ONLINE PARENTING COACH

RE: "How do I know if my son has an emotional disability?" Here's a check list of sorts : • Ask your son if something has happened to him. Children sometimes act out in an attempt to draw attention to a problem they are having and are afraid of discussing. • Ask your son's teacher if problems have occurred in the classroom and what things you can do to help your son at home. • Beware of changes in environment or life events that may alter your son's behavior. Sometimes moving to a new town or school can cause a son to act out aggressively or overly emotionally in an attempt to adjust to the change. • Have your son professionally tested if you think your son has an emotional disability or if behavioral problems are creating academic, social or other problems for your son. • Look for emotional cues. Does your son pretend to be physically ill when confronted with a school event or a social situation? Does your son have excessive fear or anxi...

Hi Mark I have recently joined your online parenting support to help my 14 yo son D___. At the weekend he had a fight with his stepfather - caused by D___'s attitude towards me, and now his stepfather, my husband wants nothing to do with him. I don't know how to get him to watch your videos or take any interest in D___'s future. This is tearing me apart, they ignore each other or scowl and swear and I love and hate them both for what they are doing. I understand my husband, he has tried so hard to help D___ and he is just nasty to everyone. C___ has been with D___ since he was 2 years old. I don't know what to do. Can I do it on my own? Will the strategies still work? Please help me… I want to get away from them both. I want to cry all the time (I don't do it but I want to), I totally lose thought when I'm driving and don't know where I am and it frightens me. I am terrified every time they are in the same room together, I don't kn...

Good Morning Mark My 14 year old daughter left the house without my knowledge, and the police brought her home at midnight. She had been out riding around with a 19 yr old boy and several of her friends. The boy was one of the girl's cousin. The car matched the description of one the police were looking for. They took all the girls home and talked to all of them. She knows the house rule about leaving the house, and broke it anyway. I took away her phone, and then returned it the next day with only family in her contacts and all others are locked out from her contact so that she can't call or text msg them. My boyfriend broke it off with me after I told him about this, and my brother in law said that she was going to end up in jail. My question is: We have just started the out of control teen a few months ago, is there still hope for her? Everyone expects immediate results, except for me. I can see the changes, but we still have miles to go. T. ````````````````````````...

What do I do with a 16 year old runaway/illegal consumption……she was in court for VOP for drinking on 6/19, served 30 days on PHD and is to follow up with counselor for tx. Her therapist referred her for psych eval, she was recently put on meds….she continues to smoke pot and lie about it. Failed a UDS for marijuana on 7/28. Parents are getting divorced and have lived in separate houses for awhile, were trying to work it out until mom caught dad with another woman, so dad followed mom home and beat her up….the girl is an emotional wreck every time I see her. ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` She is likely self medicating her anxiety and depression with the pot, which is not ok by any means, but removing her from home to provide a consequence will just reinforce her fear that she is losing control of everything. Ask her therapist about an IOP (if it doesn't interfere with school). If that can't work, maybe she's a goo...

There seems to be nothing more difficult for moms & dads to tolerate than seeing their children bond with a negative peer group. Kids who don't value school are often anti-moms & dads and pro-alcohol, tobacco, drugs, and casual sex and thrive on irreverent and often obnoxious music. Your children will probably proclaim that they are good and loyal friends or that they're much nicer and less shallow than the "preppies" and "jocks." These negative peers may indeed be kinder to your children than some other children you'd prefer for them to befriend. Your children may become secretive, say that you're controlling, and protest that you have no right to say with whom they can be friends. Many of the anti-school children I've worked with are lonely, attention seeking, and sometimes aggressive as elementary-age children. Moms & dads and teachers are anxious about their children' lack of friends, even when they do have a few. Moms ...

Children of all ages — from preschoolers to adolescents — can be tempted to steal for different reasons: Preadolescents and adolescents know they're not supposed to steal, but might steal for the thrill of it or because their friends do. Some might believe they can get away with it. As they're given more control over their lives, some adolescents steal as a way of rebelling. School-age children usually know they're not supposed to take something without paying, but they might do so anyway because they lack enough self-control. Very young children sometimes take things they want without understanding that things cost money and that it's wrong to take something without paying for it. And other complex reasons can be factors. Children might be angry or want attention. Their behavior may reflect stress at home, school, or with friends. Some may steal as a cry for help because of emotional or physical abuse they're enduring. ==>  JOIN Online Parent Sup...

Hello Mark, First of all, sincere thank you for your quick reply. It has been just more than a week since I last wrote to you, but during that time my life changed so much. I realised that my 'big fish' is actually a shark (grown up by myself). But I have not given up and I have been consistent with all that I need to do. I quit my job (at least for now) but I continue with the programme. My father came to stay with me for a couple of weeks as my husband is working in another town. What actually happened is something that I did not have even in my nightmares. And it was my mistake that I did not think about this possibility and did not prepare myself for that. My son's resistance to the new parenting style (introduced very carefully) got to his old self enough and well known weapon-physical violence. I was punched several times one day as I had to go 'back to normal' and for the first time in my life I called the police. My son was given final warning and his violen...