I’m sorry that people are so jealous of me [Gretchen Wieners], but I can’t help it that I’m popular.

THE POWER OF THE GROUP We all want to feel a sense of belonging. This isn’t a character flaw. It’s fundamental to the human experience. Our finest achievements are possible when people come together to work for a common cause. School spirit, the rightful pride we feel in our community, our heritage, our religion, and our families, all come from the value we place on belonging to a group.

Kids don't like being put into boxes, and your kid can act in different ways in different situations.

You can't make someone be your best friend.

In my own family, my mother had my sister when I was 15 and for various reasons, I was extremely involved in raising her.

I think that giving mindless praise is ridiculous. But I understand why parents do it. They want their kids to feel good about themselves. But parents are never going to teach their children true, positive self esteem by praising everything they do.

I tell young girls, "The world is going to exploit and manipulate your sexuality. If you benefit from that financially, then you are part of the problem." That said, I thought all those parents flipping out over the Video Music Awards were ridiculous - women have been twerking in clubs for 20, 30 years. There's a real lack of awareness about what's going on across many layers of our culture.