Can You Have Compassion for your Child’s Unlikable Friends?

Let us be honest here—we are not going to like all of the friends and peers that our children interact with. That would be a lot to expect from ourselves! There are going to be children whose manners we don’t like, who do not have healthy boundaries, who may talk or play rudely, or for whatever other reason, we just do not like them. As the adult, however, we have the challenge and opportunity of choosing how to react. There always seems to be that one child in the neighborhood who we would rather not have to interact with. The … Continue reading

When Your Child’s Friend Steals

One of your child’s favorite toys has turned up missing, or that $5 bill you had sitting by the telephone is gone. Suspecting our own child of stealing is one reality many of us have had to face at one time or another, but what if the prime suspect is one of our children’s friends? How do we handle the situation if it turns out that the child’s friend is stealing? If you happen to catch the little guest pocketing something while he or she is in your home, you can try the direct approach and simply ask for the … Continue reading