“We hooked up last night.” This is a statement bound to provoke not only anxiety but confusion in the mind of parents of teens and young adults. Most parents remember a time when sexual experimentation was more explicit. There were “bases” and making out was very different from doing it. Now, hooking up can mean […]
Recently I took a walk on garbage day. I passed a house where an animal had gotten into the trash can, and yucky debris was spread over a large area. Just then the White homeowner started out of the driveway in an Audi SUV. He was front first, and so couldn’t miss the mess. I […]
Parents who faithfully use time outs with their children as a form of discipline can still find that they are “not working”. The temper tantrums, oppositional behaviors, and meltdowns remain unchanged. Parents can even find that their children will place themselves in the designated spot for a time out while continuing to act out. Our […]
The other day I walked by a driveway where a young woman and her father were having a discussion. Or trying to. They were standing near the open door of a car from which came the piercing shrieks of a child who sounded not quite 2 years old. The woman was talking about how she […]
How is it that a car crash can tie up traffic on both sides of the highway? An accident can be completely contained on one side of the highway divider; yet traffic can come to a virtual standstill on the other side. We call it rubbernecking – implying that we may have to work pretty […]
I’d like to pass along some wisdom regarding our American love affair with what we call rugged individualism. The first two people quoted are activist clergymen, the other three are sophisticated therapists. William Sloane Coffin: Many of us overvalue autonomy, the strength to stand alone, and the capacity to act independently. Far too few of […]
When I grew up, I discovered I had a lot to learn if I were to have any success with getting in trouble, which I now saw in terms of advocacy. I first had to struggle with the internal/personal aspects. Did all those years as the new kid in so many schools hardwire me to […]
I was an extremely compliant child. Children of psychopaths don’t really have a choice. I hardly ever got in trouble, either at home or at school. I was submissive, studious, and not only cleaned my room but the whole damn house. I was a parentified child to the max, making lunch for my mother and […]
So how is it that wearing a mask during a pandemic has become part of the so-called culture wars? An American citizen referred to God breathing life into Adam, hence a mask being something that might interfere with her breath as a violation of her religious liberty. Come again? And the woman at the mike […]
I don’t really like lemonade. While I most appreciate the yin and yang of lemons and sugar, for me lemonade is a head trip. However, I think children’s lemonade stands are irresistible, and I never fail to patronize them. Lemonade stands generally consist of a table, most likely a steadfast and unassuming old table. Then […]