Mother to Daughter

Hundreds of grateful mothers had told me I saved their families. If only I could have done the same for my own

“She’s a bottomless pit,” Mrs. Roth complained. “No matter how much we give her, it’s never enough.”

“The good news is that your Shaindy doesn’t have a behavioral problem,” I told Mrs. Roth. “The issue is her relationship with you. And the better news is that it’s in your hands to fix the problem — Shaindy herself doesn’t need any professional help. You just need to learn how to connect with her as she is, which will translate into the acceptance and love she’s craving.”

“Really?” asked Mrs. Roth skeptically. “But how can you possibly know that from the few details I’ve given you?”

“I see this all the time,” I replied. “Usually, it’s the oldest child that the mother has trouble connecting with. And I know it’s a relationship issue because you say she has trouble only at home. That means she feels less secure at home than in school. If she had a true behavioral or social problem, we’d probably see it in school, too.”