Category Archives: Fred’s Articles

“I’m bored” is an expression that many parents and teachers hear all too often. In ancient times, when I was a child, my parents’ response to my boredom was simple, “Why are you telling me?” or if I was more insistent, “ Go bang your head against a wall “. Continue reading →

The fact that not all children are born equal is a reality that causes a number of concerns for parents of families with multiple children. Competitions over academic performance, size, number of friends, athletic prowess, and a never ending list of other attributes are common place and often difficult to manage. Continue reading →

The world around us is in the midst of extraordinary change. The very fabric of our day-to-day lives is being altered in ways that we never would have imagined. Television and computer use, forces that dominate over 60% of our children’s recreational time, are filled with images of war and violence, high levels of sexual content, ongoing acts of terrorism, and day to day pictures of real people dying and being injured. Continue reading →

The unfolding of the school year brings with it a number of issues, which can influence the quality of family life. Homework, projects, studying for tests, waking up to catch the bus, and a host of other “student“ responsibilities, for one reason or another become the focal point of family conflicts. Continue reading →

“I’m not worried about your grades; I only care that you did the best you could.“ This statement in one form or another occurs with amazing frequency in most families. Strangely, many children seem not to believe the words, and instead interpret them to mean that they must get higher grades. Continue reading →

Loving parents, as a group, share the hope that their children will grow up to be self-confident, responsible, and hard working adults. We’ve been told by educators and assorted mental health practitioners since the 1950’s that praise, reinforcement, and rewards for success are the forces that will create this positive trajectory. Continue reading →

Establishing limits or boundaries for our children is a necessary part of our role as parents and teachers. Yet for many, saying no to our children’s requests or implementing rules has become one of our most difficult jobs. In many cases we have inadvertently created this problem by occasionally giving in to the various manipulative tools that our children have available. Continue reading →

Does anyone remember how many times they cleaned up after their kids? How about putting clothes in the hamper, picking up towels from the floor, putting plates in the dishwasher, looking for book bags and shoes while the school bus is waiting, finding a favorite article of clothing just when it’s time to leave… and the list goes on. Continue reading →

Parenting is much like a number of other skills, and as such, is affected by analysis, data collection, and practice. Like other skills, some people are better at it than others; they are “naturals”.  Just like natural athletes, musicians, and artists, there are people who seem to have an innate ability to be superstar parents. Continue reading →

In a large number of families the phrase “I’ll do it later” occurs so frequently that it is a predictable response for many children. Also predictable are the variety of parent responses to this interchange. “You always say that”, “No, I said do it now”, as well as threats, bribes, arguments, and in many cases parents just doing it themselves. Continue reading →