Just Add Light and Stir

A lot of parents have come to discussions and asked, is it okay? My kid is watching this movie over and over. Or my kid only wants to...

Young love was fun. Longterm love is different—different things are fun. Familiarity. Having a good woodpile. Memories. Projects. Gran...

Focus on fun and togetherness, and see the learning start to show itself. SandraDodd.com/simple photo by Sandra Dodd

Can you control your child's emotions? No. Can you affect your child's emotions? Yes. Everything you do, while you ha...

Though Holly wasn't reading, her vocabulary was sophisticated and she was fascinated by the history of and connectedness of word...

Yesterday our youngest turned 33 years old. As I write this, her brothers are at her birthday party. Kirby is providing karaoke. Th...

Questions come up about how a parent can help teens do things they want to do. Here is an example from when I had two teens and one near...

Rejoice when your child surpasses you in skill, knowledge or wisdom. Nearly a quote, from SandraDodd.com/empowerment Dodd family, ...

Meredith wrote something in April 2011 about what the grandparents want... It's helpful to keep in mind that one of the big thi...

"If my kids grow up and feel they had a great warm childhood and that they were supported and loved and are now doing what they love...

Don't assess "enough." Pay attention to your child and don't try to press him to do something he doesn't want to do...

Families with rules have a lot to fight about. Couples with a lot of rules have a lot to fight about. When I wrote that, I had be...

Although ["make the better choice"] is useful in the moment, its best use is for incremental change. If my best choice used to ...

Sandra Dodd, of Holly Dodd (Holly was 12 and told an older story, in 2003): My husband's oldest brother came to visit and she an...

This was written in 2005, so note the update below. My husband and I always said please and thank you to each other, and friends would c...

Sandra Dodd, writing with newly-adult kids, two of whom were still at home: I didn't expect so much contentment. And my kids are ...

Karen James wrote: Pay close attention to your children. Really see what they are doing, what they are interested in, what they are enjo...

Because I was able to be home with them, they didn't have to wait hours to consider whether to talk to me about something or to just s...

When a family stays together, and when the marriage is improved and solidified, it's not just good for the children. It's good for...

I don't treat my children as partners. I was, from the time they were babies, partnered with them. I was the older, more experienc...