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I have seen many parents of teenagers fall into a trap. Parents can see the poor judgment and lack of forethought inherent in a teen’s choices. In response, they try to “force” him to make better choices. The result is often a battle of wills and a power struggle. The teen might continue to make […]

A new study published online in Neurobiology of Disease has found that “intermittent alcohol exposure during the adolescent stage of development… altered the activity of genes needed for normal brain maturation….The gene alterations increased anxiety-like behaviours and preference for alcohol in adulthood.” http://zeenews.india.com/news/health/health-news/binge-drinking-as-teenagers-results-in-anxious-adults_1572502.html

A new study from the Journal of Marriage and Family found that MORE time with your kids does not improve your kids’ outcomes in the areas of behavior, emotion and academics, and that more time can actually lead to poorer results if moms are guilty and anxious in struggling to juggle work and childcare. The […]

Something my parent taught me about parenthood   Bad news You never stop feeling responsible. You always hate seeing characteristics you don’t like in yourself being exhibited by those you are responsible for. You’re never sure if what you are doing is the appropriate action and if it will result in the desired effect. What […]

I return here to lessons I learned from caring for my dog. I repeat that in no way am I suggesting that caring for a dog is the same as parenting a teenager. Simply, that the role of caretaker has certain elements that can be generalized to both relationships. Another lesson I learned from owning […]