Question
My husband is a pediatric dentist and daily sees the results of children who are spoiled and underdisciplined. It is not unusual for a 9 or 10 year old to throw a fit about opening their mouth for him. Usually, that is accompanied by a parent who is holding their hand assuring them that it would not hurt, or bribing them with rewards of all varieties for their cooperation. Although our children are far from perfect, I am grateful for the "back to basics" principles that we have learned from you which constantly help us to navigate through the ever confusing sea of parenting advice. Seeing what my husband deals with daily makes it even more motivating to teach our children the time proven values of responsibility, resourcefulness, and respect. In implementing some of your suggestions, I have had friends follow suit, commenting that they never would have thought to go against the grain of society (by getting rid of or limiting video games), but that it has made a huge difference in the atmosphere of their home. Thank you for what you are doing, and for giving parents the "permission," so to speak, to step aside from the "norm" and do what works, even if it not popular.
