Dear Mark,
I just want to thanks you. My family is in the middle of a great deal of turmoil. My husband of almost 25 years asked me for a divorce in November of 2008. Since then, our daughter has ran away twice, cut her arm and spent a week in an inpatient psychiatric facility, has totally changed her dress and her set of friends and has been diagnosed with depression and was placed on medications.
What I found interesting is how much she seemed to be feeding into the diagnosis of "depression" and her "anger issues". I also noticed that the medications actually made her more miserable and her defiant behavior escalated. Your ebook has helped so much and I am only in the first week!
I have fired the counselors, weaned my child off medications and I am ready to begin the work of becoming a stronger, more focused parent. My soon to be ex-husband has also agreed to purchase the program and we intend on working it together to get our daughter back on track.
I thank you for your help and guidance. Please pray for my family as I will for yours.
Sincerely,
L.
My Out-of-Control Daughter
Search OnlineParentingCoach.com
18.6.09
I know this [program] is working...
Mark,
Thanks, I know this is working. This morning, my son was refused his request to drive to driver's ed. He threatened that he wouldn't go. I rolled the window up and shut the engine off and grabbed my purse and opened the door without a fight and he backed down and got in the passenger side.
He said he hated both me and his dad. He is finally expressing his resentment towards his father that he's kept bottled up.
My daughter is compliant with the changes, and earned a reward yesterday to stay the night with a friend. I hadn't been as permissive with her in the past, because she's been the fighter at school, and always gotten attention thru negative behavior and my son, had been 'the good kid'.
T.
My Out-of-Control Teen
Thanks, I know this is working. This morning, my son was refused his request to drive to driver's ed. He threatened that he wouldn't go. I rolled the window up and shut the engine off and grabbed my purse and opened the door without a fight and he backed down and got in the passenger side.
He said he hated both me and his dad. He is finally expressing his resentment towards his father that he's kept bottled up.
My daughter is compliant with the changes, and earned a reward yesterday to stay the night with a friend. I hadn't been as permissive with her in the past, because she's been the fighter at school, and always gotten attention thru negative behavior and my son, had been 'the good kid'.
T.
My Out-of-Control Teen
Abuse by Brother
Hi Mark,
Let me start by saying thanks. Not that we are into the program enough to have had any changes occur, but because you have opened my eyes to how I may have contributed to my sons behaviour and more importantly, the basic things I can do (which my husband says is common sense!) to help him and our family. I must be one of a few, that for me, it wasn’t part of my make up and I didn’t have these ideas naturally. Needless to say, I have over compensated on nurturing, thinking that I was guiding and educating with an open mind and respect for these ‘little people’ and have sort of let them down.
All will change soon, and my 12 yr old son (C___) is crying out for more structure and guidelines. Just to give you a heads up, he has been diagnosed with ‘Aspergers Traits’ and an exceptional IQ which sometimes makes our task a little more trying! C___ actually skipped a grade at primary school, and has just started secondary school this year.
My question in the chat was concerning siblings. C___’s younger brother is the polar opposite of C___. He is compliant, respectful (as far as 10yr olds go), intuitive, empathetic etc, etc. He is young though in some of his ways and really cops a lot of verbal abuse and physical abuse from C___. He is often in tears about this and even though his heart says ‘I love my brother’, he is really having a battle because he can’t bear the treatment he gets.
I positively encourage him and thank him for his tolerance and patience etc. and describe that C___ sees the world differently to him and that we are trying to help with this, but my heart breaks when it happens and I want him to feel a bit more empowered with the situation, rather than a ‘victim’.
I am in Australia Mark, and it is 10.30am here. We are currently in the midst of a sleepover Birthday party for C___, as the 14th June is his 12th birthday however, like most years, we have had a heated discussion & incidents whether his friends are present or not. We may have a cross over in time zones but I hope you can give me some advice.
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Sibling rivalry issues are covered in the Q & A blog: www.OnlineParentingCoach.com
I'll copy and paste:
“Ignoring” behavior is an over-rated parenting strategy – but when it comes to sibling rivalry – it is often the best strategy. Here’s a two-part plan:
1. Don't take sides. If you intervene in squabbling, it should never be on one side or the other. Never intervene on one side or the other unless there is possible harm. By harm I mean the possibility of causing injury, not minor pain. Say, "The two of you stop it” …rather than, “Michael, stop hitting your brother” (which sounds like you’re taking sides).
2. Never listen to what went on. And I mean never. Again, the only exception is if there is potential harm to one or the other child.
When rivalry is present, here are the four common issues that kids are really fighting about:
1. Expressing competition. We live in a competitive society and sibling rivalry is an extension of that. It’s a way for kids to compete with each other and learn how to manage their own competitive behavior.
2. Getting a parent’s attention. This is the most common issue that spurs sibling fighting.
3. Jealousy. One sibling may be jealous of the other (what the other one has, how the other one looks, or how well the other one does in school).
4. Teasing. Sibling fighting may take the form of teasing. By doing this, they test the limits of what’s socially acceptable. In the family, kids can test what they can say by judging what kind of pain it causes. Though children may learn important lessons about how to interact with other people, there are other ways to learn that are less hurtful.
Here’s a list of helpful tips that parents can use to reduce or stop sibling rivalry:
· Avoid favoritism. Some researchers believe that perceived favoritism is the greatest cause of sibling rivalry. So avoiding it helps immensely. This can be challenging since parents may favor certain traits in teenagers over other traits. That means teenagers who have the favored traits become favored.
Hint #1: Pay attention to each child and determine what kind of attention is needed. Consider that teenagers are different and need different things at different times. An exact minute for minute accounting of your attention is not essential. Sometimes a child may require some extra time.
Hint #2: Give each child his or her own special time with you. During this time, make sure no one else is around to compete for your attention.
· Don’t take sides, don't be the judge. When they’re fighting, tell the kids, “I want you two to work this out,” and walk away. Don’t get involved in the fight.
· Don't pay attention to the fight; stay out of it. If they are fighting for your attention and you don't get involved, they will learn other, hopefully better ways to get your attention.
· Know when to intervene. Sibling rivalry can develop into abuse if one sibling regularly victimizes the other. If you follow all of the above, this probably will not happen. But if you’re still struggling with this situation, be alert. Check to see if someone is really getting hurt and who’s too helpless to stop the abuser. The abuse can be physical, emotional, or sexual. If it’s going on, your response must be prompt and significant. This must not be allowed. If you can’t stop the abuser yourself, seek outside help—a counselor, a friend of family member, or the police or other authorities if you can't stop it any other way.
· Make clear that ongoing conflict is unacceptable. When the fighting has stopped, say something to the rivals like, “I’m unhappy with the present level of fighting and I want you two to find a way to work this out.” If a fight is just beginning, you may give the rivals a group goal so they can work together for a positive outcome.
· Offer problem-solving strategies when the teenagers are not fighting. It may be necessary to work with each child individually, but be really careful that you are not inadvertently playing into the rivalry by giving the desired attention. Offer support without saying whether the child is right or wrong. Ask what the child thinks the fight was about and how he or she might avoid this kind of fight in the future.
· Remain positive. By finding something positive about each of your teenagers on an ongoing basis, you’ll reduce the level of sibling rivalry.
· Teach empathy. Empathy is the opposite of sibling rivalry. The more sensitive siblings are to each other’s emotions, the less they’ll challenge each other as rivals.
...More on sibling rivalry is in the audio section: http://www.myoutofcontrolteen.
...Also, you will want to use the strategy in session #3 [online version of the eBook].
Good luck,
Mark
17.6.09
"Rebellious Teen"
Hello Mark,
I wish I would have known about your program 2 years ago when the problems started with Lauren. She was 15 when everything hit the fan and just celebrated her 18th birthday. I would say we're at the 3rd stage where the blow ups are less frequent and less intense. Just reading about how things were and how you suggested resolving them let me see where I made my mistakes as a parent and how I actually am doing better now than I thought. Even though Lauren has made some positive changes in her life and attitude I am able to see now how everything went to pot in the first place. She is the youngest of 4 and there are 9 years between her and her sister who is third and her brothers are 12 and 15 years older. I think I felt bad that Lauren was an "only child" and gave in a lot of times where I never would have with my other kids. I got caught up in the emotional tug of war and we did go to therapy and I ended up being the one who continued to go to assure myself that I wasn't loosing my grip. Even though our situation isn't as bad as it was I can see that your program will still provide me and my husband with many tools to continue on the right path. I finished Session 1 today and plan on listening to the audio, watching the videos and reading the e book a few times this week. I'm not sure what made me type "rebellious teen" into the search bar last night but I'm so glad that I did.
B.
My Out-of-Control Teen
I wish I would have known about your program 2 years ago when the problems started with Lauren. She was 15 when everything hit the fan and just celebrated her 18th birthday. I would say we're at the 3rd stage where the blow ups are less frequent and less intense. Just reading about how things were and how you suggested resolving them let me see where I made my mistakes as a parent and how I actually am doing better now than I thought. Even though Lauren has made some positive changes in her life and attitude I am able to see now how everything went to pot in the first place. She is the youngest of 4 and there are 9 years between her and her sister who is third and her brothers are 12 and 15 years older. I think I felt bad that Lauren was an "only child" and gave in a lot of times where I never would have with my other kids. I got caught up in the emotional tug of war and we did go to therapy and I ended up being the one who continued to go to assure myself that I wasn't loosing my grip. Even though our situation isn't as bad as it was I can see that your program will still provide me and my husband with many tools to continue on the right path. I finished Session 1 today and plan on listening to the audio, watching the videos and reading the e book a few times this week. I'm not sure what made me type "rebellious teen" into the search bar last night but I'm so glad that I did.
B.
My Out-of-Control Teen
15.6.09
I feel stronger because I'm not alone in this...
Hi Mark,
I joined OPS a week ago. As a single parent of a 15 year old daughter without any support I have tendency to panic whenever any situation arises because I'm scared she will win again. Now just after my first two sessions I feel stronger because I'm not alone in this.
Yesterday when I listened about all the 5 stages of Anger Ladder, I was amazed: you've described exactly what I go through with my kid from time to time . Now I know why.
Thank you,
I.
My Out-of-Control Teen
I joined OPS a week ago. As a single parent of a 15 year old daughter without any support I have tendency to panic whenever any situation arises because I'm scared she will win again. Now just after my first two sessions I feel stronger because I'm not alone in this.
Yesterday when I listened about all the 5 stages of Anger Ladder, I was amazed: you've described exactly what I go through with my kid from time to time . Now I know why.
Thank you,
I.
My Out-of-Control Teen
8.6.09
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How to Create a Home-Rules Contract
Mark:
I am mainly worried about one of my son’s friends who coached him about a lot of negative things, now this friend will be taken off the street soon, either go to juvenile detention or to go to another state, so he won’t be around much longer.
Now my current problem is I have issued consequences to my son for being coming home late, such as suspending his cell phone, taking away his game controllers, grounding him. The 1st one I have control over, the 2nd one I don’t have control anymore, now he hides his controller before he leaves the house, the 3rd one he totally ignores. I told him he is grounded for 1 day since he didn’t come home on time, but his friends just come to our house and pick him up, he sneaks out of the house one way or the other, so what do I do now?
I want to print out all the rules for the house, the privileges and consequences for him, so he knows exactly what to expect for his actions. Do you have a sample for those things?
Thank you!
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Hi S.,
Here's a way to create your own "home-rules" contract. There's a blank template at the bottom of the page too.
Click ==> http://www.myoutofcontrolteen.com/mr-rulescontract.html
Mark
I am mainly worried about one of my son’s friends who coached him about a lot of negative things, now this friend will be taken off the street soon, either go to juvenile detention or to go to another state, so he won’t be around much longer.
Now my current problem is I have issued consequences to my son for being coming home late, such as suspending his cell phone, taking away his game controllers, grounding him. The 1st one I have control over, the 2nd one I don’t have control anymore, now he hides his controller before he leaves the house, the 3rd one he totally ignores. I told him he is grounded for 1 day since he didn’t come home on time, but his friends just come to our house and pick him up, he sneaks out of the house one way or the other, so what do I do now?
I want to print out all the rules for the house, the privileges and consequences for him, so he knows exactly what to expect for his actions. Do you have a sample for those things?
Thank you!
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Hi S.,
Here's a way to create your own "home-rules" contract. There's a blank template at the bottom of the page too.
Click ==> http://www.myoutofcontrolteen.
Mark
5.6.09
We had a blow out the other day because of a pierced lip...
Hi Mark,
I just purchased your program today. I am going to try and make this brief. My daughter has been with father for the last 4 months we have 50/50 custody. Recently she has talked about moving back and going to her old school. We had a blow out the other day because of a pierced lip that her father allowed her to get knowing this is not allowed in my house. I would also not get her a dress that night. She hit me called me bad names and was out of control. I called her father and said I would be picking her up Sunday night and am going back to 50/50 custody because of how she felt I have no control over her behavior. My problem is this program takes about 4 weeks and this Sunday is days away. My question is should I not pick her up and let her stay with her father if that is what she so desires and explain I love her and this would be her choice to live with her father instead of being with me and the rules at our house. Or should I pick her up Sunday night and really try to get through this program while she is here week on week off? Because I have no have time to go through the program I don't know what would be best.
Your help is greatly appreciated,
S.
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Hi S.,
When this situation arises, the typical scenario (in brief) looks something like this:
1. Child goes to father's house to live (greener grass myth)...
2. About a 2 to 4 week "honeymoon period" is experienced in the new home (i.e., things go very well at first)...
3. Then the child begins to behave (i.e., misbehave) the same way she behaved in previous home...
4. Father cannot successfully address the misbehavior and sends the child back to mom...
Having said this, I think it would be good for you and your daughter to have a time-out from one another. Take advantage of the opportunity to get a break (albeit a short one).
Mark
MyOutOfControlTeen.com
I just purchased your program today. I am going to try and make this brief. My daughter has been with father for the last 4 months we have 50/50 custody. Recently she has talked about moving back and going to her old school. We had a blow out the other day because of a pierced lip that her father allowed her to get knowing this is not allowed in my house. I would also not get her a dress that night. She hit me called me bad names and was out of control. I called her father and said I would be picking her up Sunday night and am going back to 50/50 custody because of how she felt I have no control over her behavior. My problem is this program takes about 4 weeks and this Sunday is days away. My question is should I not pick her up and let her stay with her father if that is what she so desires and explain I love her and this would be her choice to live with her father instead of being with me and the rules at our house. Or should I pick her up Sunday night and really try to get through this program while she is here week on week off? Because I have no have time to go through the program I don't know what would be best.
Your help is greatly appreciated,
S.
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Hi S.,
When this situation arises, the typical scenario (in brief) looks something like this:
1. Child goes to father's house to live (greener grass myth)...
2. About a 2 to 4 week "honeymoon period" is experienced in the new home (i.e., things go very well at first)...
3. Then the child begins to behave (i.e., misbehave) the same way she behaved in previous home...
4. Father cannot successfully address the misbehavior and sends the child back to mom...
Having said this, I think it would be good for you and your daughter to have a time-out from one another. Take advantage of the opportunity to get a break (albeit a short one).
Mark
MyOutOfControlTeen.com
3.6.09
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