by janetedgette | Oct 4, 2023 | Doing therapy with teenagers, Family life, Mental health, Parent-Child communication, Parent-Teen communication, Parenting, Parenting teens, Parenting young children
People often say they find it easier to empathize with individuals with whom they share a history or religion or culture or occupation than with individuals with whom they feel they have little in common. At first blush it makes sense; you figure you can more...
by janetedgette | Oct 3, 2023 | Family life, Mental health, Parent-Child communication, Parent-Teen communication, Parenting teens, Teenagers
If you’re struggling to get genuine conversations going with your teenager, consider these three questions. “I try to ask open-ended questions like they told me to but even still, my daughter just kind of shrugs and gives me only a word or two before going...
by janetedgette | Apr 15, 2021 | Boys, Boys and sports, Family life, Kids who don't like sports, Male athletics, Masculinity, Nonathletic boys, Parent-Child communication, Parenting young children
Many men credit sports as having served as the cornerstone in their relationship with their fathers, as does Keith Gessen in his article Game Over (3/22/21). Tossing a ball or driving to events together offers an easy backdrop for talking and hanging out as well as a...
by janetedgette | Nov 6, 2020 | Family life, Mental health, Parent-Child communication, Parent-Teen communication, Parenting
“Mom, there’s a guy in our driveway with a tow truck,” my son tells me, urgently. With miscalculated insouciance I reply, “No worries, dude, I’m sure it’s Bill.” Bill is our neighbor, and he owns a service station. “But he’s hooking up...
by janetedgette | Nov 6, 2020 | Boy behavior, Boys, Boys and sports, Family life, Kids who don't like sports, Male athletics, Masculinity, Nonathletic boys, Parenting young children, Self-esteem
Whether it’s innate, or acquired from their respective environments, or due to a lack of socialization, or some mix of these, boys have a long history of doing odd or mischievous things that amuse grown-ups and make them think, Well, there’s a boy for you! Norman...
by janetedgette | Dec 6, 2019 | Bullying, Family life, Mental health, Parent-Child communication, Parent-Teen communication, Parenting, Parenting young children, Self-esteem
People love Mr. Fred Rogers and the recent movie, It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, elegantly illustrated his abundance of empathy, generosity, emotional intelligence, and grace. Yes, he was kind, but there was something more that drew children toward him and...
