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Parents must step up and leverage an end to daughter's defiance
Parenting Advice
John Rosemond
Q: Our 14-year-old daughter desperately wants to begin wearing makeup, which all, and I mean all, of her classmates are allowed to do. We have held off not only because of our beliefs but also because of her immaturity. Up until recently, for example, she has continued to throw magnificent tantrums when she doesn’t get her way. We decided to use the makeup issue as a bribe of sorts and told her that if she didn’t throw a tantrum between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day that we would begin letting her wear makeup. She stopped throwing tantrums. Bam! Just like that, after 14 years. Now, however, she has replaced tantrums with defiance. We will ask her to do something and she will tell us, flat out, “No.” What can we do now? We’ve already used makeup as an incentive. Furthermore, none of her friends are allowed to socialize for the duration of the pandemic, so taking away social privileges is a non-starter. We’re in a dilemma.