Bill Corbett

Hitting for this development phase is normal.  So, what things are you doing to help the preschooler feel like the special "big brother" that he is? He should have special responsibilities WITH his little brother to redirect feelings of resentment; reading him stories, helping with his bath, being in charge of the diaper bag when you travel, etc. The more you make him feel special, the less likley he is to annoy and make his brother cry. Also, sometimes, the feeling of having been "dethroned" by a younger sibling builds feelings of resentment toward the parent and the child can transfer that resentment to the sibling. As far as removal, it is OK to remove the toddler if the preschooler hits or hurts him. The consequence is that he loses the opportunity to play with this brother if he behaves badly. Be sure the the preschooler has his own space to play, to address any feelings he may have that his sibling is invading his space. Make sure you are reinforceing positive...

My wife and I noticed immediately how differently her teenage daughter behaves and treats us when she returns from a visit with her father.  Oftentimes she is rude, abrasive, and immediately begins to complain about how our rules are stupid and how we are controlling her life.  And why shouldn't she when her father has no rules.  He shows up a couple of times a year to buy her favorite treats and give her gifts or money.  Such is the case for so many parents whose children go to another parent's home for visitation.  Some parents get similar behaviors from their children when they just go to a grandparent's home when discipline is handled differently.  This is one of the frustrating challenges of the modern society... everyone doesn't parent the same.  The times have changed and the ownership falls on the engaged parent to react in certain ways to the annoying behaviors we get when our child returns from a visit.  Download my READY-TO-PRINT articl...

Catch yourself just before you're about to say something to your child, spouse, significant other, or anyone, and ask yourself, "is what I'm about to say going to bring me closer to that person, or make me right?" When it is our time to leave this world and face the greater power that created us, I doubt we will be judged on the number of times we were right, and instead, the strength of our relationships.

An angel of a step mom of two teenage kids reached out to me for help with the oldest, a boy.  She reported to me that his bio-mom's past ineffective parenting created enormous problems for the boy, and his new family.  He seems to have given up with his school work, he became addicted to entertainment media, and he doesn't care about life in general.  This step mom was also concerned that his behavior may have negative influence on his 13 year old bio sister and his new, younger, half siblings.  Here is my response to her: First of all, keep in mind that his grades and his school performance belong to him, not you. Unfortunately, if he chooses a path of destruction in school, there is not a lot you can do about it.  Forcing him to study or punishing him won't work.  If he is getting psychotherapy treatment, then you are doing all you can for him for now. There is the risk that he will screw it all up and end up having to go ...

The PARENTING STYLE of yester year was autocratic. The object was to control the child and that made it easier to parent. The autocratic parenting style is used by less families today due to social changes in this country that honor and nurture the human spirit. It has also come about by an explosion in the varying number of books and opinions published by differing methodologies and psychologists. Parents are confused as to how to raise children and many are just throwing their arms up in frustration and guessing their way through a very critical and difficult job. This is exactly what led me to get my psychology degrees, write my books, and develop my organization to help parents; Cooperative Kids. TECHNOLOGY and SOCIAL MEDIA has changed drastically over the years and today, parents must stay up on the latest technology to know what to allow their child to have and use, and how to keep them safe secure from predators and their peers. Children today with cell phones, Facebook and...

I was involved in an online discussion regarding giving children and young teens access to the social networking application Facebook. My stance is a firm NO and I am outnumbered by parent educators who believe differently. Their position is to allow a child to have Facebook with some safeguards, if the parent believes that the child is emotionally or cognitively ready to use it responsibly, or if the child shows curiosity and a desire to use it. They also feel that social media tools are here to stay for adults and children should be included and trained to use them safely. I advised my fellow parent educators that putting out general parenting advice to the world (as some in this group are) that children and young teens can be given limited or supervised access to Facebook because “social media is here to stay,” or because “the child is asking for it,” or because “every child is different and some may be emotionally or cognitively ready for it” is a mistake. It is a mistake primar...

I have one left at home and she is 13. She is also my stepdaughter and a typical teenage girl. Connecting with a teen is tricky because they have to act like they don’t like their adult caregivers and avoid having to listen to them.   Remember, I said “adult caregivers.”   That means they are very likely to listen to other adults.   It’s just in the wiring of adolescence and we parents just have to deal with it.   Because of this, I always welcome alone time with Olivia, especially on a drive in my truck somewhere.   That’s just how you connect with a teen, by hanging out with them with not a whole lot to say.   I remember letting my own daughter paint my toenails one afternoon after asking her permission to just hang out with her in her room for a bit. This past Sunday, her mom was singing at church and had to leave early for the first service.   That meant Olivia and I got to sleep in a bit and show up for second service.   As the two of us g...