The Healing Power of Animals

June 5, 2009

Firstly, I want to thank everyone who has been coming and reading Privilege of Parenting.  While I so appreciate, and welcome, the comments, questions and feedback, I also want to acknowledge the many wonderful parents, grandparents and “parents” who have no children who have been silently coming and reading (and adding love to) our collective […]

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“She started it!” When siblings fight…

June 4, 2009

A reader says, “It can be a total calm and peace in our house and the next second my son, four, and my daughter, seven, will be going at each other, falling into their well rehearsed dynamic of teasing and yelling, neither of them willing to respect each others limits or give up.” The reader […]

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What to say when kids say they hate themselves

June 3, 2009

A reader asked her six-year-old son why he was acting up and he said: “Because I hate myself, and I’m stupid”  “So now what do we say?” she inquires. The first thing to consider is whether there is a “right” thing to say in such a moment.  Better might be sincere interest, and non-judgment, about […]

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And put it in the oven for baby and me… (When instead of pulling away, kids seem like they want to be back inside)

June 2, 2009

A reader inquires:  My son is 10 and there are times that are quite the opposite of pulling away. There are times I feel is trying to crawl back into the womb. Love him as much is humanly possible but I find I need to ask him for my space. Do you have thoughts on […]

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How is Narcissism like Footed Pajamas?

June 1, 2009

Narcissism is a widely used term in our society, and it is also widely misunderstood.  We typically think of someone who is “narcissistic” as being vain and self-centered, but if we recall the ancient myth from which the term comes, it is about a beautiful youth who has no idea who he is. While Narcissus […]

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Two Dog Night

May 31, 2009

I first saw her running wild and alone down the middle of the street—a damsel in distress?  A femme fatale?  At that point I didn’t even know that her name was Emma, and I wouldn’t know it until the next morning… all I knew was that our paths were destined to cross… I see clients […]

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The “Grand” Mother and THE GREAT MOTHER

May 30, 2009

Ellie died two years ago today.  It was two days after her eighty-third birthday as we gathered around her hospital bed and the doctors unhooked the machines.  In the six weeks since the valve-replacement that had simply been too much for her, we had watched her go from an old woman back to a child-like […]

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When Kids Pull Away

May 29, 2009

Many parents have asked me to talk about kids pulling away as they enter adolescence.  One of the key issues for us parents is the sense of loss we encounter as our kids grow.  And one of the best things we can do about this is to let it happen.  But then what do we […]

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When we have Bad Dreams about our Children

May 28, 2009

A reader writes:  I once had a dream that I was running after my boy – he was about two at the time – and he was running away from me down the path of the childhood place I grew up in on summer vacations in the country (not always happy times). I saw my […]

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Some Of The Best “Parents” Have No Children

May 27, 2009

  A woman I know was driving to work one morning when she pulled along side a taxi where she saw a small child, very cute, riding alone in the back seat looking out the window at her.  At first she was puzzled about who would let their three or four-year-old ride alone in a […]

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