Parenting Articles by Yaakov Lieder

We cannot always control what our children hear from others; but we should at least be careful with what they hear from the most important people in their lives -- their parents and teachers

One of the reasons for the ancient Jewish custom to cover a bride's face during the marriage ceremony is to symbolize the complete acceptance that is integral to any enduring relationship

Some children are not talkative, and it's very hard for the parent to know what's really going on in their life and in their mind

If you wanted to play tennis, would you play with a person who plays worse than you, or with a person who plays better than you?

We can go through an entire day, driving to work, doing our job and talking to other people, without actually being there

"When he was five years old," a concerned father said to me, "his face would shine and a big smile appeared on his face when I entered the room. Now, at age 14, his face also shines -- when I leave it. What should I do?"

"The right hand should bring close while the left pushes away," our sages taught. This is the age-old dilemma of the educator -- how to do a rejective act without being rejecting

We can choose our partners, our job, the place we live -- is the common wisdom -- but we can't choose our parents. Yaakov Lieder, son to two parents and parent to 14, disagrees

Raising children requires an investment of time. Regarding that, we have no choice in the matter. But we can choose when that time will be spent

"You don't love me. If you loved me you would allow me to..." Children are experts in making us feel guilty. The trick is to understand what they're really saying

Last week I saw a man who had not made a mistake in 4,000 years. He was a mummy in the British Museum

One of the most precious gifts G-d has given us is the capacity to switch our brains to the "auto-pilot" mode. Without that ability, it would be very hard to function. The problem is, we need to learn when and how to switch it off

"Did you do it all by yourself?" If our child answers "Yes," we're proud. As parents and educators, perhaps we should reconsider this classic respons

In a successful business, the management does not say: "It was good enough five years ago, so it should be good enough now." Shouldn't we be at least as enterprising as parents?

"Instead of making your family part of the problem," I suggested, "invite them to become part of the solution"

When children get into a fight you hear them say, "I'll never talk to you again! I won't play with you for a million years!" Minutes later they're enjoying each other's company. What do children know that we adults don't?

The most important things a parent could give his or her children are time, attention, care and boundaries

When the lab technician examines a blood sample, the discovery of even .001 percent of the suspected element is very significant

It is amazing how a simple mental exercise can reduce the intensity of emotions such as anger, hurt, shame, etc., and the pain associated with them

A way to get out of an angry state is by performing a physical action with our body which is totally opposite to our emotional feelings at the time