In climbing a mountain, if we know the path and take it as a matter of course, we are free to enjoy the beauties of the surrounding country. If in the same journey we set a stone in the way and recognize our ability to step over it, we do so at once, and save ourselves from tripping or from useless waste of time and thought as to how we might best go round it. There are stones upon stones in every-day life which might be stepped over with perfect...

Many moments in parenting seem unavoidable. Your preschooler will throw fits. Your third-grader will try to get out of doing homework--even if it means lying. A budding tween will dish out insults. And a teenager will simply take off for who knows where. At each stage, they are trying to test your boundaries (and sometimes your patience). While this may be a natural part of growing up, that doesn't mean any of these actions are acceptable or excusable....