When should children be allowed to play video games? This is a difficult question with which many parents struggle and can apply to many forms of technology (e.g., TV, computer, cell phones, iPods). Such issues will probably grow thornier as technology advances and becomes even more ubiquitous. As a kid, I grew up playing video …Read More
On the "Noble Truth" and Suffering
Dec 1, 2009
The first of the “Four Noble Truths” of Buddhism is that “Life is Suffering.” I always thought that “life is suffering” sounded so pessimistic. Sure, part of life is suffering but part of life is joyful too. Couldn’t the Noble Truth instead be “Life is Joyful”? Although I’m not a Buddhist, I really like what …Read More
The Myth of Multitasking
Dec 1, 2009
Nowadays, it seems that we have much to do…oftentimes too much. So, what’s the solution? Multitasking, of course! Let’s do that cell phone business call or catch up with friends while we are driving. How about answering a few emails while working on another project on the computer? No problem! Teens seem especially fond of …Read More
Can Praise Be Harmful to Children?
Dec 1, 2009
It seems like it is common wisdom to praise our kids for things like their athletic skills, musical ability, intelligence, creativity, talent, and so on. We want them to internalize all of our praise and have high self-esteem, right? Interestingly, the research does not bear this out. Praising kids for things that are not directly …Read More
Some Appropriate Consequences for Teenage Misbehavior
Dec 1, 2009
As your child moves from childhood to the teen years, you must adjust your style of discipline. Two things to consider: As you child gets older, your relationship with him or her is your most important leverage. Make sure that you are making time to do fun things together, creating opportunities for conversations, recognizing their …Read More
My teenager and I are constantly arguing. How do I change that?
Dec 1, 2009
Parent-child conflict in the teen years is common as teens begin to exert their independence and as parents try to maintain appropriate boundaries. However, if it seems that more of your interactions are negative rather than positive, it’s probably time to change your approach. Here are some ideas: Focus on increasing the number of opportunities …Read More
Happiness in Our Relationships
Dec 1, 2009
As I discussed in an article about our happiness and relationships, most of our happiness in life comes from our relationships with others…around 70%. To the extent that we have strong, positive relationships with others, we will tend to be happy. If we are in conflict in our relationships or feel alienated from others, we …Read More
How to Get Motivated
Dec 1, 2009
For some strange reason, identifying what we need to do is a lot easier than doing it. We all have those long lists of things that we should be doing – we know that they are good for us, we feel better when we do them, yet oftentimes we still find it difficult to get …Read More
The Importance of Social Relationships
Dec 1, 2009
THE LINK BETWEEN HAPPINESS AND SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS The quality of our social relationship is integrally related to our sense of well-being. Countless studies have demonstrated that we are happier when we have strong social relationships. The greater conflict we have in our social relationships, or the more detached we are from relationships, the more likely …Read More
The Importance of Nutrition
Dec 1, 2009
As you’ve heard and read, obesity in America has reached epidemic proportions. About 2 out of 3 Americans are overweight and about 1 out of 3 Americans are obese. Our fast-paced lifestyle has not left us much time for creating nutritious meals. We eat out a lot, and fast and convenience foods are a staple …Read More