Managing Middle Child Syndrome
Q. Our “middle child” Katie is 10 years old. We seem to be working harder with her than with her sisters as Katie’s never content; it seems she’s always looking for something else to buy or to be entertained by someone else. Katie’s inability to be happy in the moment...
Teaching Tolerance
Q. I have primary custody of my two children, but the kids spend school holidays and most of the summer with my ex-husband. They have a good relationship with their dad and I never say anything negative about him. I do worry about him using racial slurs and speaking...
Odd Man Out
Q. We have two daughters, ages 6 and 11; there are two girls on our street who are the same ages as our kids, but the older child doesn’t often play with my older daughter. How common is it for children to exclude a playmate? What can I do to make this better? A....
Letting Go of Self-doubt
Q. As our children are growing up, I wonder if I’m a good mother. Do my husband and I do the right things and make the right decisions? Do we spend enough time with our kids? Do we give them too much or indulge them without merit? How can I get beyond this self-doubt?...
Putting Bedtime Battles to Sleep
Q. My wife and I have a difficult time getting our children to bed at night. They fuss and whine about bedtime and make excuses to get up after being put down for the night. Getting the kids to bed is taking a toll on us; we try to get them to sleep early enough that...
Making a Case for Camp
Q. I would really like to send my son Nathan, age 10, to summer camp this year. I had a great experience attending YMCA camp when I was a child, where I was able to connect with some of the nicest, most popular girls in school. My shy, timid demeanor disappeared and a...
Searching for Peace
Q. I’ve been divorced from my ex-husband for five years. Our daughter Avery, 15, spends every other weekend and a month during the summer with her father. During the last five years and even before the divorce, my ex-husband has been angry with me and seems to take it...
Don’t Worry, Be Happy
Q. My husband and I tend to be unhappy about many things, including the state of our government, our relationship, our jobs, etc. However, we very much want our children to be happy. How can we model happiness for them when we feel unhappy most of the time ourselves?...
Looking for a Love Connection
Q. My husband John and I seem to disagree about everything, including whether or not to hire a babysitter for our two kids. John says that date nights by ourselves would help our relationship, but I refuse to let someone else watch our children. Since we have become...
The Problem with Perfection
Q. Our son Tyler is 11 years old; he’s smart and does well in school, but he doesn’t seem to think he does well enough. He’s unhappy when his work isn’t perfect. His father and I don’t ever tell him he isn’t doing well enough; it seems like he has self-imposed...
Ending Cousin-Competition for the Holidays
Q. Family holidays are a real challenge for me. My siblings and their spouses talk non-stop about their children’s accomplishments and wonderful personalities; they don’t seem to pay much attention to anything else. Unfortunately, my kids haven’t achieved many...
Anti-anxiety Help for Kids
Q. In many situations, my friend’s son Travis gets very anxious, then blows up or starts crying uncontrollably. He is best friends with my nine-year-old son and often spends time at our house because his mother is dealing with some problems with Travis’ father, her...
