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 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.

No kid should be getting three or four hours of homework a night. There's no breathing time, there's no family time, there are just extracurriculars and homework and then go to bed.

Most parents are accustomed to dealing with problems in the heat of the moment.

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

We never get to see that our kid is capable of solving problems on her own. We never start to build up the faith that they can actually do it.

Being completely in control is a fantasy.