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#TBT — The Madness of March
For this week’s #TBT, I reached back into the archives and found an oldie but a goodie from our good friend Kelvin Teamer. It’s a reflection on Spring, the warmer weather we’ll enjoy, and the madness it so often inspires. March is here. Did you notice the preceding sentence ended with a period — and […]
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The Friendly Parent
“Parents shouldn’t be our friends, but sometimes it wouldn’t hurt if they were a little more friendly.” (Anonymous Teenager) People seem to love extremes. We tend to think in either/or terms in most situations because it feels neat and clean. Once you’ve moved into an extreme position, it becomes easier to justify your perspective while […]
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The Strong, Silent Type
“A loud voice cannot compete with a clear voice, even if it is a whisper.” (Barry Neil Kaufman) There’s something about the power of quietness that modern society doesn’t know how to cultivate. We get anxious and feel like we have to compete with so many other voices. But when we bluster and shout at […]
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Fear vs. Respect
“Never raise your hand to your children; it leaves your midsection unprotected.” (Robert Orben) Regardless of how you feel about spanking children, everyone must acknowledge that physical force can only take you so far. There will come a day — before you’re ready for it — when your child gets too big for you to […]
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How to Unspoil Your Child
“It is not giving children more that spoils them; it is giving them more to avoid confrontation.” (John Gray) We hate to admit it, but there are times when we go to extremes simply to avoid confrontation with our children. Sometimes we don’t want to disappoint them. Sometimes we don’t have confidence in our own […]
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I Do What I Want
In this week’s episode of “You Must Chill” (the weekly podcast on all things ScreamFree), Hal and John talk about choices. Too many folks seem to act like they don’t have a choice in where they work, when they work, how they work, how they spend their time, and a myriad of other things. We […]
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Affluenza
I was reading an article recently about a teen that was involved in a drunk driving crash that left four people dead. This teen later gave a reason for why he should be found blameless for the accident. He (or perhaps his lawyers) said he suffered from a condition called “Affluenza.” “Affluenza” isn’t a medically […]
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“Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word”
Elton John sang it so eloquently. It’s a sad, sad situation, but parents and married couples know just how absurd it can become. Offering up a good, old-fashioned apology is one of the most difficult things in all the world. As a parent, I’ll admit it: I’ve done the forced apology thing. “Tell your sister […]
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Ask the Expert: Homework… You can’t make me!
Question: I have a 6th grade son who is in gifted classes, and recently he has decided that he doesn’t want to do the work. In fact, he told me, “I don’t want to be in the gifted class; I don’t want to do the work, and you can’t make me.” He’s smart, and he’s […]
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Ask the Expert: Let the Consequences Do the Screaming
My kids won’t do anything I ask unless I scream at them. And they won’t stop doing anything unless I scream some more. How am I supposed to be ScreamFree and get my kids to behave? Sincerely, Screaming in Seattle First of all, being ScreamFree is not simply about lowering your volume; it’s about raising […]