July 2019 Archives

Massachusetts babies don't lie. Massachusetts toddlers rarely lie. Little kids lie a lot. And it's all good. When a child begins lying, it's a pretty good sign that they are experiencing some healthy cognitive development. Lying tends to give way to honesty and solid communication skills over time when parents aggressively police behavior. Development and education on right and wrong (don't steal cookies) leads to a multi-faceted understanding of the complex concept of honesty.

Substance abuse and drug addiction are issues that affect many Massachusetts families. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, more than 24 million Americans are currently suffering from some form of drug or alcohol addiction. This is an issue that affects people of every background - including parents.

When a Massachusetts daughter hits puberty, her relationship with her mom is almost guaraneed to deteriorate. This strained relationship is actually a good sign of normal development, even if it might be occasionally painful for parents. But the good news is that dads are in a unique position to ease tensions between mom and daughter, says therapists. 

Honesty and intimacy are well understood as bedrocks of a healthy Massachusetts marriage. But without complete transparency around finances, they may not be possible.

Massachusetts parents want to do everything they can to give their kids the best opportunities in life, and some may feel they haven't done a good job if they can't give their student the college experience they want. Meanwhile, college costs have climbed faster than family income, while most new jobs demand some level of postsecondary training.

Parental Alienation is when one or both Massachusetts divorcing parents attempts to negatively influence their children about the other parent is one of the most terrible outcomes of a divorce gone bad. It's a difficult and complex subject, but the outcome is always the same. Children who are emotionally scarred. When you mix two egos with dramatically differing perspectives, you're bound to get an entanglement of emotions compounded by allegations, defensiveness and self-righteousness. Unfortunately, no one wins when parental alienation runs its course during and after a divorce. But it's the children in particular who lose in a big way. Many of them are affected for life. Behind parental alienation are parents who feel totally justified in hating, resenting or otherwise distancing themselves from their former spouse. They fail to take into account how this might psychologically play out in an innocent child who naturally loves both parents. Backed by the strength of their convictions, these parents feel validated in negatively influencing their children's attitude toward the other parent. Whether its overt put-downs, disparaging comments or more subtle nuances of disdain, they make it clear that they do not like, respect or trust the other parent. The message to the children creates confusion mixed with anxiety, insecurity, guilt and fear. What's a child to do when one of their parents says the other parent, who is genetically a part of them, is bad, wrong, hateful, or not worthy of their love? How should a child handle the burden of learning "truths" about their other parent that only an adult can comprehend? Who can a child turn to when Mom is putting down Dad (or vice versa) and they're feeling angry, frightened or resentful? Parents need to think before they act. They need to look ahead to the consequences before they share secrets that no child should have to know before they take the innocence of childhood from children who are totally powerless to fix their parents' adult problems.