Teen drinking. Not a pleasant thought, especially if you are the parent of a high school student. Your mind jumps to all sorts of possible outcomes: alcohol poisoning, a police arrest, mangled cars, ambulance lights flashing... And the numbers support…
Q: Lately, my 5-year-old has decided it’s funny to run away from me in public places. To him it’s a game. I am not only frustrated and angry, I’m also worried about his safety. How can I help him understand…
If you have a toddler or preschooler, chances are good you’ve been in on a play date recently. As a work-from-home mom, I look forward to play dates in which my son and I can both participate. They provide a…
When our kids get to a certain age and they seem relatively well-adjusted and we like them, and they like us back, we might look at some of the things we have done along the way and declare that these…
My husband once accused me of lying in bed and dreaming up ways to injure our children. “How about a zip line?” I suggested to Scott one morning over coffee. That very afternoon our medium-sized daughter bounded off the bus…
It is the day after a beautiful snowfall. The skies are clearing. The wind in the high pines unspools snow like tulle. I am supervising the outfitting of my two sons as they prepare to hit the sledding hill. “Have…
Q: My 3-year-old is the exact opposite of his older sister. I thought I had a system for discipline based on reinforcing positive behaviors, but nothing is working. Can you recommend some discipline techniques? A: Our children often have different…
What a difference a generation makes in the expectations and realities of grand-parenting. When my brother and I were growing up on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, our maternal grandparents took care of us often because we lived on farms only eight…
Sleeping bag? Check. Long underwear? Check. The waterproof boots from L.L. Bean I’ve had since college? Well, in need of new laces, but also check. Now if I could only find my old tent. Must be around here someplace. But…
Q: How can I get my 8-year-old to clean her room?I don’t want to offer her a reward for something she should be doing already. Any ideas? A: First, look at what you want your child to do as a…
