Privacy, Teens and Parents—Part Two

Earlier this morning I introduced the important topic of privacy as it pertains to adolescents and parents. While I wrote about WHY I think how we negotiate privacy issues can be such a big deal in the teen years, I also wanted to talk about the areas where I think we need to figure out how we will handle privacy issues with our teens. Some of the biggies when it comes to teens and privacy are their rooms, their possessions and things like book bags, journals, e-mail messages, etc. I think that a general rule of thumb can be that … Continue reading

Children Who Can’t Trust

When an infant has a need (such as the need for nourishment) which is not met, there is a big emotional response. That’s because the stakes are so great. If the child isn’t nourished, he will die. So he makes his needs known rather dramatically, crying and thrashing about. If this emotional response eventually brings him the sustenance he needs, he begins learning to trust. He discovers that when he is vulnerable, someone in his life will respond lovingly. As the child grows and develops, trust continues to build as the cycle repeats over and over again. For example, the … Continue reading