Lerner Child Development Blog

Open access to my full library of over 150 blogs is now available by becoming a member of Lerner Child Development (LCD). Scroll through thumbnails below or see the button to explore all the blogs by topic.

This subscription service enables me to continue to provide in-depth, reality-based content drawn from more than three decades of helping families solve their most vexing childrearing challenges.

In addition to access to my blogs, subscription to LCD includes several new interactive learning opportunities with me each month: a live, open Q&A and quarterly webinars on key topics. Members are also entered for two monthly drawings for a free 30-min consultation.

Note that I have made some of my most popular blogs available for free.

Public Displays of Disaster: What to do when your child loses it outside the home

At the end of the day, my work with families boils down to helping parents set limits with love; to maintain a loving, close connection with their children while sticking to clear boundaries that parents know are essential for building their children's self-regulation and resilience, but that are hard to maintain in the heat of the moment when heartstrings are pulled or you just can't bear another meltdown. 

Sticking to limits is even harder when children are pushing the envelope and melting down outside the home. Most parents of young children live in terror of their little one losing it in public. It’s hard to avoid feeling judged and embarrassed by out-of-control behavior, as if it is evidence of your total incompetence as a parent—surely a result of your indulgence which has inevitably created a spoiled child. This naturally puts most parents in an emotionally charged place, feeling mortified and often angry at their child for putting them in this deeply uncomfortable and stressful situation.


How To Deal With Public Displays of Disaster

Read More