authority vs. control

Few things get parents’ attention as quickly as kids’ potty talk! Recently I worked with a family whose two boys, Will and Logan (ages 5...

Peer relationships carry increasing influence as children grow up. And sometimes, these relationships can be reason for parents to feel increasingly anxious. Kids may choose...

As a typically impatient, “get it done” sort of dad, I found myself in our early parenting years using my big voice and strong presence...

Rick was feeling impatient with the way his wife was dealing with their children’s misbehavior. He shared his thoughts with me during a recent conversation:...

  “Knock it off! Stop it! Get over here, NOW!” These are familiar phrases for most parents. When kids act up we get frustrated. We...

Parents usually have good desires for their kids. They want kids to be respectful, responsible, faithful, obedient, and so on. But when parents make these behaviors...

  I just watched a video from a youth ministry leader. He intentionally stated one reason it’s so hard to relate to teens, and unintentionally...

In our work coaching hundreds of parents of teens over the years, we’ve hit on six themes that draw the parent-child relationship closer.  Read through...

Parents frequently say, “It’s my job to ‘be the parent’, not my kid’s friend!” Or, “My kids need to learn that I don’t have to...

  I just read another decent parenting book by a well-known author. It’s got some good ideas in it about how to manage kids’ misbehavior....