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.

A lot of parents aren't exactly sure how to go about solving a problem with a kid in a way that's mutually satisfactory - doing that with their child feels very foreign to a lot of people. It probably explains why so many parents tell me their kids don't listen to them and why so many kids tell me that they don't feel heard.

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.

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.

The idea that we can take this lump of clay and mold it into a form of our choosing is absolutely ludicrous.

There is still quite the vibe out there that as a parent you have to be completely in control and in charge.

Solutions can't be imposed. That just fosters resentment.