Over 18 years of us solving problems together, my daughter has shown me that she's got a good head on her shoulders, that she is pretty good at solving the problems that affect her life. If she wants my input, she gets it.

It's so crucial to really get a good handle on what's getting in the way of the kid completing a homework assignment. It can be so many things.

Challenging behavior is just a signal, the fever, the means by which the kid is communicating that he or she is having difficulty meeting an expectation.

It's a whole lot more productive to be in problem-solving mode than it is to be in behavior modification mode.

If a solution isn't mutually satisfactory, it's not going to stick.

We have forgotten that those skills on the more positive side of human nature have to be taught, have to be modeled, have to be practiced.

You want to teach all kids the skills that are on the better side of human nature: empathy, appreciating how one's behavior is affecting other people, resolving disagreements in ways that do not involve conflict, taking another's perspective, honesty.