Parents Must Lead

I was guilty of this with June as a young toddler.  He was intense (INTENSE) and I was fearful od punishing him because it meant I had to face his wrath. Lesson learned.  Must.be.alpha.

January 20, 2012 | Here's your daily parenting tip from ScreamFree

"The thing that impresses me most about America is the way parents obey their children." -King Edward VIII, Duke of Windsor (1894-1972)

Hal's Take:   Ok. Admit it. There have been times when you felt like the tail was wagging the dog in your family. Join the ranks. We've all been there. In an effort to create loving environments for our children, we unwittingly have given them far too much power in deciding what that needs to look like. We cover our minivans with their names and honor roll stickers; we overspend each year at Christmas, buying the latest trendy gadgets; we sacrifice our weekends to tote them to tennis tournaments; we revolve our lives around them and then we get upset when they don't appreciate all that we do to make their lives wonderful. Our kids may seem like they want all of these things, but in reality, being "in charge" of the family scares them to death. What kids really need are parents who give them boundaries, choices, and love - no matter what. By taking your rightful place as the leader in your family, you can really have the wonderful home you always wanted - no strings attached. -Hal Runkel, LMFT, Author of ScreamFree Parenting and ScreamFree Marriage