Parenting advice based on solid research to help us raise caring, kind-hearted kids in a racy, raunchy world Something has changed about our children: the prevalence of abuse by their peers is increasing. Bullying is far more intense and starting at younger ages. And I have little patience for anyone stating the old “Kids will [...]

Parenting advice based on research-based tips to help us raise the kind-hearted kid every parent (oh how I hope!) wants Most parents instinctively want their children to develop a strong moral character and to care about others. In fact, according to a recent survey I conducted with Parents Magazine of over 2400 mothers, “Caring” comes [...]

EMPATHY: Identifying with and feeling other people’s concerns. Eleven-year-old Nathaniel Abraham from Pontiac, Michigan, told his friend that he was going to shoot somebody. He allegedly stole a gun and practiced his aim on stationary targets. Then he walked to a convenience store, pointed his gun at a stranger and shot Ronnie Greene Jr. in [...]

Of course we want our kids to be compassionate and sensitive to other people’s feelings. The problem is that many kids’ empathy potential is greatly handicapped because they don’t have the ability to identify and express emotions. They have tremendous difficulty feeling for the other person simply because they may not recognize the other person’s [...]