Parenting Archives | Page 2 of 2

A Well-Lit Path

Parenting: It’s a Brand New Chapter for the Teen Years

Being needed, wanted, and adored is the parenting trifecta that gets us through the sleepless nights, the relentless demands, and the bodily functions of early childhood. The helpless dependence, passionate attachment, and jubilant ardor offset the challenges associated with parenting youngsters. Moreover, we are in control. If our child isn't Read more

A Well-Lit Path

When Teens Lie: Dos and Don’ts

As a dean at an independent school, I sometimes have to call parents and tell them their child is in my office and has broken a major school rule. Sometimes, in their shock and dismay, a parent will say something like "how do you know it was my child?” and Read more

A Well-Lit Path

How to Tolerate the Costs of Saying No to Teens

One of the primary differences between parenting now and parenting when we were growing up is our current fixation on the "relationship." The measuring tool we use for this is what I refer to as “closeness points.” In some families it manifests itself in just how much free time the Read more

A Well-Lit Path

How to Talk About the Weather: Climate Change and Kids

Explaining tough topics to our children can be world-shifting moments for them, and as parents we have to be careful to find language that’s appropriate for their ages and sensibilities and that gives them a sense of how they can engage as helpful, caring people. Although we don't want our Read more

A Well-Lit Path

Creating Adaptable Adults Means Allowing Disruptions for Teens

In our swiftly moving and shifting world, adaptability is a skill our children will need in order to find gratification and success. As the job market becomes increasingly competitive and the speed of life feels as if it is aligning with the speed of light, most of us need to Read more

A Well-Lit Path

Six ways to help your young children learn another language

Back when most parents in the United States were in school, they took “Foreign Languages.” Most students stuck with them for three or four years, but few became fluent. Most got stuck in the thorns of conjugations and grammar confusion. Not so today. Multilingualism is an increasingly necessary skill set Read more

A Well-Lit Path

The Art of Not Reacting to Your Teen’s Reactions

All of these possibilities are disruptive and unsettling to a parent. However, they are totally normal reactions when teenagers don't get their way. One of the mistakes parents make is to call their teenager on how they "react" to being told no. Teenagers, like all of us, do not like Read more

A Well-Lit Path

How to Get Your Teens to Talk

We all want our teenagers to open up and talk to us, but it is often easier in concept than in execution. After spending my career working with teenagers, raising my own, and in my current role as the Dean of Students at a top independent school, I have a couple Read more

A Well-Lit Path

Four Surprising Ways to Raise Your Teen’s Self-Esteem

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