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 [...]

As adults we all look forward to those ‘lazy days of summer’, but with the kids out of school it can be stressful, instead of relaxing.  Questions like, how many activities should be planned for kids, how much T.V./computer is too much, where do we go on vacation and can I even go to the [...]

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, [...]

Sexting, sending racy or sexually explicit messages or photos via cell phones and computers, is becoming an alarmingly common practice among teens.  It’s a felony, as law enforcement qualifies sexting as minors in possession of pornography.  So why don’t kids believe they are doing anything wrong?
I’ll tell you why!  Sending a message to someone without [...]

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 [...]

We recently received a tremendous response from Ladera Ranch, CA moms in response to this ad:

Do you have a little girl in 1st, 2nd or 3rd grade? And if so, is she changing and maturing more than you expected? Does she come home from school talking about mean girls or boy chasing? Does she [...]

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 [...]

Guilty Parents: You Are So Not Alone!
In a brilliant attempt to advertise the new ABC TV comedy show “In the Motherhood” this week, Oprah had moms from all over the country share their fears, faux pas and just plain funny stories about struggling to be a good mom.
 
Oprah’s interview with moms revealed that basically [...]

Politics are not my usual topic of discussion when it comes to children and families.   But, I am extremely compelled to communicate accurate information to you about proposition 1-D, one of the CA May 19th special election initiatives.
 
In 1998, CA Children & Families Act formed a State Commission to oversee & support funding for the [...]