by admin | Sep 9, 2017 | Dear Family Coach
Play Dates With a Stay-At-Home Dad and a Stinky Teen for 09/09/2017
Dear Family Coach
Dear Family Coach: I’m a stay-at-home dad, and most of my play dates have been with other dads so far. But I’m becoming friends with moms, too. We all have one big thing in common, but I just feel like it might be a little odd at first. If I invite a mom over with her child, are there certain things I should do as a Dad to sort of, I don’t know, make them feel comfortable? – Dad
Dear Dad: In this day and age, moms and dads are clearly taking on more similar child-rearing roles. More and more often, dads are organizing the social calendar, and that means interacting with the moms. Treat play dates with a mom friend just like you would a dad friend. You may not become best friends with all of the mothers, but if you are yourself, you will find those who will feel comfortable around you.
Updated: Sat Sep 09, 2017
Play Dates With a Stay-At-Home Dad and a Stinky Teen for 09/09/2017
by admin | Sep 8, 2017 | Dear Family Coach
Potential Football Injuries and Stealing a Candy Bar for 09/08/2017
Dear Family Coach
Dear Family Coach: I allowed my son to play high school football last year because he’s a former soccer player, and the coach said he needed him to kick and punt. I was comfortable with that, and he had a great time. This year, however, the coach wants him to be the backup quarterback. My son is thrilled, of course. Football terrifies me because of the roughness and potential for long-term injuries like concussions. Would it be cruel to say no? – Cautious
Dear Cautious: I have a strong opinion here. Too many parents blindly sign their kids up for football without a moment’s thought to the high potential for irreparable injury. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that 110 out of 111 former NFL players whose brains were donated to scientific research after death had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a fancy name for brain damage. While evidence is mounting about the impact on younger players, the same study reported that 21 percent of high school players and 91 percent of college players also showed CTE.
Updated: Fri Sep 08, 2017
Potential Football Injuries and Stealing a Candy Bar for 09/08/2017
by admin | Sep 2, 2017 | Dear Family Coach
Unsupervised Play and Losing Friends for 09/02/2017
Dear Family Coach
Dear Family Coach: My children are grown now, but I feel deeply concerned by the hypervigilance that I see in today’s parenting style. Playing unsupervised and out of sight of adults, and simply spending time alone (outdoors mostly) was crucial to my childhood years and my children’s early years. Do you consider it a problem that today’s children are growing up with almost no chance for unsupervised play and/or being alone? – Home Alone
Dear Alone: The days when parents said “be home by dinner” are long gone. Sadly, children today rarely have time to just play, let alone do it unsupervised. Most kids are booked solid with homework, tutors, sports, piano and karate. For most kids, unstructured playtime is lost by middle school.
Updated: Sat Sep 02, 2017
Unsupervised Play and Losing Friends for 09/02/2017
by admin | Sep 1, 2017 | Dear Family Coach
Obnoxious Teen Revolts and a Reasonable Curfew for 09/01/2017
Dear Family Coach
Dear Family Coach: My wife and I have four kids ranging in age from 10 to 16 years old. Everyone is so busy. I wanted to have one night of the week when we are all together for game night. Everyone is excited about it except for my oldest. At 16, he’d rather be with his friends on Friday night. Every time we try to get together, he is incredibly obnoxious and rude, and after a while we dismiss him because he is ruining it for everyone. Should we let him out of the family night or continue to require it regardless of his behavior? – Gamers
Dear Gamers: Jee, I wonder why your son acts up on game night. Could it be because he’s learned that being obnoxious helps him avoid annoying family time? Of course he’d rather be with his friends. For teens, their friends are their world. Sorry, folks, you aren’t it anymore. Accept you son’s desire to want to fly the coup. Allow it. But don’t let him flee without a tether to bring him back sometimes.
Updated: Fri Sep 01, 2017
Obnoxious Teen Revolts and a Reasonable Curfew for 09/01/2017
by admin | Aug 26, 2017 | Dear Family Coach
A Late-Night Suicide Threat for 08/26/2017
Dear Family Coach
Dear Family Coach: Last night, my 16-year old snuck out of the house with friends at 2 a.m. They were on a mission to help a girl who was threatening suicide. My son did call me after they called the police. But I don’t know why he got involved, and I’m not all right with him sneaking out. How should I reprimand him? – Dad
Dear Dad: Your son’s heart was in the right place. It’s important to remember that. He risked getting in trouble to help another teen fight through a hard time. There’s something to be said for that kind of compassion. Lots of kids would just gossip about a depressed girl. Your son acted to obtain some help. Let him know that you think it’s pretty amazing.
Updated: Sat Aug 26, 2017
A Late-Night Suicide Threat for 08/26/2017
by admin | Aug 25, 2017 | Dear Family Coach
A Basement Hangout and a Dead Cellphone for 08/25/2017
Dear Family Coach
Dear Family Coach: My 16-year-old son has a girlfriend, and her mom does not allow them to be alone at my house. They prefer to hang out in our finished basement, but I don’t want to keep going down there. Should I tell them they can’t go down there or tell the mom I can’t watch them every single second? – Stuck in the Middle
Dear Stuck: I have mixed feelings on this one. Dating teens certainly need supervision. But honestly, where there’s a will, there’s a way. Even with constant supervision in the home, the kids will go to the beach or the park or just spend more time in the car to find alone time. There is no way to completely oversee their time together.
Updated: Fri Aug 25, 2017
A Basement Hangout and a Dead Cellphone for 08/25/2017
