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 | 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...
by janetedgette | Apr 8, 2016 | Boys, Family life, Mental health, Parenting, Parenting teens
Mom, there’s a guy in our driveway with a tow truck, my son reports. With miscalculated insouciance I reply, No worries, dude, I’m sure it’s Bill. Bill, our neighbor, owns a service station. He’s hooking up your car, mom. I run outside to yell at this man,...
by janetedgette | Oct 11, 2015 | Mental health, Parent-Child communication, Parent-Teen communication, Parenting, Parenting teens, Parenting young children
Heidi was a 15 year old girl who came for therapy at the behest of her parents. “She’s been furious with us ever since we had her transfer to a charter school,” her mother told me over the phone when setting up her first appointment. “Her father and I were...
by janetedgette | Aug 9, 2015 | Mental health
When it comes to selecting indicators of a young person’s favorable adjustment to adult life, many American educators and parents opt for the measurable kind—grades, class rankings, RBIs, how many extracurriculars, etc. Some like to use the binary kind,...
by janetedgette | Mar 12, 2014 | Mental health, Nonathletic boys, Parenting, Self-esteem
Kids who are shy don’t need to hear about the merits of being an extrovert. They need to hear that they are accepted and valued for who they are. Only then will the ones who really do want to stretch beyond their comfort zone be able to move forward toward new...
