The Wise Deer and the Silly Squirrel: A Lesson in Patience
Co-written with my amazing daughter, Kaia. Once upon a time there lived a wise deer who taught many creatures of…
The Contributions of Burrhus, or: The Importance of Consistency in Parenting
The Skinner box was a specifically designed apparatus that involved a rat, a lever, and food pellets. The experiments done…
My Bad, Child: Accepting Responsibility for How We Shape Our Children
I once worked with a family who originally brought their 14 year-old daughter in for therapy; we’ll call the girl…
Nagging vs. Knowing: Saying More with Less
Most people have a tendency to use more words than necessary to communicate. Oftentimes we say things over and over…
Making A Moment: Putting Others First
Most of us are familiar with the phrase, “take a moment,” but I wonder what might happen if we traded…
Learning to Speak the Language: Abandoning Selfishness for Understanding
Once a girl from a very poor, remote country went to work in America. She learned to speak English, to…
Scaling: Accepting the Honest Truth About Our Own Actions
It can be very difficult to take responsibility for what we do in life. It seems much easier, after all,…
Demanding Respect vs. Commanding Respect
Respect is important to many people. Some people are so fixated on not being “disrespected,” that they will go to great…
The Woodsman: Greed Can Be Your Downfall
Adapted from Aesop He lived deep in the dark forest. He cut wood day in and out. The woodsman was…
Ask Dr. Conte: Help! My Daughter Won’t Stop Texting Me During the School Day
I have a 17 year-old daughter who is a senior in high school, and she will text me all day…