Leap of Faith

“Mommy! Daddy! Up here!” My parents looked from across the street, where they were chatting with the neighbours. I waved proudly and grinned. “No!” I shouted again. “Up here! In the tree!” They looked up. Way, way up. It wasn’t until I saw their horrified faces that my eight-year-old conscience wondered if maybe — just maybe — I’d gone too far this time.

Posted in Parenting on 11/30/2008 - 0 Comments

The Pain of Parenting

“I hate you and I’m never going to speak to you again!” You might hear those words once—if not several times—from your teen before she hits adulthood. But what happens when she really means them? According to US parenting expert Dr Joshua Coleman, you’re not alone. “I get a letter a day from parents whose adult children literally abandon them, cut off ties permanently or temporarily, or are in their lives but are so critical and harsh, they’re hurtful to be around,” he says. “In Western culture, it’s more common than uncommon for teens to be rude to their parents—and it’s becoming more common for them to grow into adults who want nothing to do with their parents.”

Posted in Parenting on 11/20/2008 - 0 Comments

Helping Kids Grow Up

The most popular girl in school sweetly offers a classmate a harmless little compliment—“Cute skirt, where did you get it? It’s so adorable”. Nice kid, right? Maybe not. In today’s clannish world of teens, it’s more likely to be a stab in the back. It could be snidely settling a score, taking down the opposition or ensuring social status within a teenaged tribe. Whatever the reason, it may be anything but nice.

Posted in Family on 11/20/2008 - 0 Comments