How to Handle Parent-Teacher Conferences

By Stacy DeBroff

The parent-teacher conference offers you the teacher's perspective on his abilities and progress, and a chance to use these insights to help him improve. You should approach a parent-teacher conference like you would an important business meeting - prepare yourself, keep organized, and follow through on your objectives.

When Your Child Hates School

By Stacy DeBroff

Your child arrives home one day and declares: "I hate school." While this is something most parents will hear out of their child's mouth at one point or another, it is not something parents should ignore. If the issues behind your child's distress are not resolved, the problem can easily balloon up to become bigger and bigger and can result in your child faking sick to get out of going to school. To prevent smaller troubles from becoming ditch-worthy disasters, parents need to look closely at the root of the issue to nip it in the bud.

Ending Sibling Fights

Do you feel like a referee at a boxing match when dealing with your children? I know that I have had some moments with my kids, Kyle and Brooks, when I felt like the head of the United Nations! Sibling fights are one of the most common parenting struggles, and some degree of fighting between siblings is inevitable, but by keeping a few guiding principles in mind on how you handle these fights you can help to reduce their frequency. Use these tips from my parenting book, The Mom Book: 4,2788 Tips for Moms to stop being the one who has to constantly break up fights and make calls about who is in the right and who is in the wrong.

Dealing With Separation Anxiety

Anyone who's ever detached a wailing first-day preschooler from her leg knows the tribulations of separation anxiety. You and your child have grown used to spending the day together, and now for whatever reason both of you have to let go and adjust to a new lifestyle. Guilt, sadness, and fear are all common reactions to this change - but there are ways to make the transition easier. Read on for tips on how to cope.

How Do I Teach My Child to Do Chores?

They are the gripes of every parent: a room strewn with toys, a floor caked with food, a child who refuses to clean them. Teaching children neatness can be tough, particularly when they're used to you cleaning up their messes. Give even your young child chores to build a sense of independence and responsibility - and to avoid those sticky scenarios you dread.

How To Handle a “Bad Teacher”

By Stacy DeBroff

It's a problem all parents will encounter at least once in their child's school career: a really bad teacher. If your child is lucky, he will be blessed with many wonderful teachers, but the reality is that he will likely face some average ones in the mix, and inevitably those lacking the skills, expertise, teaching style, or personality you hoped for. Whether you think a teacher is doing a poor job in the classroom or if your child simply does not connect with her, this is a difficult problem to tackle - one that demands a great deal of parental attention and action.