From award-winning Youth Speaker and Teen Expert, Josh Shipp

We are thrilled to welcome Josh Shipp to Positive Parenting Solutions!  Josh is a renowned expert on teens and teen solutions. In celebration of his new book, we asked Josh to share his latest research on teens and lying.

Most parents wish they could somehow get inside the mind of their teenager. 

As someone who has worked with thousands of teens and parents for over a decade, I have a direct line of communication that allows me to ask some tough questions. With so much in the news recently about the issues teens have been grappling with (from suicide to cyber bullying), I wanted to know what teens are actually thinking about these topics. So I asked our online community of 13-18 year olds and 1,843 of them responded.

We are thrilled to welcome Dayna Abraham to the blog!  Dayna is a long-time friend of Positive Parenting Solutions.  She offers helpful and practical advice for kids who have sensory processing differences and intense emotions. In celebration of her new book, we’ve asked Dayna to share her best tips to help kids through tough transitions. Enjoy!

It happens every time. We’ve been out with the family on a nice outing and on the way home I decide to stop by the grocery store for a few things for dinner. Everything seems to go perfectly well until we get home and then magically, my son, my sweet loving, hugging son, suddenly turns into this massive ball of frustration.

He needs me for everything.

This is it. That time of year when it hits you – summer’s in full swing and there’s no school reprieve. Let the “what do we do NOW” chants begin.

There is hope, however, for getting through the “dog days” of summer without losing your marbles, your patience or your temper. Let’s take a look at some fun strategies to help you keep your cool and make some terrific memories with your kids this season.

(And How You Can Help Him Answer Them)

We are thrilled to welcome pediatrician and best-selling author, Dr. Meg Meeker, to share her wisdom about the important role fathers play in a child’s life.

When I was 8 years old, my father took me to work with him on Saturday mornings to Mass General Hospital in Boston. I would sit at his gigantic desk, spin in his chair and when he finished, we would walk to a pastry shop and have a snack. He ordered coffee and I drank hot chocolate. As I look back, it feels like my father took me every Saturday, but truth be told, he probably only took me four or five times. But on those Saturday mornings, I felt important and loved.

As parents, it feels good—great even —when our kids NEED us. When they turn to us for guidance, affection, even that peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Those are all good things.

We do have to remind ourselves, however, our long-term parenting goal is to guide our kids from being totally dependent on us to being independent thinkers and doers. That’s no overnight task.

It happens in all the little moments and lessons that occur in the day-to-day. From little steps like letting them pick out their own clothes to tying their own shoes, to helping them learn to weigh out what to spend their allowance on to choosing a college that suits them. Every little decision they make, right or wrong, along the way is a learning experience that will help lead them to be independent people we can be proud of.

Then, the thrill you get when you see them take on a task all by themselves and win at it? That’s awesome! If you’re eager to see more of that, let’s look at ways to help your kids embrace independence.

You may have seen a recent post by a dad, Bert Fulks entitled X-Plan: Giving Your Kids a Way Out.  The article recently went viral, and for good reason. In it, Bert shared a powerful strategy that helped his children safely remove themselves from situations that were dangerous or uncomfortable. With a bonus – they could still save face with their friends.