They come at you from left field! Just when you thought that everything was going smoothly, your daughter is in tears or screaming at you about something you can't understand - because she is screaming!

Are you hitting a brick wall when trying to discuss weight, fitness and health issues with your son or daughter? You’re not alone. Many parents report that this is a particularly tough, and often emotional, subject for parents and teens to discuss.

As parents, we all have days when we want to scream, “I need a vacation!”

Talking to children about tragedy is a job most parents would love to avoid. If only our children did not need to hear about things like this week’s devastating earthquake in Haiti. But of course, they do hear. And they are full of questions: Could this happen to me? What’s going to happen to the children? Can I do anything to help the children I see on TV?