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 [...]

REALITY CHECK: Did you know that one in four kids shoplift? You see your child take a candy bar from the store and put it in her pocket. You notice your daughter is playing with a Barbie that you told her she couldn’t have at the store. You find a video game in your son’s [...]

REALITY CHECK: Reports say that stress is mounting in our children, that we parents are often unaware of just how stressed our kids are. Each child handles and shows stress differently. A big key is learning to recognize our own child’s unique signs and then teach healthy ways to manage stress. The research that confirms [...]

Let’s face it, raising kids is never easy, and especially so these days. We lie awake agonizing over our parenting skills and questioning our choices. (Okay.. not you, but the parent next door, right?) But there are a few secrets that will make parenting less stressful and help our kids act the way we want [...]

Let’s face it: the expectations we set for our children do affect their self-esteem and capacity to succeed. This week I taped another fun segment with Dr. Phil on the “Overparenting” vs. “Underparenting” craze. (It has yet to air… but should be up on the schedule soon). He asked me what advice I had for [...]