Posts by NellieKatz

Thank you for posting the excerpt from Summerhill. I'd like to get that book. My son attended a democratic free school a few years ago (he is now 8) and it was delightful. Unfortunately it had very low membership, we lost a few kids...

Thanks to you and the other PP who said I was being too hard on myself. That's what I do best.  :-)   I appreciate the support.    

This reply is long (what's new?) and it's just to share my experience with this in the hopes that it will help.   My son has been like this, and the thing that turns it around is when I stop being punitive and "top-down" (i.e....

I'm going to say something sort of provocative and philosophical. When I read the headline of this post, I thought "Kindness cannot be taught. It must be learned." I mean it cannot be taught [i.e. via words] by the parent, but must be...

I don't really love playing with my son in the way that HE always wants. He always wants to do imaginative play (on the floor, with his toys), and I sort of don't. I have a "play" part of me sort of missing....it's a control thing. I...

It is late so I cannot write in detail; I need to go to bed. However the books that really saved us were:   Between Parent & Child by Haim Ginott, and How to talk so kids will listen and listen so kids will talk by Faber...

I didn't respond right away because people generally hate the kind of response I would give to your question. So I won't respond, but I noticed no one else was replying and I didn't want to leave you and your heart hanging out...

My son wants me to do everything for him too. (He is 8.) But I don't, and often find myself explaining that when he was little and we HAD to do everything for him, then we did, but now he's 8 and can do so much more.   Also,...

I opted out of unschooling the reading. Same with REAL basic math, and writing. I told him that those things are his "toolbox" that he will need in order to pursue the things he really loves. And I treaded really lightly with what I...

I have a similar situation. DH will agree on things, see eye to eye, etc., and then never follow through. It's too hard! (don't get me started)   Anyway, here's what you can do. Decide on a WEEKLY maximum for TV (example, 1...