Have you really seen anything positive result from this type of punishment? This type of punishment just drives a wedge between the parents and teens.

Unless you've been hiding from technology for the last few weeks, you're probably aware of the Harlem Shake phenomenon. As of today, over 125,000 videos came back when I searched Harlem Shake on YouTube. It seems everywhere I turn, there's another version popping up.

Even at 2, my daughter is wary of risk. I'm constantly encouraging her to jump, leap and tip over all she can. I want her to push her limits, to ride the edge, even if that means falling and failing. Yes, I want my daughter to fail.

Perfect parenting is a painful and elusive goal. Great parenting is within all of our grasps. Here are some of the things that great parents do.

Sometimes, I wonder if we protect our kids so much from a sense of failure, we never really give them opportunities to do GREAT things. Has your kid ever climbed a mountain? Have they ever rafted a difficult stretch of river? Have they worked and trained for something where THEY can get the accolade and not just you?

I can't get my children to listen. No matter how many times I repeat something, they tune me out. Is there some secret to getting my kids to do what I ask without nagging?

You need to have The Talk with your kid. And not just once but many times, slowly, over many years.

Gone are the days when I was chasing my three active boys around the playground or wiping their chocolatey mouths. There are times when I long for the days when I could pick them up and kiss their pudgy cheeks. Yet, I've recently discovered that being a mom to teen boys has its benefits.

At some point down the road, there will be a girl they love more than me. Or maybe just differently. And over the next few years, my job as a parent is to shepherd them through that process, all the while with my heart tethered to theirs.

Students are afraid to fail. Parents are afraid to discipline. Students are becoming more apathetic. Parents are trying to push them to do more. Students are trying to find places where they can be in control.

It's not too early to have "The Talk." You know, the one about the birds and the bees, alcohol, drugs, parties, the buddy system at parties, boys, boys and safety, safety in numbers, safety in general, grades, classes, friends, roommates and laundry.

Do not startle a teen with sudden attempts at conversation when the animal is sleeping in its bed. Wait until your teen is up, showered and dressed before trying to talk about anything. These animals generally hibernate during daylight hours when they are between 12 and 20 years of age.

Someone once coined the term "Imaginary Audience Syndrome" to aptly sum up the experience of a typical middle-schooler as he moves through his day, certain of being constantly evaluated by his peers about everything from the way he laughs to the color of his shoelaces.