up in a huge battle . I give him an hour he takes five...
Read MorePosted on 8/9/2018
What is your opinion about phone apps like "Find My Friends" that allows parents to know their children's location? I had never heard of this but when my oldest left to college, she introduced me...
Read MorePosted on 6/1/2018
Dear John Rosemond, I wrote in a while ago on putting the marriage first. I was never able to get my husband on board which indeed caused a great deal of strife in our family, especially with...
Read MorePosted on 5/6/2018
Our 8-year-old son is seeing kids play graphic video games on portable gaming units. The most recent title was “Call of Duty,” with which we are familiar. We talked about the violence and realism...
Read MorePosted on 5/1/2018
My son is a great student and a talented athlete. He is in 8th grade and during middle school I made him play soccer, take band, run track and just this past year he decided (on his own!!) to try...
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