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    Kids and delayed gratification...

    This reminds me of: http://www.cbc.ca/strangeanimal/2011/07/19/why-do-we-lack-will-power/[/URL] In the experiment, (watch the YouTube video) children are given a marshmellow. They can eat it immediately and get nothing, or they can wait for a few minutes while the host leaves the room and...
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    That's silly, right?...

    It's fun to be silly sometimes, but part of growing is learning the boundaries between what's fun-silly, what's inappropriate, and perhaps even what's dangerous. It sounds like your children are struggling to define some of these boundaries. I don't have the answers myself on this one, but...
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    My daughter is dating a guy who is a bad influence...

    One thing that might help you is to focus on is the specific things that will be harmful to your daughter such as drug use, neglect of friends, that quote you posted, and giving up money. Other issues such as tattoos, long hair, not having gone to college, legal drinking - are those which may...
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    Pyloric Stenosis...

    I had that when I was a wee one. So did Will Ferrel. I'm sure your little guy will be just fine and I'm glad that you were able to figure it out eventually.
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    Changing society through social engineering & social work...

    I started reading this thread with interest, but it got way too confusing for me. I'm not sure what has apparently been criminalized in Canada. Maybe someone could cite some sources or the criminal code. It is to my knowledge perfectly legal to discipline your own children. It is illegal to...
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    Need help with a big decision. (sorry long post)...

    Unless you're living together as a couple, I would make sure the father is all lined up to be providing appropriate child support. It's your decision whether you want a legal contract or if you think you can trust him, but you need to work out what his contributions are going to be and how...
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    Good parent/Bad parent...

    If you feel you are playing a role, chances are on some level, your son senses this too. The risks with this are: (1) that he will begin to lose trust in what you say and do, and (2) begin to start to figure out what role he is supposed to play in the grande scheme of things. If the person in...
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    Need some advice...

    Something else to consider is to start by defining for yourself what you consider fun. People find pleasure in different things and maybe you've just matured compared to your peers. Or maybe you're just different. Some people are happier watching an early movie, or reading a good book and...
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    Young adults with little interest in opposite sex....

    You know, I'm sure my parents thought the same things about me as I grew up. I didn't have a girlfriend through most of highschool. I only answered questions about the topic and never brought it up. I was passionately interested in physics, science fiction and pre-internet role playing...
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    My 15 year old son misunderstood me...

    I know that I'm coming into the conversation a little late, but there are likely a few things going on here. The first is the typical teenaged melodrama. Every aspect of a teen's life tends to be magnified because they just don't have that much life experience yet. The second, and perhaps...
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    Bullying in schools: Casey the Punisher...

    I hate to judge anything based on a 30 second YouTube clip, but I have to admit I'm on the 'good for him' side too. To me it looked like perfectly measured force. The other kid had him up against a wall and delivered what appeared to be the first punch. Casey delivered precisely the amount...
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    How long does homework take for your elementary student?...

    I can already tell I'm going to have a hard time when my son brings home homework. Particularly through elementary school, I grew up in a system where homework was all the stuff you didn't get finished during school. It was rarely assigned specifically to be done at home. In my opinion, a...
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    Justice, Fairness, and Competition...

    I've notice a movement in sports for young people recently where the focus has shifted from competition to skill development. And I have to admit, I support the general philosophy. The point isn't to diminish competition. A pattern that's been identified in the more traditional approaches...
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    Daughter's Relationship With Her Boyfriend...

    It strikes me as odd that anyone would seriously consider marriage at 18 these days. I know people do, but there are a lot of changes that a person goes through between the ages of 18 and say 25 that really define who you are. I cretainly wasn't the same person at 18 that I was later on. And...
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    Teen smoking...

    On the money issue - I think it's fair to say that because he's been caught smoking on multiple occasions, the allowance is gone. You can buy anything he needs for the next few months. Who are his friends now? Do they smoke? You may want to consider limiting access to these people. Where...
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    Dealing with teenagers...

    It sounds like there's a lot on your plate right now. Your daughter wasn't bothered by her mother dying? Seriously? I would venture to guess that she was and still is extremely bothered by it, but not caring about it (or at least putting on that front) is a means of coping. Fixing...
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    14 year old daughters claim to be pagan?...

    There are lot's of posts in this thread about what the wiccan/pagan religions are or are not as an absolute. But there's an important point that needs to be made. What's really important for you as a parent to learn is: what does this religion mean to the teenaged girls? As a parent I would...
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    Teaching science to my child.....

    Sometimes you have to be a little careful to make sure you're asking the right question before you jump to a conclusion. To have "wind" you need both a medium (air) and a pressure differential. The question "where does wind come from" may include the inherent question of where air itself...
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    letting my "dad" in my life...

    That's a tough one. The good thing is that you're an adult now and are in a position to establish the ground rules for whatever relationship you would be willing to pursue. You may just want to meet privately and ask a few important questions to get some answers to anything you may have...
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    the "L" word...

    Out of curiosity - how do you see the act of saying the words "I love you" changing things in your relationship? Will it imply a higher level of committment to this person than you have now? Does it interfere with your personal growth at a time when it's important to define your independence...