Questions I believe every parent asks themselves at least once or twice each week (regardless of the age of their children): Why, oh why, do our kids act the way they do? Do they mean to be completely exasperating? Do they mean to be the rude little creature they appear to be? Do they mean to be horrible to their younger sibling? Do they mean to be grouchy at the cat? Is it that they are trying to push your buttons? Is it that they just don't know how to behave? Don't

Kids in general do best with two things: A) rules and structure and B) the ability to be in control themselves. Ah, how can that be, you might ask? How can I, as a parent, give them rules and structure AND let them have control? The trick is, my friends, to only SEEMINGLY let them have control; you are actually the one guiding the way. (This is another one of those parenting mind tricks we learn as we go, just like how they think you can read their minds and tell the fut