My father was very stoic, insensitive and used force to make us behave. My father was pretty typical of that era. But now things have changed. We no longer want a man that is forceful and has a "father knows best" attitude. Today, we want a man that is in touch with their emotions, someone who can share their feeling and be strong but not forceful. It must be very confusing for fathers raising sons. And it would be easy to delegate or abdicate his parenting responsibilities.

If you are a person who is naturally open-hearted and generous, no can be an unnatural stretch. If you are one of those who really longs to be liked, it's more than a stretch! It may be tough to dish out a no because of the wake it can leave behind. We can see the hurt it inflicts...a wounded look, slumped disappointment, quivering protruding lower lip - is difficult to bear. Or the hurt aimed at us... "I don't like you's", insults and sometimes kicks or slaps of little ones.

Have you ever said something to your kids and you thought you were clear BUT something totally different from what you said or requested happens? Or WORSE YET, they say, "You didn't tell me that!" Here are some tips to make sure THEY GET IT! These tips will help with communicating with everyone on your radar. (Teens in particular have an amazing ability to hear only what they want to hear.) 1. Get clear on what you want to communicate. When we unclear, we tend to blather whic