Value Passion Where You Find It
Anna is a junior in high school, and with a 2.0 GPA she has attracted the wrath of her parents and teachers who constantly drone on about her lack of effort and motivation. She has …
The Greatest Gift I Have Ever Seen
The topic of divorce came up at a recent retreat with middle school girls, and I heard one of the most beautiful yet heart-wrenching stories I have ever heard. Becca shared how hard it had …
An Everyday Hero
Alexa, 14, has bravely faced some really tough challenges in her young life, and so far has come out on top. Her parents started fighting when she was a little girl, and it escalated over …
Unleashing Your Children
I asked Ashlyn, 18, what her plans were after she graduates high school next spring. At first, she looked at me like I had 2 heads, and then responded, “Well, college, of course.” I questioned …
Dress Code Policies: An Opportunity For Learning
Should girls be prohibited from wearing outfits to school because they are deemed distracting for the boys? Wow! What a loaded issue. While treading gingerly on this issue, I would like to put a few …
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Young Men and Women Have RSD: Relationship Skill Disorder
California Bill 967 has recently added to the debate over what to do about sexual assaults on college campuses. At the risk of pissing off conservatives, politicians, feminists, men, and women, here are a few …
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Sucking the Soul and Creativity Out of Children
3 year-old Tony was encouraged by his grandfather to take things apart; old clocks, motors. By age 5 he was using tools like soldering irons to build stuff, arriving at school many days with burn …
Teaching Girls to Speak with Authority
Sophie, 14, has a younger brother with Downs Syndrome, and she loves him dearly and flutters around him like a mother hen. Ben has been hospitalized many times, and was close to death on several …
Every Girl Is Meant to Shine
The nail that stands up gets hammered down. Unknown The most common reason girls don’t speak their minds, handle conflicts directly, and ask for what they want is their fear of making other people mad …
Are You Happy?
I remember driving my mom somewhere years ago after having been practicing Pediatrics for a year or two, when out of the blue she asked me: “Are you happy?” That was so unlike my mom; …
“Un-Words” girls desperately need to gain self-esteem and happiness
I have come across a slew of “UN-Words” that describe some essential qualities all girls require for a healthy transformation from a girl to a woman. These virtues are also needed for gaining self-esteem, passion, …
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The Value of Hand-Written Notes
There is something really special about receiving a hand-written note from someone you love. I experienced the power of this first hand last week at a 3-day father-daughter retreat in Colorado. We had each of …
The Headache of Being A Girl Today
At a recent Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics conference, I learned some interesting facts concerning girls and headaches. A 2001 study by Lipton, Maytal, and Winner found that 57-82% of all kids aged 7-15 experience headaches, …
Get a Grip on Youth Sports
Adults, get a grip! I mean really. A high school pitcher in Rochester, Washington last week threw 194 pitches over 14 innings in his district tournament game, and the best his clueless coach could come …
Amazing Grace
Grace, 14, is a straight A student, a star on her select basketball team, and tries desperately hard to be perfect in everything that she does. And, in her words, it’s not enough to be …
Our Lives Through Music
I watched girls last night at a high school musical review belt out tunes from the 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s that were sung by women artists in those eras , and it brought back a …
The Best Prom Night Protection For Girls
The recent story of NFL player Ray Rice hitting his girlfriend really bothered me. I work with so many teenage girls and women in their 20’s that it sickens me to think about how …
Prom Night: Let’s Hear It For The Boys!
I have heard from many worried parents lately about the hazards of prom night for their girls, and I was interviewed on the CBS affiliate TV news show Great Day St. Louis today about …
Root Beer Feelings
Have you ever been so mad that you flew into a rage and screamed your head off into your pillow or while driving in your car? And then, inexplicably, you started bawling? Unbeknownst to you, you experienced …
Surprising Saudi Girls
Sitting in a circle with six 13 year old Saudi girls was an amazing experience for me last week. I have just returned from spending time in Saudi Arabia, and part of it allowed me …
