ONLINE PARENTING COACH

I am a single parent. Could you give me any tips on how to get a 13-year-old to get out of the house on weekends instead of staying in with me? The only way to get him out is if I buy him a game or something he wants to do. But I cannot always afford this. _____________ Hi L., Here are a few ideas that your son could do either at home or away from home: 1. Bake bread 2. Bake cookies or a cake 3. Help cook dinner 4. Do soap carving 5. Go and visit grandparents 6. Go bike riding together 7. Go bowling 8. Go camping 9. Go fishing 10. Go swimming 11. Go to a movie 12. Go to the library 13. Go wading in a creek 14. Go window-shopping 15. Have a bonfire 16. Have a family meeting to discuss whatever 17. Have a family picnic in the park 18. Have a late evening cookout 19. Have a barbeque 20. Have a water balloon fight in the backyard 21. Learn a new...

Hi E. & P., I’ve responded to your comments point by point below. Please look for these arrows: >>>>>>>>>>> Mark, I just had a conversation with our daughter last evening as she is going out and telling everyone that we do not support her in her future endeavor in sports. >>>>>>>>>>> I hear you saying that your daughter is mad because you are not on the same page with her regarding college (justifiably so). We pay for everything she does with sports, she has been on national development teams, we go to every game, every tournament, and we tell her what a great game she played. >>>>>>>>>>> You are paying for everything? What is she doing to “earn” these things? She seems to put herself on a higher pedestal than what she actually has. She has been cutting, suicidal, etc. >>>>>>>>>>> Please refer to the sectio...

Hi M., I’ve responded to each of your points in turn below. Please look for these arrows: >>>>> Anyway, I would like to know if you could provide some guidance as to how to approach our current issues with our older 17-year-old son. He will be 18 in January. We have actually tried going to a psychologist last year with no real progress. To make matters worse he and his father do not have a good relationship because my son says he always picks on him. Actually, he has always tried to steer him in the right direction and on three previous occasions his father has been very supportive but obviously very upset with his behaviour. He has been living away from home since April with his girlfriend with several friends or girlfriends family with no positive outcomes. All have asked them to leave. They both have no jobs or money. They are involved in stealing whenever it is necessary. Both are using cannabis and alcohol. My son has actually physically abused girlfriend I ...