A Classmate's Suicide and an Unfriendly Mom Friend for 01/13/2018


A Classmate’s Suicide and an Unfriendly Mom Friend for 01/13/2018
Dear Family Coach

Dear Family Coach: A child in my daughter’s high school committed suicide over the holiday break. My daughter didn’t know the child and doesn’t seem particularly bothered by the incident. I’m not sure if I should discuss this incident or just let it blow over. Any advice? – Scared

Dear Scared: Teenage suicide is certainly cause for alarm. Impulsivity paired with hormonal mood swings and the rise of social media make even one suicide worrying.

Updated: Sat Jan 13, 2018

A Classmate’s Suicide and an Unfriendly Mom Friend for 01/13/2018

A Square Peg and Walking to School for 01/06/2018


A Square Peg and Walking to School for 01/06/2018
Dear Family Coach

Dear Family Coach: My wife and I are raising three kids. We are a sporty high-achievement family. As parents, we have been instilling the values of hard work and persistence. Unfortunately, my youngest son doesn’t seem to be fitting in with the rest of us. Every time I try to work with him it feels like jamming a square peg into a round hole. He is pulling away more and more. What’s the best way to help him fall in line better with the rest of us and follow our family values? – Concerned

Dear Concerned: Frankly, I’m concerned more about you than your youngest. So he doesn’t fit in perfectly. That doesn’t have to be cause for alarm or reason to have to “work” with your son.

Updated: Sat Jan 06, 2018

A Square Peg and Walking to School for 01/06/2018

Party Pooper and Sleepovers for 12/30/2017


Party Pooper and Sleepovers for 12/30/2017
Dear Family Coach

Dear Family Coach: My family has been invited to a New Year’s Eve party. There will be lots of food, kids and karaoke. My 14-year-old daughter doesn’t want to go. She wants to stay home by herself. She often tries to opt out of family plans she isn’t particularly jazzed about. I think she should be forced to join the family sometimes. Is this right? – Mad Mom

Dear Mom: Teenagers routinely want to do nothing with their families. They want to sleep in and be left alone in their rooms right after a brief moment of socialization while foraging for food. Now, with teens being connected with all of their friends through tiny handheld devices, it makes it ever more difficult to motivate them to get out of the house. Teens start to act as if family time were passe and everything were boring.

Updated: Sat Dec 30, 2017

Party Pooper and Sleepovers for 12/30/2017

A Cheater and a Gaming Spender for 12/23/2017


A Cheater and a Gaming Spender for 12/23/2017
Dear Family Coach

Dear Family Coach: My 16-year-old daughter was caught cheating on a test. She was overwhelmed and made a bad choice. Now it seems like it will ruin all of her hard work because it will be reported to colleges. She is beyond distraught, and I’m worried about her. What can I do to minimize the damage here? – Panic-Stricken

Dear Panic: This is bound to be a difficult time for both you and your daughter. She made a mistake, and that in and of itself is painful. But when that mistake has lasting consequences, hopelessness and depression can creep in. Keep an eye on your daughter for signs of her giving up or not caring anymore about her future. Make sure to get her to a counselor if her depression worsens.

Updated: Sat Dec 23, 2017

A Cheater and a Gaming Spender for 12/23/2017

The Best Drone for Kids, Ever!


A black and white image of the letters f, g, h, l, m, n.

My son, Emmett, absolutely loves anything remote controlled. He loved little RC cars, and now he loves drones. Over the years we have been through many. That’s because most of them last a few days to weeks. Inevitably, the propellers twist or there’s a mysterious controller disconnection or the frames break from impact. It’s always frustrating and disappointing, especially because drones don’t come cheap.

I visited a toy show a few months ago and discovered the best line of drones for kids I have ever seen. I was excited to get one home and have Emmett test it out. The nice ladies representing the drones told me it was extremely hearty, built to last. I was skeptical but hopeful.

Well, the drones completely live up to the hype. I’ll let Emmett do the reviewing. But from a parent’s perspective, I’d buy this drone for every kid on my list. It’s fun, has the coolest design and can withstand more than its fair share of crashes. Emmett reviews theDrone Force Angler Attack and Vulture Strike below. For me the clear winner is the Angler. It’s nearly twice the price but it’s uniqueness makes it worth the price. If it’s out of the budget, Emmett loves the Vulture Strike, maybe more than the Angler.

Drone Force Angler Attack-2.4Ghz Illuminated Indoor/Outdoor Drone Helicopter Toy
http://amzn.to/2yrV9h8
$72 on Amazon, 8+

A black and white image of the letters f, g, h, l, m, n.

Emmett’s Review:
This drone looks amazing, like a crazy real angler fish. Probably the best looking drone I’ve ever seen. The drone has very good control, and if it was my first drone it would be easy to learn to fly. It’s not super challenging. There are lights all over the drone and are easy to put on and off. They are really cool. The battery charges quickly and lasts for a long time. It’s very stable when it’s flying and super durable. The propellers aren’t going to hit anything. They are well protected. When it flies at night it’s so fun. It looks like a scary angler fish when it lights up. The controller has big and easy to use buttons.

Overall recommendation: If you are looking for a drone I would definitely get the Angler Attack Drone.

Drone Force Vulture Strike-2.4Ghz Indoor/Outdoor Drone Helicopter Toy with Missile Launcher Feature
http://amzn.to/2yQtyul
$37 on Amazon, 8+

A black and white image of the letters f, g, h, l, m, n.

Emmett’s Review:
The Vulture Strike is a little faster than the Angler Attack drone. It looks like a bird which is cool. It can do tricks like flips. This drone is also very protected and can be flown inside and outdoors. The Vulture Strike has a target light that is projected so you know where to aim. It can shoot two plastic missiles (It comes with four in case you lose any). The missiles don’t go very far but they are extremely fun to shoot. The controls and the stability is similar to the Angler Attack. It’s very stable and easy to control. It’s slightly harder to fly than the Angler Attack. I would probably recommend this drone for a kid who has flown a drone before. The flight range is 150 feet, just like the Angler Attack.

Overall Recommendation: For someone who has already flown a drown I would absolutely recommend this drone.

 

Disclosure: These products was provided for free. However, these reviews are our own and reflect our true feelings on these products. Some links may be affiliates.