By attuning your ears to your childs social environment, parents can learn to listen to what a child is not saying as well as what he is saying. Keep in mind that the top three influences on your childs behavior and feelings are family, school, and friends. If something is amiss with your child – if he acts out, becomes moody and sad, or has trouble finishing his schoolwork – learn to discover the source of the problem in your childs social context. 1) Hear What They Are Afraid To Tell You

Over the years, I have counseled many parents to limit their child’s TV-watching to one hour a day of PBS only and to keep the television turned off at other times. To this well intentioned advice, I am often met with looks of incredulity and even protests.