In my last post, I shared some ideas for helping make homework time a more peaceful and successful part of your family life. In reflecting upon the importance of academic success for our teens, it occurs to me that there are some key subjects in life of far greater importance Read more…
One of the most fundamental changes in parenting teens in our times is the lightning speed with which new technologies are embraced into and throughout their world. We are still working on how to handle emerging digital technologies and the always expanding world of social media for ourselves, so we Read more…
My family has officially reached that time where we have made the decision for our young adolescent son to have his own smartphone (after having his own tablet for gaming/YouTube only for a year or two). For as much as I have been helping other families navigate Read more…
I’m not sure there has yet been an app that has so immediately caused such a cultural impact as Pokemon GO. If you haven’t heard of it yet, you probably think I’m kidding or exaggerating. I’m not. This innovative app has not only captured the attention of a Read more…
I have recently re-engaged the Facebook world, after taking a few years away from it. (Today is not the day to explain that sentence, but perhaps I will do so soon.) At the time of this writing, it seems my feed is flooded with impassioned posts regarding: gun control, LGBT Read more…
Sitting in my office today, I noticed this picture of my son in his then brand new tree-house, taken maybe five or six years ago. Since that time, despite my friend and I building the house with an extra-tall roof, the lad has outgrown the tree-house. Both physically and developmentally, Read more…
When I decided to pursue my Doctorate back in the day, I was eager to study the dynamics of family life and entertainment media. At the time, television was still king, so to speak. Smart phones and tablets had not yet emerged. Laptops were not common. Netflix and Redbox weren’t Read more…
Asking good questions is a great way to build any relationship. It helps the questioner learn more about the other person, as well as communicating a certain level of genuine caring for that person. Why bother asking, if I don’t really care, right? In the spirit of opening important doors of conversation and facilitating a more powerful relationship between you and your teen, I have five questions to share with you.
This is not a post about regret or blame. Let’s be clear up front. It’s about encouraging fathers to seize the day and share your knowledge, wisdom, experience – share your self – with your teens while they are still teens and you still have this golden window of opportunity. Read more…
We’ve all heard the term “helicopter parent.” The parent who feels compelled to follow around with constant monitoring of their child or teen, ensuring everything goes as planned. So let me ask you this: have you EVER heard the term used in a positive light? Didn’t think so. Why Read more…