by admin | Sep 30, 2017 | Dear Family Coach
Miserable Mealtimes and Grumpy Mornings for 09/30/2017
Dear Family Coach
Dear Family Coach: My three kids and my husband all whine and complain at mealtime. Everyone likes something different, and some are so picky they eat only a few foods. I feel as if I’m going to battle every meal. I offer this and then that and then something else. Everyone eats eventually, but it’s miserable. Help me quickly! – Lost
Dear Lost: Your family is playing you, and you are losing the game. Dealing with picky eaters is a challenge. But you are creating monsters by making and offering so many options at every meal. Save yourself and your sanity by ending this practice today.
Updated: Sat Sep 30, 2017
Miserable Mealtimes and Grumpy Mornings for 09/30/2017
by admin | Sep 29, 2017 | Dear Family Coach
Siblings Hit and Nazi Paraphernalia for 09/29/2017
Dear Family Coach
Dear Family Coach: Although we know that our 8-year-old daughter loves her 10-year-old brother very much, her first reaction when he teases or otherwise annoys her is to yell and hit him. It’s an immediate overreaction. She does warn him (by yelling), but if he doesn’t stop (which he doesn’t), she hits. How should we approach this? Both kids are at fault, but she definitely takes it to another level. – Sick of Bickering
Dear Sick of Bickering: Your daughter isn’t overreacting. She’s being teased consistently by her older and more powerful brother. That’s frustrating. She also clearly has little control over stopping it. Also frustrating. What looks like overreacting is really your daughter’s being out of acceptable tools to make her brother stop the harassment. So she yells and hits him. She’s angry, and she wants to make him angry, too. Though her methods aren’t appropriate, I can certainly understand the reaction. Can’t you?
Updated: Fri Sep 29, 2017
Siblings Hit and Nazi Paraphernalia for 09/29/2017
by admin | Sep 23, 2017 | Dear Family Coach
Jewish but Not Religious, and Chores for 09/23/2017
Dear Family Coach
Dear Family Coach: My family is Jewish but not religious. Most of us are atheist or agnostic. We still celebrate all of the holidays because we consider ourselves culturally Jewish. We used to live in a Jewish area, so the schools were closed for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. Now we live in an area with very few Jews, so the kids have school on those days. My oldest is in high school and doesn’t want to miss classes. But I feel that it sends a message to others that Judaism doesn’t matter when not even the Jews observe the holiday. I want to forbid her from attending school. Is that unfair? – Jewish
Dear Jewish: From what you’ve said, it sounds like your primary concern is that others will misunderstand Judaism if your daughter attends school. You may be right, but your first obligation is to your daughter. Why doesn’t she want to miss school? I’m guessing because high school is stressful. It moves quickly, and missing even one day can cause a bit of a breakdown.
Updated: Sat Sep 23, 2017
Jewish but Not Religious, and Chores for 09/23/2017
by admin | Sep 22, 2017 | Dear Family Coach
Rigid Bedtime and Postered Walls for 09/22/2017
Dear Family Coach
Dear Family Coach: My sister-in-law keeps her 1-year-old daughter on the strictest schedule. She has to put her down for a nap and down to bed at exactly the right time. She freaks out if a family gathering runs a bit late. It’s so frustrating, and it ends up stressing us all out. How can we encourage her to lighten up? – Annoyed
Dear Annoyed: Before I answer your question, just a quick question for you: When the baby doesn’t get to sleep at the right time and is then overtired and cranky the next day, are you going help out? And when the baby is up at 12 a.m. and 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. because she’s overtired or had a catnap in the car, are you going to be there to rock her to sleep? I don’t think so.
Updated: Fri Sep 22, 2017
Rigid Bedtime and Postered Walls for 09/22/2017
by admin | Sep 16, 2017 | Dear Family Coach
A Slob and a Deliberately Unhelpful Daughter for 09/16/2017
Dear Family Coach
Dear Family Coach: My teen son is a slob, and it drives me insane. The other day I decided to help him clean up. It took us four hours, but everything had a place and the room was spotless. Not a day later, it was back to a disaster area. I was hurt and felt that he was disrespectful to me by not trying to keep his room clean. Am I wrong? – Tidy Mom
Dear Tidy: Yep, you are wrong. Your son didn’t mess up his room to spite you. He’s just a slob. It’s what comes naturally to him. He likely doesn’t even see his room as messy. You see a disorganized mess. I assure you sees it differently.
Updated: Sat Sep 16, 2017
A Slob and a Deliberately Unhelpful Daughter for 09/16/2017
by admin | Sep 15, 2017 | Dear Family Coach
Gifts Giving and Receiving for 09/15/2017
Dear Family Coach
Dear Family Coach: A friend visited recently and brought a toy for both of my children. The 5-year-old received an awesome puzzle, and the 3-year-old received a dolphin bath toy. Unfortunately, my older son became obsessed with his brother’s dolphin. He pushed his gift aside and obsessed over the dolphin. I tried to get them to share, but it became a source of constant bickering and tantrums for my older son. In the end, I took it away, but that felt unfair. What should I have done? – Caught Mom
Dear Caught: How sweet that your friend brought the boys gifts. How sad that your oldest ruined the moment for everyone. But really, he isn’t to blame. You are. The good news is that you can easily undo the damage so it doesn’t happen again.
Updated: Fri Sep 15, 2017
Gifts Giving and Receiving for 09/15/2017
