I was recently interviewed on the Parenting Well podcast.
Listen here:
For more information about Karen's parenting or interpersonal communication consultations by phone, visit www.karenalonge.com
advice for parents
To schedule your parenting or interpersonal communication phone consultation, please visit www.karenalonge.com
Running Away: what's going on and the need for a re-entry plan
While I was on my walk this morning, a young man who
looked to be about 19 showed me a picture on his phone of his kid brother, and
asked if I'd seen him or his bike. Apparently his 13 year old brother decided not
to come home yesterday after his mother told him she'd be confiscating his phone.The
older brother was so worried that he'd been up all night trying to find him,
and was now looking for him in the little wooded area near our neighborhood.
Surely there's a lot more to this particular
situation, but in general, I wonder what's going on at home when kids decide to
run away?
link to insightful article about parents, teens, and social media use
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/parenting/wp/2018/01/09/what-teens-wish-their-parents-knew-about-social-media/?tid=hybrid_popularity_challenger_1_na&utm_term=.4e3571b0bb9a
For more information about Karen's parenting or interpersonal communication consultations by phone, visit www.karenalonge.com
For more information about Karen's parenting or interpersonal communication consultations by phone, visit www.karenalonge.com
it's not always about the teenage brain
I think it's unfortunate that popular culture in the US places the blame squarely on the teenager when power struggles erupt between parents and their offspring.
It's not always about the teenage brain!
It's not always about the teenage brain!
What Works Better Than Punishment?
I teach a parenting class to justice-system involved fathers. Today I was saddened to hear that every single one of the inmates in my class, without exception, was punished, often quite severely, for expressing anger as a child. They are in my class to learn how to parent differently than they were parented, so we began what will likely become an ongoing discussion about ways parents can teach and model healthy ways to express anger.
I was delighted to come home from class and find this post from Dr. Laura Markham in my inbox. I'll share it with my students next week, and thought you might enjoy it as well:
http://www.ahaparenting.com/ask-the-doctor-1/4-5-year-old-doesn-t-follow-rules-at-the-dinner-table
For more information about Karen's parenting or interpersonal communication consultations by phone, visit www.karenalonge.com
I was delighted to come home from class and find this post from Dr. Laura Markham in my inbox. I'll share it with my students next week, and thought you might enjoy it as well:
http://www.ahaparenting.com/ask-the-doctor-1/4-5-year-old-doesn-t-follow-rules-at-the-dinner-table
For more information about Karen's parenting or interpersonal communication consultations by phone, visit www.karenalonge.com
Joint Custody: When your child is upset about something at their other parent's home
Q: My six year old daughter told me that her father locked her in her room with no breakfast, lunch or dinner. She tells the same story over and over again like it happened yesterday. Her dad says it's her imagination, but I believe her. She has a lot of anger towards him. She won't get out of the car when I drop her off for visits, and she often says, "Stupid daddy." I told him to change the way he disciplines her. My daughter does have a therapist. Any other suggestions?
A: I'm so glad to hear that your daughter has a therapist. The therapist would be a mandatory reporter, so if you suspect neglect or abuse you should let the therapist know so he/she can determine whether it needs to be reported to the authorities for further investigation, and take appropriate action to do so.
With that taken care of by a professional, you can turn your attention to your daughter and the feelings she needs to work through.
A: I'm so glad to hear that your daughter has a therapist. The therapist would be a mandatory reporter, so if you suspect neglect or abuse you should let the therapist know so he/she can determine whether it needs to be reported to the authorities for further investigation, and take appropriate action to do so.
With that taken care of by a professional, you can turn your attention to your daughter and the feelings she needs to work through.
Joint Custody: When Your Ex Talks Unfairly About You To Others
Q: My ex tells our daughter's teacher, doctor and her friends' parents things that aren't true about me. How and at what point should I defend myself against these false characterizations?
The Trouble with Time Out
Before I begin, please understand that I believe time out is a major improvement over spanking and physical punishment. There's much to celebrate when a culture stops intentionally inflicting pain upon its children. And I while I am incredibly grateful for that shift, I think we can do even better.
I realize I might take some heat for writing this, because I'm critiquing a technique that many parents have been taught to use as their primary disciplinary intervention. I'm okay with heat. In my own life and work, I strive to periodically re-evaluate my strategies and take stock of their effectiveness. My parenting advice has evolved over the years since I started doing this work, and I hope it continues to do so for many years to come. My intention here is to inspire you to take a closer look at whether this technique is truly working for you and your child.
If you have already done your own evaluation and feel confident that it is, that's great! No need to keep reading.
I realize I might take some heat for writing this, because I'm critiquing a technique that many parents have been taught to use as their primary disciplinary intervention. I'm okay with heat. In my own life and work, I strive to periodically re-evaluate my strategies and take stock of their effectiveness. My parenting advice has evolved over the years since I started doing this work, and I hope it continues to do so for many years to come. My intention here is to inspire you to take a closer look at whether this technique is truly working for you and your child.
If you have already done your own evaluation and feel confident that it is, that's great! No need to keep reading.
Nothing we do makes a dent in these troubling behaviors of our three year old
Q: Here are some of the troubling behaviors of our three year old son:
- head butts walls and anything hard
- eats weird things like fluff and string
- steals lighters and sets fires in his room
- turns on all the stove burners and burns food to make thick black smoke
- sneaks and hides scissors to cut his clothes
- always speaks about himself in third person, never says I or Me
We have tried time outs. We don't believe in smacking or spanking. We have taken away toys he likes and he doesn't care.
We are young parents and people we talk to think we cannot cope but this is wrong! He can be a loving and caring child but when he has "that look in his eyes" we feel like we are talking to a brick wall.
We have done a lot of research but nothing helps. Any ideas are welcome!
- head butts walls and anything hard
- eats weird things like fluff and string
- steals lighters and sets fires in his room
- turns on all the stove burners and burns food to make thick black smoke
- sneaks and hides scissors to cut his clothes
- always speaks about himself in third person, never says I or Me
We have tried time outs. We don't believe in smacking or spanking. We have taken away toys he likes and he doesn't care.
We are young parents and people we talk to think we cannot cope but this is wrong! He can be a loving and caring child but when he has "that look in his eyes" we feel like we are talking to a brick wall.
We have done a lot of research but nothing helps. Any ideas are welcome!
what kids really need from their parents after a divorce
spoiler alert: It's NOT an exact 50/50 split of overnights
I witness many parents fighting tooth and nail for 50/50 parenting time; investing tremendous amounts of time, energy and money into ensuring a perfectly equal distribution of their children's time and location.
And as a divorced parent myself, I am intimately familiar with the fear and anxiety that drives the fierce determination to be an "equal" parent.
But here's the good news and the bad news: We are using the wrong variables in this calculation.
I witness many parents fighting tooth and nail for 50/50 parenting time; investing tremendous amounts of time, energy and money into ensuring a perfectly equal distribution of their children's time and location.
And as a divorced parent myself, I am intimately familiar with the fear and anxiety that drives the fierce determination to be an "equal" parent.
But here's the good news and the bad news: We are using the wrong variables in this calculation.
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