Someone said to me recently, "Nearly all the problems of the world would be solved if human beings were more empathetic." It was such a bold, broad thing to say that I really had to reflect on it for a while. Ultimately, I found the statement hard to disagree with....
One of my favorite parenting experts is Deborah Gilboa, MD. also known as Dr. G. In the past I've shared several of her posts. In this video, "The Big Lie about Empathy," she shares some eyes-wide-open truths about EMPATHY. Probably nothing is more important to the...
Have you ever looked up at the night sky on a clear night to see the North Star? If you can spot the Big Dipper, follow the line from the dipper to a very bright star named Polaris. This star helped seafarers navigate for centuries. It's very, very far away - over 300...
Mindful - an often-used word. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, it means "aware of something that may be important." Aware - feel or experience something Something that may be important. One of the most important things you can be mindful of: your child....
What every parent knows: unconditional love is the foundation. But child misbehavior can temporarily make it hard to access this love, much less express it. In its place, your instinctive negative reaction: frustration, fatigue, disappointment, discouragement, hurt,...
To be the best listener you can be, I believe you need two, closely related skills: active listening and empathy. I learned active listening in 1976, and I've been practicing it and writing about it ever since. The core skill in active listening is to check what you...
A classic conflict: a teenager who is discovering who they are and wanting to be popular is tempted to give in to peer pressure to do things that are ill-advised or even dangerous. It's the kind of conflict that few teens know how to deal with. Have you tried ChatGPT,...
I sometimes reflect on what I'm grateful for. And not just on Thanksgiving. Number one for me is the fact that I'm still alive. I've sidestepped death a few times in my life. Plus, the lives of several dozen of my friends have already ended. But I'm still here,...
As I write this, Vladimir Putin has decided that he wants Ukraine to become a part of Russia. The people of Ukraine don't want this; they want to remain their own nation, separate from Russia. But rather than enter into peaceful relations with Ukraine, Putin has...
So many of the emotional flare-ups and conflicts that arise between parent and child are triggered by the failure to communicate effectively. Instead, we react emotionally, with frustration or anger. It's only natural, but it alienates your child. It's an old story....