Hey Laura, What...?

I’ve been dealing with a pretty snotty attitude from my 4.5 year old daughter lately, and all the tools in my parenting toolbox have been ineffective in dealing with it so far.

The parenting philosophy we adhere to in my home is very deliberate. We aim for more than behavior control; we are shaping them all along into well-adjusted adults.

So, as much as I just want to stifle her; tell her not to speak at all on days when every other word that comes out of her mouth is rude and disrespectful, that’s not a good long term solution.

I need to train her into good habits of speech and conduct.

Some people believe this age is the foreshadowing of the teenage years, and then write off any...

Guilt-ridden writes:

How do you balance being on the computer with being an attentive parent?  And then add in that I work almost full time and am a full time college student and there’s just not enough time in the day!

When I come home from work I just want to sit and veg out on the computer for a little while.  My husband’s the same way.  We both feel like we’re ignoring our daughter, but waiting until after she goes to bed (around 9pm) doesn’t seem plausible either.  HELP?!  How do we play with her as much as she needs it but still get our much needed PC/break time?

As any parent knows, kids require so much attention, especially in the early years. It can feel like you are being...

“B” writes:

Dear Laura,
I just moved into a wonderful house next door to my brother and his wife and new child. While I love living next door to them, I have a few concerns. I don’t want to be the nosey know-it-all sister who interferes with how they raise their child, but I have some helpful advice I would like to pass on. How does one go about giving advice without being pushy? Secondly, they love to stop in randomly, and while I do enjoy seeing them and my new nephew, they once even walked in on me sans clothing! What is the nice/proper way of getting them to call first even though we are just a few steps away?
Help!?
B

Oh, the joys of living near family! While it can be awesome to have...