We’ve all heard the following phrases from our kids: “Stop touching me!” “Give that back!” “Knock it off!” “MOM, he took my stuff!” “DAD, she won’t stay on her side of the car!” Sometimes it’s simply annoying and frustrating, like fingernails on a chalkboard. Other times, arguments cross the line...

Has your child been caught stealing from you or someone else? Have you found him using your credit card for online gaming, taking money from your wallet without asking, or even taking big-ticket items from your house? The anger, disappointment, and lack of trust you feel can be destructive for...

As parents, many of us do things for our kids that we were able and expected to do for ourselves when we were children. Our parents didn’t often feel the need to negotiate with our sports coach, solve our every problem, or entertain us in our free time. A big...

“On the way home from work every day, I start getting stressed out because I know that my 15-year-old son will be there waiting, ready to start a fight with me. There are times when I just want to turn the car around and not deal with him anymore, but...

“Why can’t I get my kids to get their homework done and off to bed without the constant screaming, bickering, and crying?” If you’ve asked yourself this question regularly, you’re not alone. Parents tell me that homework and bedtime battles are some of the most nerve-wracking, exhausting moments of parenthood....

For many children, behavior problems are not universal; they’re targeted. Targeted at dad, at mom, at the stepmother, at the fiancé, at a sibling. The following two case studies reveal how normally charming and compliant children can become defiant or even abusive with one person in the family. James Lehman...

What goes where on the table and which glasses go with what drinks Real easy to remember, the etiquette experts tell us. The general rule with utensils is to start from the outside of your place setting, and work your way toward the service plate (the main meal plate): soup...

Just a pinch of it and it’s worth it. We’re talking salt here. Used throughout human history, mentioned often in the Bible, ubiquitous and cheap. Mined from salt rocks and extracted from sea water, salt is… well, the “salt of the earth.” You can’t live without it healthily. At the...

Did you know: 11% of people are left handed Did you know: August has the highest percentage of births Did you know: the average person falls asleep in 7 minutes Did you know: a bear has 42 teeth Did you know: an ostrich’s eye is bigger than its brain Did...

10 ways to use coffee in your cooking Every coffee lover eventually reaches the point where their morning mug just isn’t enough. If you’ve come to this stage, it’s time to start incorporating coffee into your everyday cooking. Not only will you enjoy the flavor, but you’ll also wring every...

Recently, a frustrated mom sat in my office and said, “I just don’t know what to do anymore. We’ve tried everything! There’s no punishment that gets through to our child; there’s nothing we can say that will fix her behavior. There’s so much going on we just don’t know where...

Some children think they’re the center of the universe, and behave as if everyone should revolve around them like the planets orbit the sun. From the 10-year-old “diva” who demands center stage at all times to the 17-year-old who takes out his frustrations on his family when his girlfriend breaks...

Why are our kids often at each other’s throats in the summer? The biggest cause of fighting during the long summer break is the fact that you’re spending a whole lot of time together. If external stresses increase—if there’s trouble at work, a bad break–up for one of your teens,...