Part 1: Who the heck is Maslow?

Let’s talk about something really basic. In fact, it’s so basic that you might not believe me at first when I tell you that it’s also incredibly revolutionary.

I want to tell you about a guy named Abraham Maslow, who was a very unique thinker for…

Should you take away the phone? Lets ask Maslow.

Parents who are looking for ways to motivate their teen often see a cell phone as the most obvious object to capture their son or daughter’s attention. However, in some cases what was meant to be a warning shot (taking away the phone) has…

Conflict with your teen? Check safety.

While many parents assume that they are arguing with their teen about competency (grades, chores, activities), or connection (their friends, treatment of other family members), more often the basic need of “safety” requires their most urgent attention.

Aggressive at school? Punishment may not help.

Consider Grant:

Grant is a 4th grader who has been showing low frustration tolerance and even some aggression repeatedly over the past several weeks, including throwing a volleyball at a peers face and a pen across the…

Why does my child hate school?

And what can I do about it?

What does my child need?

A friend of mine told me a story about his daughter when she was just six years old — I’ll call her Julie. Julie is very capable and normally enjoyed school, but one day she started coming home extremely anxious and stressed.

Won’t or can’t?

In his best selling book, “The Explosive Child,” Harvard Psychologist Ross Greene has organized his thinking and philosophy around the maxim, “children do well if they can.” This is intended to help us look at a child’s ability to do well, rather than motivation. Too often parents assume their…

Perfect parents are not safe

Maslow’s hierarchy reminds us that the need for safety is foundational for a child’s sense of connection (loved, seen, belonging) and competency (skills, performance, successes). Safety is more than physical safety, it includes being able to talk to parents when they make…