by admin | Jun 30, 2017 | Dear Family Coach
Dear Family Coach: Our 3-year-old daughter is insanely picky. She eats nothing! We are serving her chicken fingers, meatballs, noodles, cheese and yogurt most of the time. She won’t touch anything green. How do I get her to eat vegetables? — Frustrated
Dear Frustrated: Your daughter doesn’t eat nothing. While it may seem like she refuses everything, she does eat a small variety of meat, grain and dairy. It is limited, but it’s a good place to begin growing her tastes.
Updated: Fri Jun 30, 2017
Source: Dear Family Coach
by admin | Jun 24, 2017 | Dear Family Coach
Dear Family Coach: My 7-year-old son says some of the other kids at school are cursing or talking about sexual things that he doesn’t understand. He asks me what these words mean. Should I tell him the truth or make something up? I don’t want to make a fool of him, but I also don’t think he is ready for all of these concepts. — Not Ready Dad
Dear Dad: I have a friend in his 40s who has told me a story from his boyhood. When he asked his father about sex, he lied and made up some ludicrous nonsense (either because he was embarrassed or caught off guard). It took my friend but a few weeks to learn Pop was offering bad information, and he never sought his guidance in such areas again. Not only did he lose faith in his father but he also repeated that nonsense response to friends, who then laughed at his ignorance.
Updated: Sat Jun 24, 2017
Source: Dear Family Coach
by admin | Jun 23, 2017 | Dear Family Coach
Dear Family Coach: My 10-year-old son is heading out for his first summer of sleep-away camp. He’ll be gone for three weeks. I’m so excited for him but also nervous. He was excited at first, too, but now he seems more nervous and anxious. How can I help him make the most of camp and not waste time being homesick? — Camp Mom
Dear Camp Mom: It is certainly normal for both of you to feel excited and anxious about your son heading to camp for the first time. Our minds tend to wander to unpleasant places when we don’t know what to expect. But camp is one of the best gifts parents can give their children. Let’s set him up for success this summer.
Updated: Fri Jun 23, 2017
Source: Dear Family Coach
by admin | Jun 17, 2017 | Dear Family Coach
Dear Family Coach: My daughter is almost 11, and she’s a good kid. She’s polite, responsible and generally good-natured. But I can see her becoming more moody, and sometimes she can become a bit disrespectful when she’s grumpy. I’m trying to figure out what to let pass and what to address. I find it especially hard to ignore when we’re in public because it’s embarrassing. So far, I’ve kept my comments brief, saying “I don’t like that tone of voice,” and then speaking to her a bit when we’re not in the moment. Is that enough? — New to Being Teen Mom
Dear Teen Mom: I think you answered your own question. You mentioned that you already have a polite and responsible child. Being a bit moody doesn’t negate that. But her mood swings do indicate that she is developing and changing, and your parenting approach must change accordingly.
Updated: Sat Jun 17, 2017
Source: Dear Family Coach
by admin | Jun 16, 2017 | Dear Family Coach
Dear Family Coach: My son is in sixth grade, and has a girlfriend. Their relationship mostly consists of texts and an occasional movie date. He likes the girl, but he doesn’t communicate very well over text. Recently, the girl’s mother approached me asking whether I could tell her daughter that I took my son’s phone away so she wouldn’t be upset that he didn’t text her back for a few days. She also asked me to talk to my son to encourage him to text more often. I’m at a loss. What should I do? — Stuck
Dear Stuck: I guess I shouldn’t be shocked about the degree to which some parents will go to protect their children from even the slightest discomfort. Yet I am. A good barometer of a child being ready to date is whether he or she is able to handle the ups and downs of a relationship. This girl, or at least her mother, isn’t ready.
Parents should not be intervening in their children’s dating relationships. The most important issue isn’t shielding this young girl because her boyfriend (if you can even call it that) isn’t communicating enough. What’s more relevant is teaching both of them what responsible and thoughtful dating looks like. Now seems like a good time to teach this girl that if a boy isn’t texting you back, he probably isn’t that interested in you. Tell her mother that you won’t interfere. Request that she allow her daughter to speak with your son to assess whether he is still interested in dating. If she isn’t receptive to helping her daughter understand dating, don’t enable her inappropriate interventions.
Updated: Fri Jun 16, 2017
Source: Dear Family Coach
by admin | Jun 10, 2017 | Dear Family Coach
Dear Family Coach: I have a 12-year-old daughter who is rapidly developing into a woman. She is uncomfortable with the attention she is getting due to her new womanly proportions. I see her covering up and wearing excessively baggy clothing. Her confidence is plummeting. How can I empower her to feel comfortable and confident in her new skin? — Puberty’s Mom
Dear Mom: Puberty is a process, not an event. Her body may have developed quickly. That doesn’t mean her brain, emotions and psyche have caught up. She may come to see her body differently with time, and even embrace it. It’s also very possible that as other kids develop, she may become more comfortable seeing her body as the norm, not the exception.
There is nothing wrong with your daughter covering up. Her body isn’t shameful. She might just find that it brings less attention when she wears certain items. Let her wear what she feels comfortable wearing without drawing attention to it. The more you push her to feel comfortable in her skin, the less likely she will. Try not to discuss her body at all. Focus instead on her abilities and strengths.
Updated: Sat Jun 10, 2017
Source: Dear Family Coach
