Difficult Relationships / Rod E. Smith

“My son’s father and I broke up before I found out that I was pregnant. There were minimal monetary contributions for 3 months after my son, now 13, was born. He wanted me to abort but I refused. My son has never asked me about his father and so I have never told him anything. [...]

Filed under: Abuse, Adolescence, Adoption, Communication, Dads, Difficult Relationships, Forgiveness, Grace, Parenting/Children, Past relationships | Tagged: abortion, parenting, secrets | 1 Comment »

My son (11) is quite ungrateful for all I do for him. I don’t want him to go around being unkind to women and he’s not getting any good lessons from his father who is a miserable woman-hater who I am glad I divorced. What can I do to make him appreciate all I do [...]

Filed under: Adolescence, Parenting/Children | Tagged: dad, mom, parenting, ungrateful | No Comments »

A reader writes…
“Many wives complain that their husbands expect them to be servants. The cause is, in my opinion, quite clear. Many mothers, including those in marriages not destroyed by divorce, run around their children (more so in the case of boys) to meet every request at the drop of a hat: picking up dirty [...]

Filed under: Adolescence, Children, Coaching, Family, Home, Relationships | 2 Comments »

A note to parents…
Despite your best efforts at providing an encouraging and challenging environment for your children, your children will ultimately determine the degree of their success or failure as adults. Avoid the tendency to blame yourself for every problem your child faces: you are just not that powerful! Popular press will try to place [...]

Filed under: Adolescence, Authentic love, Child neglect, Children, Parenting/Children | 3 Comments »

My daughter (16) wants to spend the night on some weekends at her boyfriend’s (16) house. My husband is dead set against it and this causes a mini cold war in our house. Her boyfriend’s parents are very kind people who are very capable of supervising our daughter and their son - but it still [...]

Filed under: Adolescence, Anxiety, Attraction, Boundaries, Children, Coaching, Communication, Community, Dating, Difficult Relationships, Parenting/Children, Teenagers, Toxic Relationships, Voice, Young Love | No Comments »

1. The children’s wants are habitually placed ahead of the needs of the parents.
2. Day-to-day family decisions revolve around the children and their delicate moods and mood swings.
3. There is an anxious cloud hovering over the parents as the reason for being together is no longer love and commitment, but the creation of a perfect [...]

Filed under: Abuse, Adolescence, Authentic love, Children, Difficult Relationships, Growing up, Happiness, Parenting/Children, Sex education | Tagged: Grandparents, loving children and babies, mothers and fathers | 3 Comments »

“My second marriage did not withstand the pressures of blending a family. I recommend professional family counseling for all who try. The divorce rate amongst couples with children from previous marriages outpaces the horrendous rate of first time marriages.
“My stepson viewed me as the enemy. I represented the deathblow to his fantasy that [...]

Filed under: Adolescence, Blended families, Difficult Relationships, Parenting/Children, Past relationships, Stepfather, Stepmother | 3 Comments »

When your child (13 to 15) becomes involved in his/her first romantic attachment, with a person of similar age, please remember:
1. The experience is authentic for your child, and, while you might consider it “puppy love” the relationship ought to be given due respect.
2. If you trivialize his or her experience by your words or [...]

Filed under: Adolescence, Attraction, Authentic love, Happiness, High maintenance relationships, Parenting/Children, Past relationships, Teenagers, Voice, Young Love | 2 Comments »

Reader Question: “My son is 19 failed his first semester of tech. He is very clever and has always been very popular and a great achiever. All this changed when he turned about 16. He became dark, and quiet and withdrawn. Round the same time be began smoking cigarettes and drinking socially with the odd [...]

Filed under: Abuse, Adolescence, Alcoholism, Authentic love, Children, Communication, Community, Parenting/Children | 1 Comment »

“My partner and I live in a home we bought together in July 05, with her little girl of 9 at the time. A year later her 13 year old son, now 14 who has been living with his father for the last five years, asked if he could move in with us because he [...]

Filed under: Adolescence, Anger, Authentic love, Blended families, Boundaries, Child neglect, Children, Communication, Community, Differentiation, Growing up, Happiness, High maintenance relationships, Parenting/Children, Reactivity | 8 Comments »