N
    Nathan OLeary

    Nathan OLeary

  • Parenting Responsibilities: 10 Things You Are (and Aren’t) Responsible for as a Parent

    Learn the 10 things you are and are not responsible for when it comes to raising your child.

  • Does Parenting Feel like a Thankless Job?

    Let’s face it—parenting is often a thankless job. Before we have kids, most of us have unrealistic expectations of what it’s going to be like to give birth and become a parent.

  • Are You a Bad Parent? How to Let Go of Parenting Guilt

    Do you think you are a bad parent? Learn how to let go of parenting guilt. While there’s no one “right way” to parent, there are more effective ways to handle your child’s behavior.

  • Is Your Child Skipping School?

    Every parent dreads getting "the call" from the principal's office-and it's even more upsetting when you're told that your child skipped school, or hasn't been attending for some time.If your child is skipping school-either playing sick or skipping out of classes-again, you first need to investigate

  • When Your Child Says, “I hate my teacher!”

    Does your child come home with stories of how his teacher has upset him? It almost seems to be part of childhood and adolescence-every so often, your child will have a teacher with whom he just can't seem to get along. Sometimes it's a simple personality conflict; other times, your child is having d

  • Dropping Grades: How to Deal with Your Child’s Poor School Performance

    Your child started out the school year doing fine, but maybe he hit a mid-year slump after the holidays and his grades started going down. Or perhaps your daughter has spring fever and is having a hard time concentrating in class-and nothing you say to motivate her is helping. What's a parent to do?

  • Is Your Child Acting out in School?

    Have you been asked to speak to your child's teacher on more than one occasion about the fact that he's acting out at school? Does he frequently start fights and talk back to the teacher?

  • How to Deal with Lying in Children and Teens

    When you catch your child in a lie, it's natural to feel betrayed, hurt, angry and frustrated. But here's the truth: lying is normal. It's wrong, but it's normal. In fact, we all do it to some degree. Consider how adults use lies in their daily lives: When we're stopped for speeding, we often minimi

  • "I Love My Child...But Sometimes I Can't Stand Him!"

    You'd do anything for your child, but you feel guilty about admitting the truth, even to yourself-sometimes you don't like him very much. It's a secret that many parents of acting-out kids share, but rarely confess to anyone. James Lehman explains how dealing with a difficult child can take its toll

  • User Post: Kids Stealing from Parents - What You Need to Know Now

    Has your child been caught stealing from you or someone else? Have you found him using your credit card for online gaming, taking money from your wallet without asking, or even taking big ticket items from the house? The anger, disappointment, and lack of trust you feel can be destructive for your r

  • Parenting Differences? How Your Child May Be Using it Against You

    What do you do when your spouse doesn't parent the same way you do? Hands-down, this is one of the most frequently asked questions we receive at Empowering Parents. "I want to set limits and give consequences, but he thinks I'm being too hard on our kids," said one mother recently. "I'm tired of bei

  • Tired of Yelling at Your Child? Stop Screaming-and Start Parenting Effectively

    If you're a parent, you've probably been there: your child says or does something that pushes your buttons, and the next thing you know, you're yelling at the top of your lungs-and she's responding in kind. Afterward, you feel drained, upset and frustrated and wonder why it always has to come down t

  • 6 Things You Should Never Say to Your Child

    Do you find yourself saying things to your child during an argument without even thinking about it? Let's face it, it's almost impossible to be detached or objective when your child is in your face fighting with you. And naturally, it feels like a personal attack when he's saying rude things or call

  • "Loser!" How Labels Stick to Your Child-and Affect Behavior

    "Freak. Loser. Idiot. Geek." These are just some of the ugly labels kids throw around every day at school. Chances are, your child has been called names even worse than these. The sad fact is that the more times your kid is called a hateful name, the more he'll start to believe it's true. This week,

  • 6 Things You Can Do to Get Your Kids back on Track before School Starts

    For a teenager, there are many ways to say "screw you" to your parents. And for underachieving kids, being motivated to do nothing is one of those ways. I believe that when kids are so-called lazy, that's really an attitudinal issue about "Why bother, my life's not going to get any better anyway." A

  • 7 Ways to Start Parenting More Effectively

    Many parents write in to Empowering Parents and ask, "Is it too late to change the way I parent my child-and will it actually work if I do?" In this article, James Lehman explains how you can change the way you parent, and why your child's behavior has a much better chance of improving when you do.

  • Consistent Parenting: Unlock the Secret

    "Being consistent is the hardest thing of all," many parents tell us. And it's so true-it's easy to lay down a rule and then let it slide when you're tired or in a hurry. In this article, James Lehman explains why consistency is the key to your child's behavior-and tells you ways to keep on track wh

  • When Kids Get Violent: “There’s No Excuse for Abuse”

    Violence is the extreme end of aggression. Remember that not all kids who are aggressive become violent. When children and teens use violence to get what they want-whether it's punching a sibling in the stomach or punching a hole in the wall-it usually involves a scenario where they're being told "n