I recently read Thank You Ma’am, a short story by one of my favorite writers, Langston Hughes, with my students and saw it with fresh eyes. If you are unfamiliar with the story, I highly recommend it. It is a short read. Read it. Or listen to it. For time’s sake, let me boil it down this way: Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones was walking on a dark street one night headed home. A young boy, Roger, attempts to rob her. However, the “large woman with a large purse” proved to be more of match for Roger than he expected. He falls trying to snatch the purse, and Mrs. Jones proceeds to put him in … [Read more...]
‘Because I Love You’ Has Painful Consequences for Parent
Few words accurately describe the feeling of love you, as a father, get from your little ones at certain moments. The ear-to-ear smile you see as you walk through the door. Their full-speed sprint that leads to a somersault resulting in a perfect 10 landing in your arms. The numerous “Jedi mind tricks” they use in hope of staying up a few extra minutes past bedtime. That said, fatherhood also comes with its various challenges. One of the biggest I have found is discipline. My wife and I strive to foster an environment where our two children have every opportunity to thrive and grow. … [Read more...]
End Any Argument with Your Teen with This 1 Trick
You know how it goes: Even the smallest disagreements with your teen can turn into yelling, doors slamming, feelings hurt and evenings ruined. But there’s a trick to preventing these regular altercations from escalating. Ask your teen if they actually enjoy what’s happening during the fight. Most of the time, they don’t feel good about it, so they’ll redirect their anger before it gets out of hand. Let me break down how this works to end any argument. End any argument with this question The ultimate phrase that will end any argument in its track is, “Do you like where this is … [Read more...]
Apology Holds Power to be Greatest Gift to Our Children, Society
A few weeks ago, my eldest child did something that made me quite upset. But to be honest, looking back on it now, I cannot even remember exactly what it was. As parents, we have to discipline our kids on a regular basis to varying degrees so keeping track of every occurrence could take up this whole article. But I do know he did something that made me mad enough to stop doing the dishes, call him into the kitchen and angrily reprimand him. I didn’t even see the incident. I just overheard him “arguing” with my wife in the other room, essentially defending something wrong he had done. … [Read more...]
Anger Management for Parents: Prepare for Before, During and After
Think back to your childhood. Do you remember your father’s (or mother’s) angriest moment as a parent? Chances are it’s replaying in your mind right now in vivid detail. That’s because raw anger, while sometimes useful for action, often results in dramatic, destructive and regrettable parenting. As a father of teenagers, I’ve had my share of parenting moments, usually involving a disciplinary situation, when I could have used some intervention. But I’ve also learned a few things about anger management along the way. My first tip would be to think of parental anger as a three-stage process: … [Read more...]
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