January of any year is famously all about promises.  At the beginning of the year we usually reflect on the last and resolve to change in the year ahead.  Change is good, it means we are moving forward and not feeling so stuck.  But, where I always get stuck is the ‘talking’ about change instead [...]

I am sure you are already planning where you will be for the holidays, what to buy, what you will donate to others, what parties you will attend, who will be coming over to your house, what to eat for special holiday meals and the list goes on and on.
But, do you have a plan [...]

www.parentsask.com is a new place to go on the Internet to get interesting, informative, and accurate parenting information.  It’s a place for you to ask questions about your kids.  You talk to other parents, get their opinions and suggestions for any issue you are facing in your family.  You can post a question yourself, ask [...]

Summer vacation… kids cannot wait and parents look forward to less structure and fun. But by the middle of July, the dreams of carefree summer fun seem to fade. Why? 
 
Kids love to predict: they want to know what’s coming next so they can manage their behavior. Even though it sounds great to just relax, [...]

Ever get up “on the wrong side of the bed” and don’t know why?
At one time or another just about everybody experiences not knowing why they feel the way they do.  Kids get even more confused than parents do about their feelings.  All kids behaviors are in response to some sort of feeling and most [...]

Fathers should be appreciated all year… not just on one day! While Father’s Day is a tremendous idea, we all need to affirm Dads for their significance every day of the year.
I come from a long line of fantastic fathering men. My grandfathers were both grand fathering me from birth to their deaths. My Dad, [...]

In celebration of Mother’s Day, I’d like to share a special poem with you that was given to me by a mom that I had been working with earlier this year. She was a new mommy having trouble adjusting to being a stay-at-home-mom after the birth of her second child. She came seeking guidelines in [...]

No question 10 years ago and no question now that Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold were both severely mentally unstable teenagers.  New perspectives on this horrifying tragedy are emerging.  My only hope with any new information the parenting community does get is that all parents try to remember these three points:
#1 Learn what drives your [...]

Hi Ann
I have a situation with Elizabeth (my 4 1/2 year old) which I never ran across with Emily before. Elizabeth has been into telling very “tall tales” as of late. Sometimes I think she makes up stories because she missed out on something. (For example, a few weeks back, there was a coyote in our backyard. Emily saw it, [...]

Ann,
You won’t believe this one. After this incident with the shoplifting this past weekend, Chelsea was also recognized at school for the 8th Grade Awards – she was honored for Honor Roll for all year; Presidents Fitness (only 15 kids got this from the 8th grade); PAL (Peer Advisory League) – which is a role [...]