Parenting Advice From the Experts

Our role is not to become our children's flame. It is to help ignite theirs by providing a positive example for them to emulate.

A parent can easily say "no" 200-300 times a day to a young child. A child can become so inured to the pain that he stops listening...

My 14 year old daughter used to be a little overweight. In the past two months she's lost a significant amount of weight but doesn't show any signs of letting up on her diet. How can I be sure she doesn't develop anorexia nervosa? Sara Chana Radcliffe shares her expert advice on this issue facing many teenagers today.

As the late afternoon arrives, I already tense up for the long struggle ahead. My kids hate going to sleep...

Lately I've been catching my child making up stories and telling lies. When I confront him, he just gets upset and denies it. It's gotten to the point that I really don't trust him with anything he tells me.

I want my husband to help me more with the kids. The problem is that when I try and tell him how I want things done, he gets upset and says, "So do it yourself then." He says that if he is going to care for them, whether it is bedtime, bath-time, or whatever, he needs to do it his way.

My teenage daughter is a very creative soul who loves creative expression like art and writing. But she is also a real slob. Her room is always a mess no matter how much I ask her to clean up after herself.

Do you like argumentative people? Probably not; most of us don't. When we teach our kids to be pleasant communicators they will reap the benefits of a more successful social life and more satisfying interpersonal relationships.

Both my husband and I are introverted. We have two children, who also shy away from social interactions. Is there anything that I can do to help them feel more at ease in group situations?

Parents are caught in a paradoxical situation. Every child wants to be loved as he is. However, the parent is also a teacher whose job is to civilize, instil values, shape attitudes and correct negative behavior.

I am pregnant with my first child. My husband is so excited, but I am just terrified.

I have a very inquisitive 6 year old son and I'm generally patient with him. However, I get irritated when he asks me personal questions...

My eight year old son is an excellent student but lately each morning before he leaves to school, he complains of either a headache or a stomachache...

My teenage daughter goes to sleep at outrageously late hours and wakes up tired and ill-equipped to function. Other than nagging, which hasn't worked, is there any way I can knock some sense--or sleep--into her?

Suddenly 17-yearold Ethan was shouting and lashing out at his brother. He then stomped furiously out of the house, slamming the front door behind him...

My four year old has started hitting me. I have explained to him that we need to say what we want with words, and not with hitting, but that hasn't stopped him...

My ten year old is afraid of everything... fires and kidnappers... the dark... and being left alone. What can I do to help her deal with her fears?

How do you teach such an abstract idea as honesty to a young child?

The family meal, once a cornerstone of family life, has in recent years fallen by the wayside. Research, however, points to family meals as a way of preventing both behavior and eating problems.

There's lots of "legitimate reasons" for why we yell at our kids. But are the consequences too high a price to pay for gaining of a little cooperation?

My children, 3, 6 and 10 years old, have a difficult time occupying themselves. I'm constantly hearing "we're bored!" or "what should we do, now?" I need help in learning how to make them more independent!

Better to slow down and figure out what you can do that might actually be productive instead of rushing in impulsively to quickly "fix" whatever seems to be the trouble.

In all the parenting books I read, they speak about setting limits and boundaries. But I am just such a softie, that when my kids start to cry and plead with me, I usually give in. Is there anything really wrong with saying "yes" all the time?

My son has gotten into this pattern of tossing and turning in bed. He's so stressed by this that he hates going to bed pushing off bedtime every night. Do you have any advice for insomnia?

Kids are born with personalities intact. One child is born with a pleasant, relaxed temperament. Another is born feisty and fidgety. One is sociable, another timid and withdrawn. If so, what is the role of a parent? What difference does "good" or "bad" parenting make?

My daughter's whining drives me crazy. When she gets going, it just makes my skin crawl. And when she doesn't get what she wants, she cries.

I have two boys, ages nine and eleven, who are constantly fighting. They bicker and quarrel, hurl insults at each other, and even resort to hitting. How can I stop this terrible behavior?

Kids are on a mission to discover their unique selves and this involves separating their will from their parents' wills. Enter "attitude." Attitude says, "No way! That's not my idea of what to do!"

The holiday passed in a haze of bickering. The 'Who's going to win Mommy's attention' game continued in full-swing. My children's constant bickering is driving me crazy, and making the holiday season into a nightmare. I can't wait for them to go back to school.

I'm a single, working mom, juggling many responsibilities. My two children, aged nine and eleven, don't do anything to help out at home and this frustrates me to no end. How do I get them to help?

My ten-year-old is a sweet boy who is usually pleasant and polite. However, he has a habit of calling my daughter names even though he is aware how sensitive she is, and sometimes, when he gets excited, he will grab her around the neck and squeeze her a little too hard.

Our parenting day is made up of so many tasks, from getting the kids up in the morning to getting them down at night. How can we be sure that our children will feel our love?

How much time and effort I should be putting into my daughter's homework? My daughter is eleven and constantly tells me that the other parents help out so much more with projects and extra assignments. Is homework meant for the parent or the child?

Do your children push you too far? Do you lose your temper and regret it later, but it's too late, and next time it's the same story? Parents can learn to keep their cool even when their children press their buttons...

You know who they are—children who lose everything: homework assignments, library books, mittens, wallets and hats. An endless source of frustration for parents and teachers, "losers" are the most frustrated of all: they waste their own precious time and lose objects they value.

My teenage son is always comparing himself to his classmates and telling me about all the material things and privileges that they have that he does not. How should I respond?

I have a ten your old son who is a very timid; he will go to great lengths to avoid any unpleasant situation. That's why I'm surprised that he has social problems in school and that he's the butt of his friends' insults and practical jokes. How can I help him?

Gift-giving shouldn’t be the focus of your Chanukah this year—or any year. But each day should be special in some way. Here are some low-cost or no-cost activities to help you get started.

About twenty years from now, as they deal with their kids in the morning, after school and at bed time, your children will sound like you. Will that be a good thing?

I have great kids. Yet lately, I can't seem to enjoy them the way I usually do. Although it sounds terrible, sometimes I wish they would go away and leave me alone. How can I get out of this rut?

My ten year old son comes home from school very disturbed. Apparently there is a class bully who humiliates and teases him and does the same for anyone who tries to oppose him.

As a local trauma therapist, I am often called upon to lend a helping ear after a traumatic event. Often children have been exposed to things none of us should ever see...

It's really hard to solve parenting problems when we're upset. When a child "pushes our buttons" to "on" we have to push them back to "off."

I have a few teenage children and I wonder how I can get them to open up about what is really going on in their lives...

My daughter was diagnosed with Diabetes. She takes her insulin injections and handles it surprisingly well. However, at school she suffers from classmates who poke fun at her, calling her "diabetes girl" or other forms of teasing. How can I help her?

I lie in bed all day, and only manage to get dressed before the kids come home from school. I just want to be left alone. By everybody!

I am noticing some traits of selfishness in my daughter. How can I teach her to be more giving and forgiving and happy for others in what they get without constantly thinking about her own entitlements?

Put your hand on the back of your head. In Hebrew, this area is called the oref, it is where our reptilian brain resides...

The two most relevant concepts in getting kids to help out are establishing family routines and consequences.