Two-year-old Avi had been warned she was not to pick flowers in Nana's yard without permission. Still, she made a beeline for the lilacs again, which she was convinced were "grapes." I asked her not to pick any lilacs this time, and then I had a brilliant idea -- or so I thought. "Avi, look at all these pretty yellow flowers in the grass! You can pick as many of those as you want!" I encouraged her. She trotted off to check out the dandelions. It was a no-go. Leaving the undesirable yellow flowers behind, Avi wound her way back to her Daddy and me, whining. "What's up, Av?" we Continue Reading
What Authenticity Means (And Doesn’t Mean)
"Brittany" spoke her mind at the meeting. With sharp tone and self-righteous words, she pointed out where everyone was missing it, and how things should be done differently. Using the term "we" as a thin disguise, she vented her personal frustration over not having things her way, then finished with the comment: "That's just me being honest." Wow, I thought. Since when does judging everyone else qualify as "honesty?" Authenticity has become an over-used term, hasn't it? We want to think of ourselves as honest and forthcoming, all the while being unwilling to face our own Continue Reading
Why I Refuse to Join A Revolution (Even If I Believe in the Cause)
The zealous young speaker was out to convince all the other students in his speech class that abortion is wrong. To prove his point, his carefully constructed presentation featured graphic photos of aborted fetuses. Halfway into his talk, one girl ran from the classroom in tears. My son's heart went out to the crying girl. He understood something of which the speaker was evidently unaware. This girl likely had an abortion in her past. The young speaker's insensitivity ripped open the wound in her soul. The same thing happens when protesters march against abortion holding grisly Continue Reading
How to Help Your Child Overcome Anger
Your five-year-old daughter has gotten in yet another tiff with her younger brother. You break up the fight, but she walks away muttering, "It's no fair!" Photo Credit: Luis Marina You follow her to try to reason with her. She just gets angrier. Her attitude escalates to the point where you close the door to her room, but you still hear her throwing toys and yelling, "IT'S NO FAIR!" What happened to your little angel? When did she become this fuming, ill-tempered, tantrum-throwing version of the sweet girl you once knew? The answer won't be found in psychology or social science. Continue Reading