The class I teach at the University of South Florida is called Interpersonal Relations in Counseling. Despite its formal title, it is essentially a communications course. I spend an entire week covering the chapter on listening. What is interesting to me, and...

One of our greatest challenges as parents is to teach our children everything they need to function appropriately in the world. Initially, children learn the basics of language and communication and we think we have completed a major milestone. Then, we realize that...

“The Dog Whisperer” Approach to Parenting In light of recent press at (CNN, NYTimes) regarding Cesar's techniques and application with kids, I thought I would revisit this article with some additional information. In my previous article (Raising Kids: Wisdom from The...

Why Power Struggles Between Parents and Children Are on the Rise As I meet with parents at my office, I am noticing a trend of an increase in reports of power struggles with their children. It seems that children are fighting for control more than ever before, which...

Teaching Gratitude in a Generation of Instant Access This is a great time of year to instill gratitude and thankful hearts in children. However, it can be difficult when most children growing up in the most recent generations (Generation Y - also known as the...

Talking to Kids About Money During Tough Economic Times In the wake of the economic crisis, there are many changes that we are making as families. We are trying to spend less, drive less, eat out less, and cut back on extras that we can live without. As adults, we...

Why Play Matters: The Growing Research Behind Playful Learning As we learn more about the healthy benefits of play, more and more agencies, organizations and communities are encouraging children to participate in playful activities. This is driven by growing research...

Why Children Struggle to Show Empathy Children are developmentally focused on themselves. They believe that the world is only as big as themselves, and they have difficulty with the concept of empathy. Children tend to feel shamed, blamed, or victimized when things...

When Aches and Pains Are More Than Just Physical Children will often complain of aches and pains, and it is difficult to know if there is cause for concern. Unfortunately, parents usually try to assess the medical issues and make a decision based on a physical...

Summer is here! Kids are out of school, and the dreaded feeling of keeping children occupied for two and a half months looms. While summer can be crazy and exhausting, it can also provide some of the best memories of childhood for you and your children. The Importance...

We all grow into adults who don't always use the best ways to communicate, discipline and interact with children. Sometimes, we are unaware of little things that we do or say that have negative effects on kids. Recognizing those issues is the first step, and then...

Why Asking Questions Can Hinder Communication with Kids Many of us have been programmed to think that if we want to know something, we ask. If we want more information, we question someone. We want to understand something, so we inquire. Therefore, when we want to...