Staying Positive
When children get to those double digit years, they change. The sweet, playful, mischievous children become challenging, moody, argumentative preteens. Parenting becomes more difficult because these new changes wear on parents’ patience. They want to argue back, meet challenges by asserting their authority, and adjust that negative attitude.
If parents become confrontational and negative, they will eventually erode the relationship with their children. It would be difficult for preteens to feel supported when their parents are focused on the negative. A more effective strategy is to reinforce preteens’ positive behavior. [Read more…]
EJ has had an incredibly exciting and busy year as a college sophomore attending a university in the SF Bay Area. We have enjoyed our visits with him at school and during the winter break at home. EJ is now busy with his spring semester and taking a demanding course load.
Planning Spring Play, Raising Lifetime Leaders
Amy and Joe are madly in love with their baby daughter. They are full of dreams and aspirations for their daughter who they plan to raise in a traditional, two parent household. Joe is a 5th generation Californian with ancestors from Ireland and Germany. Amy is a third generation Japanese-American. Amy and Joe want their little girl to appreciate both of their cultures. Raising their daughter to enjoy a rich cross-cultural heritage can be enhanced when considering the following: 
Recently, I read an article about the increased level of student anxiety arising in our schools. National research indicates that one-third of teenagers will experience an anxiety disorder. It is expected that 8 percent of students will be seriously impaired due to anxiety. These results indicate an increase from prior decades.