Author: David Pexa

Sometimes a parent sits across from me and says, “Nothing big happened. That’s why I feel crazy for being worried.” Sometimes it’s an adult who says, “My childhood looked fine on paper, so why do I feel so empty?” Those two sentences usually point to the same wound. You may be here because your child seems oddly shut down, too agreeable, too self-sufficient, or tense in ways you can’t explain. Or you may be the one carrying a low-grade sense that something in you never fully formed. Not dramatic. Not easy to prove. Just there. That instinct matters. The Feeling…

Extreme attention-seeking behavior is one of the most misunderstood things in child development. The child isn’t being ‘needy’ — they’re telling you something important about what they’re not getting. Your child isn’t seeking attention. They’re seeking connection they don’t know how to ask for. If you’re searching “extreme attention-seeking behavior in child,” you’re probably exhausted. The constant interrupting. The meltdowns that seem to come out of nowhere. The feeling that no matter how much you give, it’s never enough. And underneath the exhaustion, there’s a question you’re afraid to ask out loud: Why isn’t my love enough? Here’s what I…

Most parents don’t ask this question in a calm moment. They ask it after the slam of a bedroom door, after the yelling, after the look on their child’s face that lingers long after the room goes quiet. I’ve sat with a lot of parents in that exact hour, when the house is finally still and their mind won’t let them rest. The Question That Keeps You Up at Night If you’re asking am i a bad parent, you’re probably not asking it as a philosophical question. You’re asking it because something happened. Maybe you snapped. Maybe your child pulled…

You know the moment. Your child goes from fine to furious in what feels like ten seconds, and suddenly the whole house is organized around the outburst. In that moment, most parents don’t need more judgment. They need a way to understand what’s happening. Child anger scares people because it feels disruptive, disrespectful, and sometimes impossible to reason with. But if you only treat it as a behavior problem, you miss the message inside it. That’s where families get stuck. I want to offer you a different frame. Anger is often not the main problem. It’s the loudest signal. When…

Teenage rebellion gets treated like a disease to cure. But in my experience, it’s usually a sign that something is working — the teenager is trying to become a separate person, and the family system hasn’t made room for it yet. Your teenager isn’t rebelling against you. They’re rebelling toward something. If you’re searching “teenage rebellion,” you’re probably in the thick of it. The eye-rolling. The closed door. The conversations that used to happen easily and now feel like hostage negotiations. And you’re wondering: Where did my kid go? Here’s what I want you to know before we go any…

Let’s name it. The thing you’ve been carrying that you haven’t said out loud, maybe not even to your spouse, definitely not to your friends. Am I a bad parent? It shows up at 11pm when the house is quiet and the argument from dinner is still sitting in your chest. It shows up when you see other families at the grocery store and their kids seem… fine. It shows up every time a well-meaning relative says “Have you tried just talking to him?” as if that thought hadn’t occurred to you in the last eighteen months. Here’s what I…

It usually hits in ordinary moments. You’re staring at your phone, avoiding a text, or sitting on the edge of the bed thinking, “i hate my life so much,” and part of you feels dramatic for even saying it while another part knows you mean it. I understand that moment. I’ve sat with enough people in it to know this thought rarely shows up out of nowhere. It usually arrives after too much pressure, too little relief, and a long stretch of pretending you’re fine. First I Want You to Hear This If that sentence is running through your mind,…

Summary: A practical guide to be a good parent: it’s not what you think. What actually works, what doesn’t, and where to start. I’ve never met a parent who wasn’t trying their best. The question isn’t whether you’re a good parent — it’s whether the tools you’re using match the child you’re actually raising. You’re already a better parent than you think. Here’s what’s actually missing. If you just searched “how to be a good parent,” I want you to know something before we go any further: the fact that you’re asking that question means you care deeply. And caring…

Summary: Behavioral Strengths of a Child: What Your Child’s Worst Behavior Is Really Telling You. A framework for understanding what’s really going on — and what to do about it. I’ve worked with young people whose parents described them as “difficult” or “impossible.” Almost every time, the behavior they were most worried about was a strength being expressed in the wrong context. Once the parents could see that, everything shifted. Your child’s worst behavior is hiding their greatest strength. That sentence might sound backwards. But stay with me — because if you’re searching for “behavioral strengths of a child,” you…

When you think ‘I hate my life,’ that feeling isn’t random — it’s a signal. Here’s what it means and what to do about it.