Category Archives: Parenting Tips

Behavior, Parenting Tips, Pre-Teen, Psychology, Teen, Toddler

Stop Whining

So the kids are home from school. You got them a  snack. And after a moments peace, the whining starts.  “I’m bored. There’s nothing to do. Can I watch TV? But I  don’t want to do my homework.” It isn’t the phrases used  that bother us as much as the squeaky, whiny voices that  say them. Why is it that kids whine so much? And how can  we stop it?

There is a funny thing about kids’ voices. Some  voices used at home are never used with teachers or  coaches. But those irritating voices are saved by children  to use for their parents only.

How do kids know to do that? Do children know that  their teachers and coaches wouldn’t respond to those voices?

Children get a lot of things from whining. They get  their parent’s attention. They get to control the  situation and their parent’s response. And most of all,  they get what they want – at least half of the time.

So even though it isn’t easy to listen to, you can get  rid of whining pretty easily. First, a child should never,  ever get anything they want by whining. Second, parents  should treat whining like a foreign language they don’t  understand. Third ignore your child for a time for every  instance of whining. One could simply say “I don’t  understand that voice” and turn away. Only deal with  children who are talking normally. Those whiners will  catch on. Make it clear to them that you can’t understand  whining voices, inform them that they need to use normal  voices, ignore them a while when they whine, and you will  see whining disappear in your house.

Whining can be viewed as similar to a temper tantrum.  Just like a temper tantrum, we can see whining more  frequently in times of stress, hunger, or fatigue.  Nevertheless, just like a temper tantrum, whining should  not be responded to and should be absolutely ignored. With  those tantrums and whining gone, you’ll be on your way to  having a more pleasant household.

Behavior, Family, Parenting Tips, Psychology

Stop The Bickering Sibling Versus Sibling – Round 2

You have put your rules on the refrigerator about  fighting. You have clearly explained them to your kids.  Yet, every morning the fights begin over again. “I want  the blue cup.” You give the blue cup to one child and say  it is his turn. Yet, the fight continues. You sternly  insist that the blue cup is in its rightful place. But  bickering continues over the plates, food, and everything  else through breakfast. You continue through breakfast  settling every argument from who gets the Winnie the Pooh  plate to who has more Coco Puffs. By the time breakfast is  over you are ready to ship your kids out for good. What  can you do to stop the constant bickering between your kids?

The most important concept regarding conflict between  your kids is that your kids want you to be involved. They  want you to settle their arguments for them whether it is  in their favor or not. They just want you to be involved  because it is a way for them to control you. Let’s watch  mom lose it while we bicker. Isn’t it a wonder what power  and control we have over her!

Therefore, the key in ending bickering is decreasing  your involvement in their conflicts. You cannot get  involved verbally or emotionally. Even if kids get an  emotional rise out of you they win. Minimize your words.  Try not to correct them verbally over bickering; they will  always have an answer. Remember; DO NOT GET INVOLVED IN  THEIR FIGHT.

Certainly you need to start with the rules. No  hitting. No biting. No throwing things. No being too  loud. Post these on your refrigerator and add your own.  Just remember, only correct for what you witness.  Otherwise you will be the arbiter of a hundred fights  starting with “he bit me; no I didn’t!” You cannot be sure  who is right unless you witness the offense.

Here are rules for parents to follow regarding their  bickering children. Stay uninvolved. Minimize your words.

If you believe that your kids fight to cause trouble  for you, you may be right. It might mean it is time for  you to step back and out of the conflict. A great book for  parents is Siblings without Rivalry. It may help a parent  gain a perspective on why kids fight and how parents can  learn to respond or not.

Behavior, Community, Cultural Influences, Family, Parenting Tips, Psychology, Values and Morals

Squashing The Rudeness Epidemic

Dance instructors have asked me “Why are kids so rude these  days? If you reprimand a child in dance class for their  attitude you can expect a phone call from their parents later.”  Coaches have told me similar things. “Heaven forbid I sit a  star player for being a poor sport. The parents would have my  head.” Major magazines have had articles on the “rudeness  epidemic.” Is there any wonder why there is an epidemic if  parents don’t hold their kids responsible for their rudeness and  unsportsmanlike attitudes?

Certainly we don’t always have the best examples. Our pro  sports players have had numerous noteworthy displays of being  poor sports. But putting that aside for the moment, we must  think about how our kids display themselves to other adult  authority figures outside our houses. How do they represent you?

Keeping our kids from being rude takes a multifaceted  approach. We have to address rudeness from our children  wherever it occurs – at home, at school or at extracurricular  activities.

At home, parents often are at a loss on dealing with  rudeness or disrespect. We often react with anger, lectures and  worst of all, physical punishment. But these actions don’t  teach respect. Respect teaches respect. And this is one of the  toughest lessons for parents to learn. We must try to respect  them even when our kids don’t respect us. This doesn’t mean we  have to be nice! But yelling, lecturing and being physical can  be demeaning and not respectful to your kids as a person. When  we can respond to their rudeness to us with coolness we remain  in a respectful place yet give them the cool response rudeness  deserves. To top things off they learn that rudeness won’t get  a rise out of you. That decreases their motivation as well.  (And of course, decreasing a privilege or decreasing your  service to them may be very appropriate to go along with to your  cool responses.)

Children can learn a lot from parents by how you treat  people outside your house. Do you yell at people on the phone?  Are you short with people in stores? Children watch this and  mirror your actions as they face the outside world. Your kids  will take a page from your book and it won’t look pretty. We  need to model good respectful behavior for our children. So  when you hang up on that telemarketer do it with class and  respect.

When we hear about our child’s rudeness to a coach, teacher  or instructor, support that adult in sitting them on the bench  or excluding them from class. Yes we pay for those sports and  dance classes. But so do the other parents. So why should all  children be distracted and suffer due to your child’s rudeness?  They shouldn’t. Support the action of coaches and teachers.

Finally, all coaches, teachers, gymnastic instructors, and  dance teachers – all adults acting in authority over children in  their activities – need to have the authority to correct  children when their mouth speaks inappropriately. Foul  language, unsportsmanlike behavior, bad hand signals and  inappropriate outbursts should have repercussions. At the  beginning of the season or year, send home a behavior contract  for all involved in your program. Be clear on what your actions  will be. A fair warning is always well received and then your  authority should not be questioned when you have to act.

All adults need to work together. Parents need to support  other adults in authority. Communication between parents and  those surrogate parents is important. Be respectful. Respect  kids by using appropriate language yourself. Respect them as a  person even if they don’t deserve it. Be calm but firm.  Isolate the offender by your action. And if we all do this  together, perhaps we will squash the rudeness epidemic and raise  respectable children.

Community, Cultural Influences, Family, Parenting Tips

Single Parenting: The Toughest Job There Is

Last month my wife went away to Mexico to volunteer for one month. That meant that for that month I was a  single parent. I knew it would be a challenge. I set  goals for myself. I was proud to get through the month  achieving some of them. I put good meals on the table. My  three kids got to school on time everyday with homework  completed. And I yelled at the kids only once the whole  month. My kids were great. They certainly rose to the  occasion. Of course, we all knew it would only be for one  month.

Having that experience certainly doesn’t give me rights to  fully understand what it is like for single parents on a  daily basis. I know some of their challenges but I also  know that they are in it for a longer haul. With that  background however, I felt comfortable talking to some of  my single parent friends about what it is like to be single  parents and what advice they would share with others.

I was first made aware that single parenting is not a  single entity. Here are parents who become single parents  through divorce. Some never have another spouse involved.  Some become single parents through deaths in the family and  still others are forced to be single parents for extended  periods, as our military families are experiencing now.  So the first lesson is that everyone’s circumstance is  different and their circumstance can be difficult or not  depending on the parent left raising the children. It is  easy for those of us outside to make assumptions.

Nevertheless, there are areas of common ground for parents  raising children solo. No matter what the circumstance  is, single parents need to remain strong. Children  need a strong presence at home whatever loss a family  has suffered; children need guidance and strength to  overcome it. Children need their parent to be strong yet  compassionate. This is what helps them move on.

To be strong, a parent needs to come to a place of self  respect. All parents are people of value who have a  key role in their children’s lives. Finding that part  of you that you value and take pride in helps you to be  a better person to serve as a model for your children.  It also helps you to have a good foundation for loving  relationships. Those loving relationships with your  family, friends and children are most important for raising  children alone.

Single parents need a network of supporting relationships  to help in times of need. There will be plenty of times  that you need help or just need a well deserved break.  Developing a supportive network of grandparents or friends  will always help you in the long run.

Try to educate yourself as to the history and struggle of  single parents. Many famous people, including a former  President of the United States were raised by single  parents. Finding mentors who know and understand your  struggles is of great benefit to you.

Remember that your children were made by two people and are  made up of 50% you and 50% of your former mate. War of  words between you and the other parent doesn’t help your  children. Even when your children bring back antagonistic  themes, try to stay above the fray. Remind your kids that  you can only be in charge of one house, not two. What is  said and done in another house is not up to you and needs  not be emphasized. And remember if your kids return from  anyone else’s care back to your care, you can expect some  “payback time” behavior. That is especially true if they  are returning from your ex’s house.

Psychologist Anthony Wolf, PHD wrote a book called “Why Did  You Have to Get a Divorce and When Can I Get a Hamster”.  In the book he talks a lot about single parenting. He  says that “your influence on the ultimate welfare of your  children is all about what happens when they are with you.  If you are good and loving during that time, if you are  someone whom they can consistently count on, then . . .  you have done the single most important thing that any  parent can do for his or her children.” That is a perfect  summary of the hardest job there is on this earth – single  parenting. I had only a taste of it for one month. If  I had to do it longer, I think I could find the strength.  But I am just lucky that my times of single parenting  are short. To all those who have longer times of single  parenting, I wish you good health, personal strength,  adequate support and good loving relationships always.

Behavior, Community, Cultural Influences, Family, Parenting Tips

Showing Affection

Positive affection helps support children!

Upon returning from a recent trip to a Honduran  Orphanage, I was struck by a contrast in our culture and  the one I see at the orphanage. What I experience at the  orphanage is an abundance of affection. These children who  have lost their precious parents are able to touch each  other and others warmly. They freely demonstrate their  care for one another in acceptable physical ways. They  hold hands, wrap arms around each other, and embrace in  asexual, pleasant and comfortable ways. I enjoyed this  affection immensely.

I remember one particularly interesting incident at  the orphanage. I had finished seeing patients at the  clinic. As I wrote up my charts some children snuck up  behind me just so they could pat my bald head. The  Honduran children enjoyed touching and patting my head  since they don’t see many bald men in their country. It  wasn’t offensive on their part. It was cute and  affectionate. They loved to see me laugh and respond to  their touch of my shiny top.

When I came back to the Boston area, I missed the  affection those kids gave me. I don’t need kids patting my  scalp. But I wonder whether we are being taught to fear  affection. In our culture there is a flood of negative  news and information about inappropriate forms of physical  touch. We are warned about sexual harassment in the  workplace. We worry about sexual predators in our  neighborhoods. Court cases about the church abuse scandal  lead our headlines. Does this culture lead us to decrease  displays of affection? Are we becoming so afraid that  demonstrating affection is negative?

Let’s be clear that there are appropriate ways to show  affection and inappropriate ways that take advantage of  people. They should never be confused for one another.  But nor should we decrease one because of fear of the  other. Our children need signs of affection.

Affection is helpful to children. The children in the  orphanage in Honduras feed off of it. They feel affirmed  and important. Affection is a form of praise. It makes  children feel good. It makes them feel loved. It builds  their egos. You can see it and feel it with the children  at the orphanage. They do thrive because of it.

Our children likewise need to feel appreciated through  affection. They need to feel their parents’ touch. Hugs,  kisses, and pats on the back make children feel their  value. With appropriate affection children sense warmth  and protection. We cannot afford to let negative news  create too much fear that we shy away from giving our  children this valuable commodity. We shouldn’t have to be  reminded to hug our children daily. Perhaps that love  shown at home will spread to the community at large as well.

Behavior, Parenting Tips, Pre-Teen, Toddler

Saying No To Our Kids

Our children are facing an unprecedented number of  choices, most of which are for things they don’t need.  Billions of dollars are spent to appeal to your children  and make them want something that you have to buy. It  makes me think of two questions for parents today. Are you  able to go to the store with your children and not get them  anything they say they want? Do you have unused toys  stuffed into containers at home but your kids still want  more? The answers shouldn’t come as any surprise to us  when we realize how many things are thrust upon our  children through various forms of advertising. You can see  the results of this in our communities where scooters that  were a must for all kids years ago lay dormant in garages.  Why can’t we say no to our kids? Why do our kids need to  have “what everyone else has”?

I have heard explanations from parents such as “well I  don’t want to disappoint him”. Or, “I didn’t have stuff  when I was a kid and I want it to be better for them”. But  if we don’t disappoint our children, when do they learn  disappointment? When do they learn to deal with emotions  around disappointment? When will we learn to face their  feelings of disappointment and not need to “make it up to  them”? If we step back for a moment and look at the  process of saying “no” to our kids we may learn a new  approach to this issue.

The first part of the process is the request. Your  child will ask you for something he or she wants. The  second part is a time of thought – you have to decide yes  or no. Take a moment at this point in the process because  once you decide, there is no going back! “Yes” is always  easier and is certainly ok at times. “No” is harder  because when we say “no” we can expect argument, emotion  and behavior. It is dealing with these three factors in  the process that makes it hard for parents to say “no”. Here’s how to deal with these three factors.

If you think about your decision well enough then  don’t get into an argument. No, means no! Just keep  saying no. Then comes the emotion and the behavior.  Emotion needs understanding. (I know that disappoints you,  I’m sorry about that) and behavior (that means acting out,  crying, tantrums or other kinds of fits) deserve a cold  shoulder no matter how embarrassing!

Using this system our kids learn over time to deal  with disappointment. They ask for less and they turn out  fine – perhaps better than kids who expect to get  everything.

I have seen kids in third world countries such as  Honduras play and interact with a lot less than our kids  have. In our country where we have so much, perhaps all  parents should work on disappointing their kids more. At  the same time if we give our time or resources to good  causes, our kids can learn that it isn’t all about them and  what they get. It is about all of us getting and learning  what we need.

Family, Homepage, Parenting Tips, Psychology, Values and Morals

Our Role As Fathers Has Changed – Have We?

There is little to contend with the statement that our role as fathers has changed. A generation ago we sat outside the delivery room awaiting news of our child’s birth. Today we are involved from  the start. As children grow we are involved in getting them to and from school, and often caring for  our kids during our “shift” at home. I often wonder whether we had the right role models for our job  today? Where did we learn to be fathers? Perhaps we had good teachers but more than likely our  fathers parented differently than we do today. It may be interesting to reflect on your role models in  parenting, your personal nature as a man and how these relate to your parenting.

First think about your parents and what you learned about parenting. Many fathers in the past  parented in an authoritative – because I said so – manner. We often feared our father. Perhaps a threat  of physical punishment was always there. That manner of parenting is out for many reasons involving  abuse and fear. Today, a more sensitive, and understanding manner of parenting is in. It involves  more listening and measured responses.

This manner of parenting may not fit with the stereotypical male. Men often think of  themselves as “fixers”, problem solvers, who are so in control we don’t need directions. We can figure  out the solutions! We like to be spontaneous and love to play. We may not be the most organized but  who needs organization – that is like asking for directions in normal life.

This nature of man (and I realize that it is not all men) may run counter to the needs in fathering  today. Because organization isn’t natural to us and spontaneity is important we may be put into more  of a reactive mode when caring for our kids. We may not understand everything our kids will throw at  us. As a result, when our kids act out, instead of being measured in our response we may fall back into  an authoritative, controlling mode that we were taught when we grew up. Does this summarize your  nature and parenting style? Is it working? What is your nature and style? Have you thought about  how it works in your family? With your kids?

As fathers today we need to think about how our responses affect home situations. Do our  reactions contribute to solutions or make situations worse? Today, in a non authoritative world of  parenting, it is our responses to situations that affects how our children respond. It takes a while but  over time in fatherhood you too, may recognize that strong reactions often make situations worse. As  you escalate your tone, our children escalate theirs. Or if you are too strong, they act subdued and  learn to work around you to avoid your responses. If you are functioning this way, you are parenting  by using fear. This leads to dysfunctional relationships. How can a father change and make things better?

First, you may be mister fix it at home but don’t try to fix your child’s behavior or their emotion.

When your kids bring up their issues at school or home don’t solve their problems. Respect  them enough to coach them about how to solve their own problems as much as possible.

Work with your spouse to set appropriate limits. This takes discussion, listening, understanding  and planning. You do not own the solutions to all problems. A better understanding can lead to more  appropriate solutions.

Praise your kids whenever you can. Praise from a father is a powerful influence on children.  Use this tool and you will gain respect in your children’s eyes.

Correct your children when you need to but don’t berate them. Don’t be overly critical.  Children are fragile and don’t need to be humiliated. Make your correction and leave it be. You don’t  need to make your kids understand all the points you would like to make. They will understand your  reasoning over time.

Learn to be a listener. It is not our nature. But we learn to be better fathers if we listen, involve  others and not jump to quick fixes.

Recognize that you will make mistakes. It is O.K. to admit them and even apologize for them.  Your kids and spouse will respect you more if you are mature enough to do this.

This is a tall order. But by taking these lessons to heart, a man will be in a better position to be  a good father in today’s parenting environment.

Behavior, Family, Parenting Tips, Pre-Teen, Psychology, Teen, Toddler

Raising A Wonderful Child

Much of the parenting advice that comes from  pediatricians and psychologists is directed towards fixing  negative behaviors. But what about those parents who have  a wonderful child. They do exist. Those kids are self  motivated, do well in school and rarely need correction.  Those parents deserve advice too. Wonderful children are a  blessing but they need their parents’ guidance too.

There are challenges in raising wonderful children. It is easy to become complacent about them while  we are busy with other concerns. They are usually self  sufficient so it is easy to forget about them. You still  have responsibility in raising your wonderfully easy child.

When a friend pays a compliment about them, make sure they hear it. It is their compliment not yours. Don’t  over correct them just to keep them from being “too big for  their britches”. Wonderful children take little corrections  to heart. You can trust in the fact that they want to  please.

Instead, challenge your achiever. Show them the struggles we face in our society and our world. You  shouldn’t let them grow up believing everything will come  easy to them. There are always more things to achieve for  children, adolescents and adults.

Work towards continuous improvement in yourself. Our achieving youth need good role models and that starts  at home. If they see you working to improve yourself, they  will see value in improving themselves.

Many good people have gone before us. Read to them or  have them read about great people and their achievements.  They need idols like Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson  Mandela, Anne Sullivan and Mother Theresa.

Pose questions to them; let them come up with  solutions. This keeps them thinking and develops their  creativity. Show them ways to contribute through  volunteering. Let them come up with ways to help out  others. Our wonderful children may be able to make our  world better in the future if they are made aware of  challenges we face today.

Expand their skills. Have your young wonder child try  things that don’t come easy – a musical instrument or a  team sport. Some great kids take the easy route by staying  in their comfort zone. But with new challenges, new skills  may be discovered.

Whatever you do with your wonderful child, don’t take  them for granted. Praise them. Show them you are proud of  them. Recognize their skills and talents. Let them hear  you brag about them even if they moan “oh mom”. They need  to know how you feel about them and that you value who they  are. Through your appreciation of them they will learn how  to appreciate themselves and others.

Wonderful children are easy. They are blessings. But  we need to remember they need parenting as well.

Community, Cultural Influences, Parenting Tips

Questions & Answers

What are the most significant challenges facing our medical  system?

I see a lot of effort going towards getting the  uninsured insured. That is not our greatest challenge. We  will continue to have more uninsured until we control  costs. Pharmaceutical companies, high tech medicine and  malpractice threats are draining the medical dollars. As  those dollars drain, primary care doctors are being nickel  and dimed and are forced to see higher volumes of patients.

Example:

One example of hidden costs is the pervasive attitude  amongst physicians that they need to cover their backs  against lawsuits. The threat of lawsuits is so high that  all medical graduates today will be sued sometime in their  career. So doctors order more tests, x-rays, CAT scans,  and MRI’s on a daily basis just to protect themselves  against lawsuits. This increases our health care costs  more than any other factor – yet it is barely known or  talked about.

Share with us one of your favorite stories from your book.

This is a hard question since all the stories are my  favorites. Apteral that’s why they’re in the book! The  one I enjoy telling the most is about the baby with  meningitis in the chapter “Miracles”. The baby had the  worst case of meningitis I ever saw. We thought the baby  was not going to make it. After the recovery the mother  gave me a sign that says “Expect a Miracle”. I still have  it on my desk at work 25 years later.

Please provide a brief description about the day in the  life of a pediatrician.

One of the chapters goes through a day in my life at  work. I wanted readers to get a sense of what it was like  for me as a person to go from one intense personal  interaction to another all day long. I don’t think people  realize how many family issues we face in a day. Even as I  wrote it and then read it I was impressed with how  personally dedicated we have to be in medicine.

How has the profession changed over the years?

We have made tremendous advances in my 25 years in  practice life. Today in the U.S. we rarely see a child  with meningitis due to the shots we give. However, our  practice life has deteriorated. I find few doctors happy  in practice. Patients aren’t satisfied with the complex  medical system we have. Some people are making large sums  of money from a system nobody is happy with. It is harder  to keep a human touch in our medical system as it stands  today.

In your opinion, what do patients and families need most  from their pediatricians?

Parents need someone who they can connect with easily  and who is available to them when they need.

When looking for a pediatrician for their children, what  should parents consider?

Parents need to look for a real connection with their  pediatrician. He or she has to be someone they can trust.  They need someone who will listen and care even about the  silliest questions. They need to feel that their  pediatrician is there for them and not rushed. That is a  tall order for a pediatrician today.

Who should read this book?

I think my book should be read by parents first and  foremost. I think they will gain a better understanding of  what a pediatrician does. But I believe my book has a wide  reach. Pre med college students, medical students, young  doctors and nurses – really anyone in medicine should read  my book. Anyone who goes to the doctor in our system  should read it too. It is easy to read. I know it will  make people laugh, and make some cry but it will make them  think about our health care system and how it needs to  change.

Behavior, Community, Cultural Influences, Family, Parenting Tips, Psychology, Teen

Positive Influences Help Us Parent Our Teens

When I do workshops for parents of teenagers I see many shaking heads when I say, “it is a  tough time to be a teenager!” Everyone in the audience recognizes this statement as fact. Few adults  can picture growing up as a teen now. School demands are higher. It is harder to get into college.  College costs add a burden. A high school diploma doesn’t help your career very much. And now,  with the economic crisis, the future looks tougher still. There is only one thing tougher than being a  teenager, and that is being a parent of one!

Teens are exposed to so much so early that they seem to be growing up too fast. The media’s  influence on our teens has never been greater. Movies and TV shows push our teens to be older than  they are. We know the risks that they may encounter but it seems that they do not. We worry for them.  And the freedoms that they demand from us so early make it difficult for us to stay in control. How are  we to parent our teens today? Where else can we turn?

We need to give our kids freedom but it should be a chaperoned freedom. We, the parents do much  of the chaperoning. There is no way around conceding control to other chaperones in the care of  our teens. Teachers, coaches, dance instructors, and other parent surrogates take on our roles as  leaders for our children. This is obvious but when put in this context it sounds scary. As parents, we  don’t want to give up this role to others. Yet, it is not only part of the natural process of separation but  important for our kids to be influenced by outside forces. How could this be?

Our teens go through a period of questioning everything you, their parents, stand for. They  learned your values and your rules for more than twelve years. Teen years is a time for questioning  and, yes, experimentation. Teens try things on for themselves and don’t necessarily do this with  parental consent! Here is where outside influences come in.

Many years ago there was a study that showed that teens that succeeded were often inspired  by an “influential adult”. This was an adult outside the teen’s family that helped to inspire that teen to  achieve something because of the relationship he or she had with that teen. That adult often saw a  skill or a talent in that teen that just needed a little push. That influential adult could be a history  teacher, a baseball coach, or a ballet instructor. This influence helps build a foundation of ego and  confidence in that teenager. It is incredibly powerful for a teen to be recognized by someone other  than a biased parent. No matter what skill was inspired or what adult inspired it, the fact that the teen  was influenced well by someone outside the family is the point. It takes some swallowing of pride for  parents to accept this but it is necessary to realize that it very well may take a village to raise your  teen. Sometimes effective parenting is finding the right supports for your children.

In a recent meeting at Sandra Marie’s School of Ballet, I stated that the school was an  important influence on our young girls and the young men who are lucky enough to belong to this  supportive group of teachers. If you think about the negative influences our kids face, it is scary.  Think about our kids who dance and what their young lives would have been like if they did not have  an avenue to pursue their joy of dance in such a supportive environment. I have seen many young  girls over our eleven years at the studio grow to be mature and secure young women. Sandra Marie’s  leadership had an influence in developing these young people. This is a fact that can’t be denied.  Now, the studio wants to support parents even further. They are sponsoring a parenting workshop for  parents of teenagers.

The workshop is “You Can’t Fix Them So How Can You Live With Them- Parenting teens  today”. This is a workshop I have been giving across the North Shore for many years. I hope you can  join us on ____________________ at ___________________. The workshop will also serve as a  fundraiser for Northeast Youth Ballet. NYB is a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing quality  ballet to our youth.