Posted on 5/16/2017
By the time this column appears in most papers to which it is distributed, Mother’s Day 2017 will have come and gone. Nonetheless, I’m going to talk about mothers—one in particular. ...
Read MorePosted on 3/8/2017
A couple of months ago, following a talk I gave in Georgia, a woman told me she had been offended by my many references to mothers who are enmeshed in their children's lives. These women, when...
Read MorePosted on 1/3/2017
One of the biggest problems among today’s parents—especially mothers—concerns their tendency to think in psychological terms about their children’s behavior problems. Mothers are more prone to...
Read MorePosted on 12/28/2016
I recently asked a married couple who have three kids, none of whom are yet teens, “Who are the most important people in your family?” Like all good moms and dads of this brave new...
Read MorePosted on 5/27/2015
My mother was a most unusual woman for her generation. She divorced my father when I was three, went to college and eventually obtained a Ph.D. in plant morphology when women were not heartily...
Read MorePosted on 11/29/2011
The micromanager mom and the man-child dad Devon Corneal is an attorney and a writer. Her essay "Can You Hear Me Now? Why Parents Can't Get Kids to Listen" was published online by The...
Read MorePosted on 11/22/2011
Respect children; don't idolize them A young mother who identified herself as a practitioner of "attachment parenting" recently told me that "children should be approached with reverence." I...
Read MorePosted on 11/15/2011
How to 'parent from the marriage' Q: Several years ago, I married a widower who never disciplined his children. They are now 9, 14 and 16 and he still has a very difficult time denying them...
Read MorePosted on 4/12/2011
Moms must enforce boundaries with children A journalist recently began an interview with me with this question: "What is the biggest problem in American parenting today? Is it sex, drugs,...
Read MorePosted on 12/28/2010
Child off to school sets off mom's angst trigger Q. Since the oldest of my three children started kindergarten this year, I have become increasingly attached to her, as if I took for granted...
Read MorePosted 4 days ago
My daughter is 21 months. She constantly wants me to hold her when we are home. I cannot keep it up. If I don’t hold her when she wants, she cries and cries. Help! What should I do? Also, she’s...
Read MorePosted 1 week ago
My two and a half year old does well with listening when I use alpha speech and she is looking at me. I usually tell her, "Look at mommy" before I tell her what to do because I have found that if...
Read MorePosted 1 week ago
We have struggled with our child being ashamed to be seen with either of us (her parents) in public, to the point that she acts in a way that hurts us. She is now in middle school (7th grade);...
Read MorePosted 2 weeks ago
I have a perhaps unusual question. We are about to embark on toddlerhood and toilet training, and want to be prepared in case things don't go smoothly. I think we will need an alternative to...
Read MorePosted 3 weeks ago
I have been using the ticket system with my 5-year-old for about a week now. When he loses his tickets he’s sent to his room for the remainder of the day. However, my son seems to be dealing with...
Read MorePosted on 10/10/2019
Our 5 yo son is very well-behaved at school (he just started kindergarten 6 weeks ago) but his behavior has worsened by extremes at home. Especially at bedtime, if I don't snuggle him in his bed...
Read MorePosted on 9/16/2019
My 3 year old daughter has developed a bad habit at dinner time. Although she’s usually pretty good to try new foods, every now and then she will - for some unknown reason - hold a bite of food in...
Read MorePosted on 9/15/2019
I just started reading the well behaved child. I have a 6 year old girl and a 10 year old boy. Their behavior has gotten worse. My daughter comes out of her room constantly after having been...
Read MorePosted on 9/15/2019
I am a single mom with a 6-year-old girl. Both sets of grandparents live close by, and she is very close to both of them. I am trying to teach her that when we visit, she is to say hello,...
Read MorePosted on 9/7/2019
Few days ago, I posted a question regarding my 23 month old who is strongly refusing to sleep on her own, and Kaye Wilson answered my question under the 2-yo Bedtime Tyrant title. I have been...
Read More