Parenting

We wrote this letter to our son upon his graduation from college late last year:   Congratulations on your graduation! We are proud of you and you should feel good about that...

Parenting

Rachel's middle daughter is struggling with health issues, and Rachel admits that she is more lenient on her than the other kids because of her condition.   Dr. Laura: "She needs to know...

Parenting

Michelle's three stepchildren live full time with her and their father, and she feels sorry that their mom isn't in the picture.   Dr. Laura: "Only kind-hearted people are empathetic to...

Parenting

Elizabeth wants to know if she should be concerned about her 11-year-old son holding hands with a girl he has a crush on.   Dr. Laura: "This is the time for mom to relax and dad to have...

Parenting

Melissa has a 2-year-old son who she fears is suffering due to the isolation of the COVID shutdown, but her husband thinks that he won't remember and therefore won't be harmed.   Dr....

Parenting

I’m 65, and my parents divorced when I was only a few months old, so my mother raised my brother and me alone while running a nursery school. I went to an Ivy League college on the east...

Parenting

After continually nagging him, Cindy's adult son is ignoring her calls, and she's not sure if she should continue reaching out to him.   Dr. Laura: "If you want to repair something, you...

Parenting

Here are some of the signs that you're ready to have a baby:

Parenting

About ten years ago, I had two pet finches. They laid several eggs and hatched their chicks and they were very devoted, caring parents. When it’s time for the little ones to leave the...

Parenting

Natalia's young sons are competitive with each other and for her attention and she needs advice on how to respond to them.   Dr. Laura: “Only praise kindness and compassion and let them...

Parenting

My husband and I have been married for 31 years and have 3 grown children. As they were growing up, we were their parents and not their friends. Other parents thought we were too tough...

Parenting

Mark is different from his friends and believes it's a negative that his mother raised him to be a God-fearing, rule-following young man.   Dr. Laura: "People who are too hard on...

Parenting

I wanted to share a funny moment that happened around our dinner table. My ten-year-old daughter slurps her food, talks when her mouth is full and overall has poor posture while eating....

Parenting

Frankie and Lena's mom often loses her temper, and they want her to find better ways to cope with parenthood.   Dr. Laura: "Be mindful of how you feel and communicate in the moment...

Parenting

Suzy is frustrated by her twin 14-year-old daughters who roll their eyes and reject her input and advice.   Dr. Laura: "Lectures turn kids off, but asking questions guides them to think."

Parenting

Marie's 16-year-old daughter has left home to live with her biological father, and Marie wants to go to court to force her to come back home.   Dr. Laura: "Letting her leave could be the...

Parenting

The atmosphere you create at home has the biggest impact on your child's stress level. Kids need time to breathe, be creative on their own, and get lost in their own thoughts. They are...

Parenting

Amber's 13-year-old son has been sexting with a classmate, and Amber and her husband aren't sure how to handle him.   Dr. Laura: "Don't be afraid to be the tough parent your child needs."

Parenting

When we married, my husband was a young, aspiring professional who decided to open his own firm. I was a hard-working registered nurse who had applied to graduate school. I loved my job...

Parenting

Jenn is upset that her adult son spends so much time with her estranged mother.   Dr. Laura: "This is his lack of character, not yours."

Parenting

Sophie's 13-year-old says she hates herself and was caught sneaking out of the house to fool around with a boy.   Dr. Laura: "The boy is her therapy."

Parenting

Cyber-bullying is no joke. Several years ago, it happened to a girl in my son's high school. Her ex-boyfriend created a derogatory Facebook page about her, and the jokes and teasing...

Parenting

I grew up with divorced parents and a deadbeat dad, and I was a daycare kid. I hated it. I quit my job 13 years ago when my first son was born. I was in my late 20s, and dedicated...

Parenting

Lindsey's 19-year-old son was diagnosed as a sociopath, and she's wondering if there is anything that she can do for him.   Dr. Laura: "Not accepting reality doesn't help anyone."

Parenting

My 10-year-old daughter is a social butterfly and has always loved being the center of attention. Recently, she woke up in a very cheerful mood, and decided that that day was going to...

Parenting

I am one of five kids, and when we were growing up, we all had clean clothes to wear and three home-cooked meals to eat every day. It was only when I went off to college that I realized...

Parenting

When Jonathan called a few weeks ago about his kids' fighting, Dr. Laura suggested that his competitive marriage was fueling the sibling rivalry. Now Jonathan wants to know the “next...

Parenting

This is a lovely poem from Tova:   My child has a mom Because I decided long ago That I'd be there to raise her I'd be there to watch her grow

Parenting

Jen's bad childhood resulted in her being emotionally abusive to her own daughter, and now she's unsure how to handle her daughter's anger.   Dr. Laura: "Take full responsibility for her...

Parenting

My brother was asleep on our couch, and my husband and I were sprawled out on our living room carpet watching TV while our newborn lay between us. We freaked when we looked down at our...

Parenting

Beyond typical personality quirks, I believe the breakdown of the family is largely to blame for the entitlement problems of young adults today. They need to be responsible,...

Parenting

After calling Dr. Laura about her 23-year-old daughter's plans to shack up with her new boyfriend, Donna shares the text she crafted with Dr. Laura's help...

Parenting

Ellie and her brother are competitive and fight a lot, and she and her dad call in to ask Dr. Laura for help.   Dr. Laura: "Your children are mimicking your competitive marriage."

Parenting

I was a strong-willed teenager, and I am so thankful my parents chose to parent me instead of trying to be my friend. I grew up very privileged with nice things, and I went through a...

Parenting

Since he was a toddler, my son has had a quick temper, and has always wanted to have the last word. At age 4, we put him and his older sister in Tae Kwon Do, which taught me something...

Parenting

Susan is paying for her son's college apartment, and she's angry about how messy and dirty he keeps it.   Dr. Laura: "Focus on the more important aspects of your relationship."

Parenting

Before the pandemic, my husband and I decided to homeschool our two sons. Now that we’re ALL home, we have so many things to talk about, and I know exactly what they’re learning and...

Parenting

Despite Amy's objections, her 20-year-old daughter is spending 3-4 nights a week with her boyfriend at his parents' home.   Dr. Laura: "Kids who earn their own way get to make all of the...

Parenting

I delivered my first daughter naturally, and my mother stayed with me after I came home from the hospital. My arms were so tired from pushing that I was happy (thanks to my husband and...

Parenting

I have a funny story to share about my son when he was around two-years-old. I took him with me when I went out to lunch with my mother-in-law. At the restaurant we were teaching him...

Parenting

A long time ago, before I started kindergarten, my mother and I entered a dime store in a small Seattle suburb. As we checked out, we passed those shelves with gum, candy, and sundries...

Parenting

I remember from a long time ago that you had a solution involving hand-holding when kids fought with each other. My daughter has two girls ages 10 and 12 who constantly fight, so I told...

Parenting

In part two of this Call of the Day, Jill and Curtis worry that their son could be manipulative and dangerous.   Dr. Laura: "Don't keep anyone dangerous in your home."

Parenting

Thirty years ago, my mother was dying of breast cancer. At the time, I was 36 weeks pregnant and I flew out to see her before she died (back then, they still let you on a plane at that...

Parenting

Jill and Curtis fear their 18-year-old son is using his mental illness as an excuse for his poor choices and behavior.   Dr. Laura: "Raise your boy to be a man."

Parenting

17-year-old Collin has been sneaking out of the house to hang out with friends because he doesn't like his parents' rules.   Dr. Laura: "The person with responsibility has the power."

Parenting

I always listen carefully when you have children who call, because I admire and respect how you speak with them. You recently asked a young boy to figure out when “three months from...

Parenting

My parents divorced when I was three-years-old. They fought often and talked poorly about each other to us kids. My escape was to play with dolls, and my biggest fantasy was that I’d be...

Parenting

I’m a stay-at-home mommy, and now I’m also teacher to my two boys during the pandemic. They had been in private school, which I thought was better than public school, but teaching them...

Parenting

My son will turn 16 at the end of the year and has been dating a girl of the same age. During the pandemic, physical contact between them is minimal, but I recently caught my son...

Parenting

My 13-year-old son and I were driving home when he asked me “Mom, if you called into the Dr. Laura show, what would you ask her?”  I immediately responded that I would call to thank you.