I was undiagnosed, but in retrospect clearly diagnosable, with depression from age 12. For much of my youth I “other-reflected” rather than self-reflected. I made the worst attitudes of others my own. I would say that I hated the way others viewed my depression but I really just hated myself.

We’ve all been there and often don’t know how we arrived. But one thing is certain, no parent enjoys being in a power struggle with their child. What brings us to this point?

Parenting is not a one way street. Two separate personalities interact to hopefully produce a loving parent-child relationship. Becoming a good parent is as much about us as it is about our kids.

I have always loved this entertainer and this tête-à-tête with Oprah doesn’t change my view. In “What Ellen DeGeneres Knows for Sure (She Thinks)” Oprah in O Magazine gives us a glimpse of the person behind the comedian. She makes us laugh for sure but her last comment left me saying,  “Wow, that’s exactly right.” [...]

Understanding respect and boundaries is crucial to parenting. What does this mean? When I was growing up, respect meant one thing only – how we spoke to and behaved towards our elders. Today, I have a very different understanding of these words.