Currently Browsing: Beth Long 24 articles
Are You a Lawn Mower Parent?
“Helicopter parents” are becoming obsolete and replaced by “lawn mower parents”. This new breed of parenting style plows ahead of their children, arranging their lives in an attempt to eliminate […]
Parent Question: What Do I Do When My Child Lies?
“What do I do when my child lies?” I get this question all the time. Trust me, you are not the only parent struggling with this. This is normal, so […]
Why Is Communication So Hard (Part 2: Teens)
A wise and heartbroken teen asked, “Who made communication so hard?” She said this after having a difficult week attempting to advocate for herself. As parents of children over the […]
Why Is Communication So Hard (Part 2: Ages 7-10)
“Who made communication so hard?” Such a wise question from a child. I simply responded, “Everyone sweet girl, everyone.” Last month, I wrote about how to communicate effectively with children […]
Why Is Communication So Hard? (Part 1)
Steven Covey coined the famous phrase, “The biggest communication problem is we do not listen to understand. We listen to reply.” Communication is the number one problem I encounter in […]
Appreciating Your Kids (While They Are Still Kids)
Recently my husband and I have become empty nesters! We love our children and love being parents, but raising them has been exhausting. We’ve been looking forward to the “empty […]
Embrace the Challenges
A few months ago, I was giving an IQ test to an adorable little boy. As the questions became more difficult, he looked at me and said, “This is challenging. […]
It Takes a Village
I am often sitting across from a child who has made some bad choices. In one specific situation, a boy complained, “My parents won’t let me go on a camping […]
“My Parents Care Too Much About How I Make Them Look.”
In a world full of social media, camera phones, and YouTube it is tempting to be overly concerned with what everyone else is doing and how we compare. However, our […]
“My Parents Don’t Even Try to Understand Me!”
In 1987, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince recorded a hilarious song that captures the tumultuous relationship between teenagers and their parents called, “Parents Don’t Understand”. I am quite […]