Working with families as a family/parent coach, I get to hear a lot of the stressors that parents endure while raising their children. Although I tend to focus on the behaviors of the child and the relationship between the parents and the children, I can’t close my ears to the plight of families navigating the various systems they encounter while trying to access care for their child. In this series, I will talk about how parents can advocate for their child in areas like school, mental health, and medical care.
How will our parenting decisions today affect the adults our kids will become tomorrow? Molly Skyar, in an open conversation with her mother, Dr. Susan Rutherford, view parenting decisions through a psychologist's perspective.
When my son was fifteen months old, my husband and I were invited to my best friend’s wedding in Jamaica. It would have been cost prohibitive to take my two kids along so I planned to leave my son and his older sister in the care of their grandparents and favorite babysitter. I was proud of myself for coming up with such a great solution.
“Let’s start the school year right,” you tell your child each fall. “It’s time to buckle down and establish good study habits. For starters, lose the Xbox and the remote control. And while you’re at it, color-coordinate your notebooks, keep an assignment checklist and label your folders.” At least that’s what you’d like to say.
Lots of little kids never want to take a bath! They don’t cooperate and it becomes a battle of wills. Here are some tips if you have a little bath-avoider!
When my son was eight, he was pummeled by a group of thirteen year olds.
We were at family camp where there is a lot of time for kids of all ages to hang out together. Unbeknownst to my husband and I, our son thought he was “entertaining” the older boys. In reality they were mocking and teasing him. Eventually they got tired and asked him to leave. Our boy already struggling with social cues did not get the message and after a few more promptings, he was flat on the floor with fist in his eye.
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist/ Parenting Expert
Author & Founder of MyBrownBaby.com
