You may be familiar with the expression, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.”  If this is true, I must be insane.

Frequently, my husband and I pack up our family for weekends at a family camp.  We manage, most times, to remember everything and everyone. (The movie ‘Home Alone’ comes [...]

One of the worst insults I could receive as a young adult was “You’re so gullible.”  I despised being taken for a fool.  As a result, I learned to question everything I heard and read.
Critical thinking is a skill worth honing and teaching to children.  It is the critical thinkers of the world who become inventors, problem solvers, [...]

Once upon a time, there was a boy who was stubborn.  He had his beliefs and was sticking to ‘em.  The boy believed he should be able to quit baseball mid-season.  He believed his parents should let him.  But the boy’s parents disagreed; they were stubborn too. 
A power struggle – a tug of war – developed between [...]

Getting preteens, especially boys, to open up can be challenging.  I find that the less I ask, the more my son is drawn to be with me; and subsequently, talk to me.   My son has specifically requested that I “not list things” i.e. chores.  Here are some other suggestions for connecting with your tween son.
http://www.tweenparent.com/articles/view/251

My then-two year old daughter staged a tantrum of mammoth proportions.  She growled and screamed and kicked.  Her words were angry and loud.  I felt her frustration and wondered why mine wasn’t rising to meet hers.
A question popped into my head, “What do I need most when I’m out of control?”  The answer: Love.  When [...]