Susan’s Sharings

For many years, I was the parenting advice columnist for the Huffington Post. These are the kinds of questions I received from parents struggling after divorce: My ex-husband infuriates me. Every time my kids forget something at my house or he thinks I didn't do a...

A few months ago, a coaching client I’ll call Mary shared her frustration about her 11-year-old son, Brian. Ever since her divorce, parenting had become more challenging. Every day, Brian argued against Mary's screen time rules: “You’re so controlling! Why can't you...

A parent writes:    How do I teach my 8-year-old son to have better personal boundaries? For two years, he has been friends with a boy who is often in trouble at school and whose parents find him challenging at home. While the boys share some common interests and...

As parents, I know you're eager for tips and suggestions that will help you show up for your kids with patience, kindness, and presence. Because let's be honest -- it isn't easy. You may feel more than a little frustrated when your child takes one look at the...

A parent asks, "Am I Overindulging My Children?" I find it very hard to say “No" to my kids. How does someone know if they are over-indulging their children with material possessions? I want my son and daughter to feel okay about expressing what they want, but I don't...

A parent wrote with this concern: "Dear Susan, My 5-year-old often gets angry and yells, "Everyone hates me in this family!” It's usually when things aren't going the way she wants. I tell her, “We don’t hate you—we love you!” but it doesn’t seem to help. What can I...

My ADHD son has impulse problems. He is 13 years old and his behavior drives other children away. His teachers are beyond frustrated. Any advice on what to do? The pre-frontal cortex (PFC) is the part of the brain behind the forehead that governs the inhibitory...

How do I teach my 8-year-old son to have better personal boundaries? For two years, he has been friends with a boy who is often in trouble at school, and whose parents find him challenging at home. While the boys share some common interests and frequently want to have...

I have 2 kids -- 6 1/2 and 5 years old. My husband works long hours and I am alone with them most of the time. It seems like all I do is scream and yell, because my stress level is so high. Money is short and I'm tired all the time. When something breaks down --...

Most children feel like the majority of our conversations with them are focused on getting them to do something they don’t want to do. They see us coming, list in hand (literally or figuratively) and brace themselves to resist as long as possible. Typically, whatever it is we want them to do is much less enjoyable than what they’re already doing.

Think about it. Your daughter is tucked into a warm bed, cozy and happy, knowing she’s home with Mommy, and life is good. Your first interaction of the day is designed to remove her from that yummy bed and get her clothes on so she can leave home and go to a place where someone else tells her what to do for six hours. I’m not suggesting she shouldn’t go to school, or that she won’t enjoy it once she gets there, but for most children, there’s a strong preference to be at home, which means the battles begin from the moment they awaken.